Zangilan Region

History and Geography

The Republic of Azerbaijan established the Zangilan Region as an administrative territory in 1930. 440 square miles (707 square kilometers) make up the Zangilan Region. The capital of the region is the city of Zangilan. Many famous tombs, mosques, and other archeological monuments remain in this region. The district is crossed by the Hakari, Okhcuchay, Ba­sitchay and Kinav rivers, the Baku-Julfa- Nakhchivan railway and highways.

Cultural Highlights

The Zangilan region is home to the largest plane-tree forests of Europe and is rich in molybdenum, gold, granite, and other underground resources as reported by APA. Unfortunately, occupiers of the region have cut down centuries-old plane trees and misappropriated the territory’s land, rich in natural resources

Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Hajj Mausoleum and Khaja Yahya Tomb
Located in the Mammadbeyli village of Zangilan, the tower-shaped stone tomb (pictured, left) was built in 1305 by Ali Majdaddin. There are Koran writings at the beginning and along the edges of the inscription. According to historians, Khaja Yahya Mahammad was an eminent scientist and worked in the Maragha observatory during the Ilkhanids’ reign. The name of the village of Mammadbeyli appears to derive its name from Khaja Mahammad.

Sharifan Tomb
The remnants of the ancient tomb or, rather, its lower part, were discovered on the right bank of the Hekeri river in the Sharifan village of Zangilan. The Sharifan Tomb was built during the 13th-14th centuries. Below is a photograph of a mausoleum in the Zangilan Region of Azerbaijan.