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Neighborhoods of Baku. Gobustan: mud volcanoes and petroglyphs

Or else Gobustan State Historical and Artistic Reserve called the archaeological reserve of Azerbaijan, stretching across the territories of the Absheron and Karadag regions in the south of Baku.

Gobustan is a plain stretching between the Caspian Sea and the southeastern side of the Greater Caucasus Range.

The name “Gobustan” itself comes from the Azerbaijani word “gobu”, which translates as “beam”. Thus, Gobustan is a land of ravines and gullies.

The Gobustan Nature Reserve is famous for its rock paintings, which have been preserved here since the Mesolithic period.

Every year, tourists from all over the world visit Gobustan to see with their own eyes these diverse works of art of our distant ancestors.

The work of primitive artists, the site of ancient people, prehistoric tombstones and much more can be seen in the mountains of Gobustan. All these evidence of the life of the Azerbaijani people from the Stone Age are the great pride of modern Azerbaijan.

Rock art

The so-called petroglyphs, which are carved on the walls of caves and rocks, are by far the most significant local exhibits.

This ancient writing can tell modern people about how our distant ancestors lived, how they thought, how they managed their household, what they valued, what they respected, and what they feared.

Moreover, the walls of the Gobustan caves are decorated with a huge number of rock paintings, in which you can see not only animals, birds, reptiles, insects, fish that lived in this area for thousands of years, but also people - figures of men and women.

These drawings date back to the eighth millennium BC, that is, the Neolithic period.

At that time, matriarchy flourished in the tribes. These ancient people worshiped a woman; for them she was the personification of warmth, prosperity and the continuer of the family. Human figures were depicted in full height, men in hunter's garb, armed with bows and arrows, and women were often tattooed.

The drawings show that people then were tall, slender and muscular. The only clothes they wore were loincloths.

The famous writer and traveler Thor Heyerdahl became so interested in the rock paintings in the caves of Gobustan that he visited these places several times.

Having studied various materials, in particular how boats are depicted in the drawings in Gobustan, he compared them with images of boats in Norway. Having found quite a lot in common, he suggested that the ancestors of the Vikings moved to Scandinavia from here, from the Caspian Sea.

Over time, people evolved and improved and, naturally, this was reflected in their rock art. The changes affected the image technique and dimensions.

When the Neolithic period was replaced by the Bronze Age, cave paintings significantly decreased, people stopped drawing them in life-size.

One of the most interesting sights of Gobustan is the tambourine stone, which the locals call “Gavaldash”. It is located in the northeast, at the foot of Mount Jingirdag.

It is interesting because when you hit it it makes different sounds. Moreover, you need to hit it with other stones, and depending on the size of the stone, the ringing sound made by Gavaldash will vary. According to one version, this stone was something like an alarm signal or even just musical instrument helping to carry out certain rituals.

Mount Boyuk-dash

Mount Boyuk-dash is also noteworthy. At its foot in the first century AD an inscription appeared in Latin. This is clear evidence that Roman legions passed through here at one time. This inscription looks like this:

Imp Domitiano
Caesar avg
Germanic
L Julius
Maximus
Leg XII Ful.

If we translate this into our language, we get the following phrase: “The time of Emperor Domitian Caesar Augustus of Germany, Lucius Julius Maximus, Centurion of the XII Lightning Legion.”

If we turn to Eutropius, an author who lived in the fourth century AD, we can find out that the Emperor Domitian was destroyed along with his entire legion during one of his four campaigns.

From this we can conclude that this inscription was made by a centurion of the twelfth detachment of this particular legion, destroyed by the inhabitants of Absheron.

Gobustan Nature Reserve on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Due to its significance for the whole world, the Gobustan Nature Reserve was submitted to the list of objects by the Azerbaijani government in 2002 World Heritage UNESCO.

Just 5 years later, in 2007, it was already included in this list of the most significant cultural and historical monuments peace.

The Gobustan Nature Reserve and its attractions began to be studied back in the distant year one thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine, and continue to this day.

Now Gobustan is a unique heritage of Azerbaijan with the status of a monument of world significance. It preserves the history of life, work, work and entertainment of primitive tribes.

How to behave in the reserve:

If you decide to visit Gobustan, then you definitely need to remember these simple rules and follow them so as not to harm the nature and attractions of the reserve.

You should not pick mushrooms, berries, plants, flowers. It is better to leave everything as it is - in its original form.
Only photographs of the surrounding beauty can be taken out as souvenirs.
Don't litter! Be sure to take all trash with you. Otherwise, the purity of the reserve will be at risk.
You cannot leave any inscriptions on the walls of caves, rocks, or even on signs.

The Gobustan Nature Reserve is spread over a vast territory and roads are laid across this territory. tourist routes for citizens around the world.

Where is the Gobustan Nature Reserve located?

Gobustan is located at:

Baku city, territory of the Karadag region, southeast of the Gobustan massif of the Greater Caucasus. Lermontov kuc. 3, Baku, AZ1006

Gobustan State Historical and Artistic Reserve

Gobustan is one of the most famous historical and archaeological reserves in the world, a museum under open air with a huge collection of priceless historical artifacts. The reserve was established on September 9, 1966. The purpose of its activities is the protection of rock carvings, burial mounds and residential sites and their careful study.

Rock paintings of Gobustan
The Gobustan Nature Reserve is especially famous for its rock paintings made during the Mesolithic period. Every year, tourists from all over the world come to see with their own eyes numerous works of art once made by primitive artists. Rock paintings, the site of a primitive man, tombstones and many other evidence of the past of the Azerbaijani people of the Stone Age and subsequent periods can be seen in the mountains of Gobustan Boyukdash, Kichikdash, Jingirdag, Shongardag and Shykhgaya. The most significant of this entire list, of course, are the petroglyphs carved by primitive people on the walls of caves, rocks and boulders. They are able to tell the traveler about the culture, economy, worldview, customs and traditions of the ancient people who already in that distant time populated this fertile corner of Azerbaijan.

Research
Works of art by ancient artists were discovered completely by accident during work carried out at this site in a stone quarry. Previously, this place was littered with boulders. So, during work, one of the workers noticed some images on the rock. The area began to be cleared and as it was cleared, more and more images became visible. Large quantity drawings were discovered in caves.

Thus, another attraction has appeared in Azerbaijan. Archaeologists began a thorough study of the area. As a result, more than 6 thousand drawings were discovered on 1000 rocks, ancient dwellings - caves and sites, about 40 burial mounds, and more than 100 thousand objects of material culture. The most ancient drawings date back to the Mesolithic era, but it is assumed that life existed here before, which allows us to consider Gobustan one of the cradles of civilization. Research here is still ongoing.

Ancient art
All rock paintings in Gobustan appeared at different times and belong to different eras - from 10-8 thousand years BC. and up to the Middle Ages. In terms of covering such a large historical period, they occupy high place among other rock collections in the world. The images differ from each other in the variety of themes, style, structure, and execution technique. And very interesting fact is that over time they overlapped each other. The themes of these pieces of art were in many ways a reflection of people's everyday lives. Here you can see scenes such as horse and foot hunting, scenes of battles, scenes of collective labor, and harvests. Drawings have also been preserved depicting people in a dance reminiscent of the modern Azerbaijani folk dance “Yalli” (from the word “yal” - “food”). The dance, performed in the form of a round dance, apparently preceded the hunt. Presumably these rituals were performed to the sounds made by a special musical instrument of the Stone Age. It was called “Gaval-dash” (“Stone-tambourine”). By hitting different points on a stone boulder, ancient musicians achieved different sound tones and could perform a variety of melodies. It is very likely that the ancient people of Gobustan danced and performed their rituals to similar music.

In addition, on the walls of the Gobustan caves you can see numerous images of wild animals that lived here during the last 10 thousand years - goitered gazelles, wild goats, deer, wild pigs, horses, lions, etc. There are also images of birds, fish, snakes, lizards and various insects.

There are also images of men and women in Gobustan. Almost life-size silhouette drawings of people date back to the most ancient period of time and date back to the early Neolithic era (8th millennium BC), when the head of the clan was the mother. During the creation of these images, a woman was a symbol of goodness and goodness and prosperity, a continuer of the family. The men in the drawings are depicted in hunting guise with bows and arrows. They are tall, with slender bodies, belted, with well-developed muscles. Male figures are depicted mainly wearing leg guards, and some female figures are decorated with tattoos.

Among the many designs characteristic of both Asian and European cultures, images of boats with oarsmen attract special attention. This may mean that at that time the inhabitants of Gobustan were good sailors. The sun depicted on the stern of the boats allows us to draw an analogy with similar drawings discovered in Sweden, the Urals, and Egypt. According to ancient beliefs, the sun, setting in the east, travels overnight on a boat to reappear in the morning in the west. The rock paintings of Gobustan greatly interested the famous scientist and traveler Thor Heyerdahl, who visited here several times. Studying similar images of boats in Gobustan and Norway, he hypothesized that the ancestors of the ancient Vikings arrived in Scandinavia on boats from the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Time passed, people changed, their abilities improved, which was actually reflected in the Gobustan rock paintings. The drawing technique has changed; silhouette images have been replaced by contour images. Unlike earlier images, which were often life-size, during the Bronze Age the size of drawings began to decrease. Along with the development of fine arts, this was also facilitated by the use of more advanced tools, including metal ones.

In addition to ancient drawings, a Latin inscription found at the foot of Mount Boyuk-dash is very interesting in Gobustan. Its appearance dates back to the first century AD, approximately 84-96, and is direct evidence that at that time Roman troops were stationed near Baku. Specifically, the Roman inscription reads:

Imp Domitiano
Caesar avg
Germanic
L Julius
Maximus
Leg XII Ful.

Which translated into Russian means: “The time of Emperor Domitian Caesar Augustus of Germany, Lucius Julius Maximus, Centurion of the XII Lightning Legion.”

The Latin author of the second half of the 4th century, Eutropius, reports that the Emperor Domitian, nicknamed “Fulminata” (“lightning”), made four campaigns, and during one of them his legion and its commander were exterminated. Apparently, here, in the Gobustan inscription, the same detachment of the XII Legion that was exterminated is mentioned local residents Absheron.

The presence of Roman troops on Absheron in the 1st century is perhaps indicated by the name of the village of Ramana or Romana. The name of the city of Ramana in Asia Minor, mentioned by Bar Ebreus in the 13th century, is also associated with the Roman conquest. The presence of Roman troops in Gobustan indicates the presence of a large settlement or cities, which could have been Baku at this time and where Roman troops were probably sent.

Not far from the place of residence of the Romans there is “Gaval Dash” (which was already mentioned above) - an original tambourine stone, which is a huge slab installed flat. From it, by tapping, rhythmically clear motifs can be extracted. It is believed that these sounds accompanied ritual dances and ceremonies.

There are also inscriptions carved in the Arabic alphabet and dating back to the 12th - 14th centuries.

In the Middle Ages, starting from the 8th century and later, due to the decrease in the economic importance of hunting, the development of fine arts in ceramics and metal, the negative attitude of the Islamic religion towards images of people and animals, the rock paintings of Gobustan acquired a schematic character and became increasingly smaller in size. Thus, over time, the drawings became less and less realistic; they were drawn in straight lines and were often likened to geometric figures. Among the medieval drawings there are also inscriptions carved in the Arabic alphabet dating back to the 12th - 14th centuries.

In 2007, the Gobustan Nature Reserve was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Every year it is visited by hundreds of tourists from dozens of countries around the world.

Gobustan is one of the most famous historical and archaeological reserves in the world, an open-air museum with a huge collection of priceless historical exhibits. It is located on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 60 kilometers from. Gobustan is an area of the extreme southeastern spurs of the Greater Caucasus to the west and southwest of the Absheron Peninsula. The absolute height of the area is up to 1047 meters, the relief is ridge-hilly in folded structures of sandy-clayey rocks, marls and limestones. In the south there are mud volcanoes. Semi-desert landscapes also dominate here; There are winter pastures.

From Azerbaijani “Gobustan” is translated as “Edge of ravines” (“gobu” - “depression, ravine, well”, “stan” - “edge, land”).

The reserve was established on September 9, 1966. The purpose of its activities is the protection of rock carvings, burial mounds and residential sites and their careful study.

Thus, another attraction has appeared in Azerbaijan. Archaeologists began a thorough study of the area. As a result, more than 6 thousand drawings were discovered on 1000 rocks, ancient dwellings - caves and sites, about 40 mounds, more than 100 thousand objects of material culture. The most ancient drawings date back to the Mesolithic era, but it is assumed that life existed here before, which allows us to consider Gobustan one of the cradles of civilization. Research here is still ongoing.

Ancient art
All rock paintings in Gobustan appeared at different times and belong to different eras - from 10-8 thousand years BC. and up to the Middle Ages. In terms of covering such a large historical period, they occupy a high place among other rock collections in the world. The images differ from each other in the variety of themes, style, structure, and execution technique. And a very interesting fact is that over time they overlapped each other. The themes of these pieces of art were in many ways a reflection of people's everyday lives. Here you can see scenes such as horse and foot hunting, scenes of battles, scenes of collective labor, and harvests. Also preserved are drawings depicting people in a dance reminiscent of the modern Azerbaijani folk dance “Yalli” (from the word “yal” - “food”). The dance, performed in the form of a round dance, apparently preceded the hunt. Presumably these rituals were performed to the sounds made by a special musical instrument of the Stone Age. It was called “Gaval-dash” (“Stone-tambourine”). By hitting different points on a stone boulder, ancient musicians achieved different sound tones and could perform a variety of melodies. It is very likely that the ancient people of Gobustan danced and performed their rituals to similar music.

In addition to ancient drawings, a Latin inscription found at the foot of Mount Boyuk-dash is very interesting in Gobustan. Its appearance dates back to the first century AD, approximately 84 - 96, and is direct evidence that at that time Roman troops were stationed near Baku. Specifically, the Roman inscription reads: Imp Domitiano Caesare avg Germanic L Julius Maximus Leg XII Ful.

Which translated into Russian means: “The time of Emperor Domitian Caesar Augustus of Germany, Lucius Julius Maximus, Centurion of the XII Lightning Legion.”

The Latin author of the second half of the 4th century, Eutropius, reports that the Emperor Domitian, nicknamed “Fulminata” (“lightning”), made four campaigns, and during one of them his legion and commander were exterminated. Apparently, here, in the Gobustan inscription, the same detachment of the XII Legion that was exterminated by the local residents of Absheron is mentioned.

The presence of Roman troops on Absheron in the 1st century is perhaps indicated by the name of the village of Ramana or Romana. The name of the city of Ramana in Asia Minor, mentioned by Bar Ebreus in the 13th century, is also associated with the Roman conquest. The presence of Roman troops in Gobustan indicates the presence of a large settlement or city nearby, which could have been Baku at that time and where Roman troops were probably sent.

There are also inscriptions carved in the Arabic alphabet and dating back to the 12th - 14th centuries.

Gobustan Nature Reserve (Baku, Azerbaijan) - exact location, interesting places, inhabitants, routes.

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Gobustan - rock paintings and mud volcanoes included in the list cultural heritage UNESCO is one of the most memorable sights of Azerbaijan. The reserve, located just 50-60 km from the country's capital Baku, would be an excellent half-day excursion, fortunately, getting here is not difficult.

Tourists traditionally start with volcanoes - a truly exotic sight. Gray-beige cracked earth, from where low hills stick out here and there and puddles glisten in the sun, periodically emitting a loud “chop” and “gurgle.” The mud here mixes with water and oil, while remaining cold. There are both quite large volcanoes and very miniature ones, the size of a puddle.

After wandering around the Martian landscape for half an hour and seeing a rare and unappetizing, but quite cheerful “chomp”, tourists, as a rule, go to the rock paintings. Here for them, as well as for scientists, there is a whole expanse.

Rock paintings in this area were created from the primitive era to the Middle Ages; today there are about 6 thousand drawings: animals and people, hunting scenes and inscriptions.

One of the most remarkable inscriptions, by the way, refers to the Roman legionaries who wandered here in the 1st century AD. But first things first.

The “highlights” of the Gobustan collection are the heroic figure of a reaper with a sickle, round dances of dancing men, boats with rowers.

Rock paintings of Gobustan

The best examples of artistic creativity of ancient people can be seen in the mountains of Boyukdash (“Big Stone”), Kichikdash (“Small Stone”), Jingirdag, Shongardag and Shykhgaya - these are rock carvings, human sites, and gravestone monuments of the Stone Age. Here, if you look closely, you can find the remains of a large prehistoric cromlech.

By the way, the name of the reserve means “edge of ravines” (from “gobu” - “depression”, “ravine”, and “stan” - “edge”, “land”)

As a rule, the plot of the drawings is simple: everyday life and economic life, magical and totemic representations of ancient people, scenes of hunting and fishing, images of men and women, wild animals. The “highlights” of the Gobustan collection are the heroic figure of a reaper with a sickle, round dances of dancing men, boats with rowers.

Pay special attention to the stone slab with a Latin inscription at the foot of Mount Boyukdash. The inscription left here dates back to approximately 84-96, and its author is a Roman legionnaire of Emperor Domitian from the Legion Fulminata (“Lightning”). According to historians, in 75 Domitian sent a legion to help the allied kingdoms of Iberia and Albania in the Caucasus. However, the same detachment of the 12th Legion that left the inscription was later exterminated by the local residents of Absheron. And it is written, in fact, the following: “The time of Emperor Domitian Caesar Augustus of Germany, Lucius Julius Maximus, Centurion of the XII Lightning Legion.”

Coordinates

Address: Gobustan, Absheron district.

How to get there: by bus No. 120 from Azneft Square (the nearest metro station is “Icherisheher”) about 50 km to the city of Gobustan. Next by taxi with a starting price of 50 AZN.

Prices on the page are for April 2019.

The Gobustan Reserve or Gobustan State Historical and Artistic Reserve is an archaeological reserve in Azerbaijan, south of Baku, in the Karadag and Absheron regions.

The name "Gobustan" means "edge of ravines." It is a plain located between the southeastern slope of the Greater Caucasus Range and the Caspian Sea, part of which is a cultural landscape of rock paintings located on an area of 537 hectares.

The reserve's territory of 3096 hectares is a vast low-mountain area between the southeastern spurs of the Greater Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. It is crossed by ravines and dry valleys. From the north, Gobustan is limited by the southern continuation of the Main Caucasus Range, in the west by the valley of the Pirsaatchay River, in the south by the Mishovdag and Kharami mountains, and in the east by the shores of the Caspian Sea and the Absheron Peninsula. The length from north to south is 100 km, from west to east - up to 80 km. The largest mud volcanoes in the Caucasus are located here. The main river is Jeyrankechmez. On Mount Boyukdash there are also springs and wells fed groundwater limestone deposits and precipitation.

The flora of Gobustan is typical of desert and semi-desert vegetation. It consists of grasses and shrubs, wormwood and similar perennials. Among the heaps of stones and rocks there are rose hips, dwarf cherry, honeysuckle, juniper, wild pears, wild rice, wild pomegranate, grapes and some other types of trees and shrubs. Over the past decades, the fauna of Gobustan has become greatly impoverished. The natural inhabitants of Gobustan now include rare foxes, jackals, wolves, hares and wild cats, mountain partridges, wild pigeons, larks, along with numerous snakes and lizards.

In the mountains of Gobustan, under the names Boyukdash, Kichikdash, Jingirdag, Shongardag and Shykhgaya, evidence of the inhabitants of the region of the Stone Age and subsequent periods is concentrated - rock carvings, a human site, tombstones, etc. The first archaeological excavations carried out here began in the 30s 20th century, when Ishaq Jafarzade discovered 3,500 rock carvings, pits, caves and other historically significant objects in Gobustan. In 1965, 300 new rock carvings, more than 20 dwellings and 40 burial mounds were found. There are also the remains of a large prehistoric cromlech, which are clearly visible. The drawings were found in three areas of the rocky plateau, and once-inhabited caves, traces of settlements and tombs discovered here indicate a dense population of this territory during the period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Middle Ages. Now there are about 6,000 drawings that were created from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages. Petroglyphs are carved and carved into the rocks. They can be seen on the territory of several neighboring mountains. They also exist around the semicircular, largest mountain - Kyanizadag - a mud volcano.

In 2007, the cultural landscape of Gobustan rock paintings was included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.

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