The name Ganja derives from the Persian word ganj (Middle Persian: ganj), meaning "treasure" or "treasury".[8] It was called Janza in Arabic sources[8] and Gandzak in Armenian sources.[9] The explanation that the city was named this after its founder discovered treasure nearby (see below) is considered a folk etymology.[8] According to one view, the city may have been named after Ganzak, the pre-Muslim capital of Adurbadagan.[10] The city was renamed Yelizavetpol (Russian: Елизаветпо́ль, romanized: Yelizavetpól', IPA:[jɪlʲɪzəvʲɪtˈpolʲ]) in 1813, when it was part of the Russian Empire.[8] After its incorporation into the Soviet Union, it was initially renamed back to Ganja (Gyandzha) in 1924, but in 1935 the name was changed again to Kirovabad (Russian: Кироваба́д, romanized: Kirovabád, IPA:[kʲɪrəvɐˈbat]) in honor of the Soviet politician Sergei Kirov,[10] a name which the city retained throughout most of the rest of the Soviet period.[8] In 1989, during perestroika, the city regained its original name of Ganja (Azerbaijani: Gəncə), which is known as Gyandzha (Гянджа, [ɡʲɪnˈdʑa]) in Russian,[11]Gyanja (Գյանջա) or Gandzak (Գանձակ) in Armenian,[12] and Ganjeh (گنجه) in Persian.
History
Medieval era
According to the anonymous medieval Arabic history Tarikh Bab al-abwab, the city of Ganja was founded in 859–60 by Muhammad ibn Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Mazyad, the Arab governor of the region during the reign of the caliph Al-Mutawakkil, and so-called because of a treasure unearthed there. According to the legend, the Arab governor had a dream where a voice told him that there was a treasure hidden under one of the three hills around the area where he camped. The voice told him to unearth it and use the money to found a city. He did so and informed the caliph about the money and the city. The caliph made Muhammad the hereditary governor of the city on the condition that he would give the money he found to the caliph.[13] The foundation of the city by the Arabs in the 9th century is supported by the medieval Armenian historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi, who mentions that the city of Ganja was founded in 846–47 in the canton of Arshakashen by "Mahmed son of Xałtʿ" (i.e., Muhammad ibn Khalid).[14] The 14th-century Persian historian Hamdallah Mustawfi instead claims that the city was founded in 659–60, when the Arab armies first arrived in the South Caucasus.[8]
However, the Persian origin of Ganja's name suggests that there was an older pre-Islamic town there.[8] According to some sources, it changed hands between Persians, Khazars and Arabs even in the 7th century.[15] The area in which Ganja is located was known as Arran from the 9th to 12th century; its urban population spoke mainly in the Persian language.[16][17]
The people of Ganja experienced a temporary cultural decline after an earthquake in 1139, when the city was taken by king Demetrius I of Georgia and its gates taken as trophies which is still kept in Georgia, and again after the Mongol invasion in 1231. The city was revived after the Safavids came to power in 1501 and incorporated all of Azerbaijan and beyond into their territories. The city came under brief occupation by the Ottomans between 1578–1606 and 1723–1735 during the prolonged Ottoman-Persian Wars, but nevertheless stayed under intermittent Iranian suzerainty from the earliest 16th century up to the course of the 19th century, when it was forcefully ceded to neighbouring Imperial Russia.[25]
16th–19th centuries and Russian conquest
For a short period, Ganja was renamed Abbasabad by Shah Abbas after war against the Ottomans. He built a new city 8 kilometres (5 miles) to the southwest of the old one, but the name changed back to Ganja during the time.[26] During the Safavid rule, it was the capital of the Karabakh province. In 1747, Ganja became the center of the Ganja Khanate for a few decades following the death of Nader Shah, until the advent of the Iranian Zand and Qajar dynasties. The khans/dukes who de facto self-ruled the khanate, were subordinate to the central rule in mainland Iran and were from a branch of the Iranian Qajar family.[23][24]
From the late 18th century, Russia actively started to increase its encroachments into Iranian and Turkish territory to the south. Following the annexation of eastern Georgia in 1801, Russia was now keen to conquer the rest of the Iranian possessions in the Caucasus. Russian expansion into the South Caucasus met particularly strong opposition in Ganja. In 1804, the Russians, led by General Pavel Tsitsianov, invaded and sacked Ganja, sparking the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813.[27] Some western sources assert that "the capture of the city was followed by a massacre of up to 3,000 inhabitants of Ganja by the Russians".[28] They also claim that "500 of them were slaughtered in a mosque where they had taken refuge, after an Armenian apprised the Russians that there might have been 'Daghestani robbers' among them".[29]
With their military superiority, the Russians were victorious in the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813. By the Treaty of Gulistan that followed, Iran was forced to cede the Ganja Khanate to Russia.[25] The Iranians briefly managed to oust the Russians from Ganja during the 1826 offensive during the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828, but the resulting Treaty of Turkmenchay made its inclusion into the Russian Empire permanent.[30] It was renamed Yelizavetpol (Елизаветполь) after the wife of Alexander I of Russia, Elizabeth, and in 1840 became the capital of the Elizavetpol uezd and later in 1868, the Elizavetpol Governorate.[31] The Russian name of the city was rejected by the local Azerbaijanis, who continued call it Ganja.[32]
Reconstruction in the 21st century has led to dramatic changes in the city's urban development, transforming the old Soviet city into a hub of high-rise, mixed-use buildings.[38][failed verification]
In 2008, Ganja Mausoleum Gates were built on the basis of sketches of ancient Ganja gates made by local master Ibrahim Osmanoğlu in 1063.[39][40]
In 2020, during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ganja came under bombardment by Armenian armed forces several times, killing 32 civilians and injuring dozens more.[41][42] On 11 October, a residential apartment block in Azerbaijan's city of Ganja was destroyed overnight in an Armenian missile strike, killing 10 civilians and wounding 34 others.[43][41] The Armenian MoD denied that this came from its territory,[44] while Artsakh stated that Armenian forces had targeted and destroyed the Ganja military airbase on Ganja International Airport, which they alleged was used to bombard Artsakh's capital Stepanakert and also stated that the Azerbaijani population were given warning to move away from military facilities to avoid collateral damage.[45] Subsequently, both a correspondent reporting from the scene for a Russian media outlet and the airport director denied that the airport, which had not been operational since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had been shelled.[46] On 17 October, 21 civilians were killed and more than 50 injured when an Armenian SCUD B ballistic missile hit a residential area in Ganja.[47]
Geography
Location
Ganja, located 400–450 meters (1312 to 1476 ft) above the sea level, lies on the Ganja-Dashkasan plain in the Kur-Araz lowland in the west of Azerbaijan, 375 km (233 mi) away from Baku. It is situated at the north-eastern foothills of the Lesser Caucasus mountain ranges on the Ganjachay river.[48][49]
The city borders on the administrative rayons of Goygol to the south, west and north-west and Samukh to the north-east.[50]
Climate
Ganja has a cool semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk), with an average annual precipitation of 241 millimetres (9.5 in), though annual precipitation varies in different years, ranging from 160 mm (6.3 in) in 1932 to 1,133 mm (44.6 in) in 1988.[51] Winters are cold and may see snow, with 5 days per year in which snow cover is observed. Blizzard is seen in 0.2 days annually.[51]
Climate data for Ganja (1981–2010, extremes 1890–present)
Today, Ganja is divided into 2 rayons (administrative districts).[54] The mayor, presently Niyazi Bayramov[55] embodies the executive power of the city.[56][57] Ganja includes 6 administrative settlements, namely Hajikend, Javadkhan, Shikhzamanli, Natavan, Mahsati and Sadilli.[58]
Kapaz rayon
Kapaz District (Kəpəz rayonu) was established on 21 November 1980 according to the decision of Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR. The district consists of 2 administrative territorial units and 6 administrative settlements. It has an area of approximately 70 square kilometers (27 sq mi) with the population of 178,000.[59]
Nizami rayon
Nizami District (Nizami rayonu) was also established on 21 November 1980 according to the decision of Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR as Ganja raion of Kirovabad city. When Ganja's historic name was restored and the city was renamed as Ganja instead of Kirovabad in 1989, the district was also renamed as Nizami rayon. The district consists of 2 administrative territorial units. The area of the district is roughly 39 square kilometers (15 sq mi) and population is 148,000.[60]
Ganja is the third largest city of Azerbaijan after Baku and Sumqayit with about 335,600[71] residents. The city is also inhabited by a large number of Azerbaijani refugees from Armenia and IDPs from the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas. Their number was estimated to be more than 33,000 in 2011.[72]
In addition to Persian and Turkic-speaking Muslims, the city had a numerically, economically and culturally significant Christian Armenian community. The city's traditional Armenian name is Gandzak (Գանձակ), which derives from gandz (գանձ), a loan word from Old Iranian, which means treasure or riches.[74][75] The founder of the Hethumid dynasty, Oshin of Lampron was an Armenian nakharar (prince) and lord of a castle near Ganja who fled to Cilicia in 1075 during the Seljuk invasion of Armenia.[76]
The city's historically important Armenian figures include:
The urban landscape of Ganja is shaped by many communities. Religious diversity has however greatly decreased over the last decades, with the emigration of most Armenians, Slavs, Jews and Germans. The religion with the largest community of followers by far is Islam. The majority of the Muslims are Shia Muslims, and the Republic of Azerbaijan has the second-highest Shia population percentage in the world after Iran.[85] The city's notable mosques include Shah Abbas Mosque, Goy Imam Mosque, Shahsevenler Mosque, Qirikhli Mosque and Qazakhlar Mosque.[86]
There are some other faiths practiced among the different ethnic groups within the country. The other faith worshipping places include Alexander Nevsky Church, German Lutheran Church, Saint John Church and Saint Sarkis Church.[87][88] Before the Kirovabad pogrom in 1988 a significant community of ArmenianChristians existed.
According to the State Statistics Committee, as of 2018, the population of city recorded 332,600 persons, which increased by 31,900 persons (about 10.6 percent) from 300,700 persons in 2000.[89] 162,300 of total population are men, 170,300 are women.[90] More than 26 percent of the population (about 86,500 persons) consists of young people and teenagers aged 14–29.[91]
Population of the district by the year (at the beginning of the year, thsd. persons)[89]
The economy of Ganja is partially agricultural, partially tourist based, with some industries in operation. Ore minerals extracted from nearby mines supply Ganja's metallurgical industries, which produces copper and alumina.[92] There are porcelain, silk and footwear industries. Other industries process food, grapes and cotton from the surrounding farmlands.
The city has one of the largest textile conglomerates in Azerbaijan and is famous for a fabric named Ganja silk, which received the highest marks in the markets of neighboring countries and the Middle East.[93][94]
People are mainly employed in manufacturing, education, transportation, service sectors and catering. Det.Al-Aluminium is the largest employer operating in Ganja, followed by Ganja Auto Plant and Ganja Winery Plant 2.[58]
Traditional shops, modern shops and malls create a mixture of shopping opportunities in Ganja. Javad Khan Street is the traditional shopping street that is located in the old town.[95] Constructed between 2014 and 2017,[96]Ganja Mall is considered the city's largest mall.[97][98] Other shopping centers include Khamsa Park, Taghiyev Mall and Aura Park.[99]
In 2016, Ganja was selected as the European Youth Capital by the final decision of international jury at the General Assembly of the European Youth Forum.[106] Ganja became the first city to win the title of European Youth Capital among the former Commonwealth Independent States (CIS) and non-EU cities.[106] It was an event with a budget of 5.7 million euros, projected to boost tourism by about one-fifth.[107][108]
Ganja State History-Ethnography Museum is the oldest museum in the city, with over 30,000 artifacts.[114] The city is also home to Nizami Ganjavi Museum, which was built in 2014.[115] The museum contains a research section, a library, a conference room, and corners for guests and tourists' relaxation.[115]
Other museums include Heydar Aliyev Museum, House Museum of Mir Jalal Pashayev, Memorial House-Museum of Nizami Ganjavi, Memorial-House Museum of İsrafil Mammadov, Ganja branch of Museum of Miniature Books, "Ganja Castle Gates – Archaeology and Ethnography Museum" monument complex, Cultural Center named after Mahsati Ganjavi, Museum of Modern Art and Museum of Mirza Shafi Vazeh.[116][117][118][119][99][120]
Galleries
Ganja State Art Gallery was established in April 1984 according to the decision of Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR. The Gallery is headed by the carpet-artist Faig Osmanov.[121][122]
Architecture
Ganja is primarily known for its Azerbaijani and Islamic architecture, but its buildings reflect the various peoples and empires that have previously ruled the city. During the Ganja Khanate period, the Khans proceeded to make an indelible impression on the skyline of Ganja, building towering mosques and houses from red bricks.[123]
Among the oldest surviving examples of Islamic architecture in Ganja are the Nizami Mausoleum and Shah Abbas Caravanserai, which assisted the Shahs during their siege of the city.[124][125] The area around and inside the mosques, contains many fine examples of traditional architecture like Chokak Bath.[126]
The Ganja State Philharmonic was established in August 1990 according to the decision of the Ministry of Culture of the Azerbaijan SSR.[127] On 21 January 2012, president Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation of the Ganja State Philharmonic.[128] The facility includes a 1,200 concert hall, an open-air cinema theatre, a drawing gallery, an urban center and an observation tower.[128] The new building of the Philharmonic Hall was put into use in 2017. The Goygol State Song and Dance Ensemble, the Orchestra of Folk Instruments and the Ganja State Chamber Orchestra operate under the Ganja State Philharmonic.[127][99]
Bottle house in Ganja, a local icon entirely made of glass bottles[129]
Two regional channels, Kapaz TV and Alternativ TV, are headquartered in Ganja.[130] Two newspapers are published in Ganja (Gəncənin səsi and Novosti Qyandji).[99]
The building of the Ganja State Drama Theater was built by the German entrepreneur Christofor Forer in the 1880s. Ganja Drama Theater was established in 1921 in Baku as "Tənqid-təbliğ" (literally means "Criticism-propaganda"). In 1935 the theater moved to Ganja with its staff and continues its activity here under different names until 1990. The theater has been called the Ganja State Drama Theater since 1990.[131]
Ganja State Puppet Theater was established according to Decree No. 299 of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR in September 1986. Before receiving "state theater" status in 1986, it was functioning as public theater. Ganja Puppet Theater operates in the building of Lutheran church constructed in 1885 by German settlers.[132][133]
Parks and gardens
Ganja has many well-maintained parks and gardens, with the Khan's garden being one of the most scenic parks, and one of the city's most known landmarks.[134] It features interesting landscaping, and consists of a wide variety of trees and plants in an open concept.[135]
Other prominent parks and gardens include Heydar Aliyev Park Complex, "Ganja 2016 European Youth Capital Park", "Ganja river" park-boulevard complex, Istiglal Avenue, Fikrat Amirov Park, Fuzuli Park, and Narimanov Park.[136]Heydar Aliyev Park Complex includes an Amphitheater considered for organizing large outdoor events for up to 5000 people.[137][138]
Sports
The city has one professional football team, Kapaz, currently competing in the second-flight of Azerbaijani football, the Azerbaijan First Division.[139] The club has three Azerbaijani league and four cup titles.
There are Olympic Sports Complex with 2 buildings (put into operation in 2002 and 2006 respectively),[140]Ganja City Stadium with a capacity of 27,000[141][142] put into use in 1964 and other sporting facilities in Ganja.[143][144]
In September 2017 "Ganja Marathon 2017" was organized involving 11,000 people from different regions of Azerbaijan, as well as foreigners under the slogan "Be with us in the Marathon". The race started from Triumphal Arch and finished at the Heydar Aliyev Park Complex covering a distance of 17 kilometers.[145][146]
Ganja International Airport is the only airport in the city.[151] The airport is connected by bus to the city center. There are domestic flights to Baku and international service to Russia and Turkey.
Rail
Ganja sits on one of the Azerbaijani primary rail lines running east–west connecting the capital, Baku, with the rest of the country. The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway runs along the line through the city. The railway provides both human transportation and transport of goods and commodities such as oil and gravel.
Ganja's Central Railway Station is the terminus for national and international rail links to the city. The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, which directly connects Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, began to be constructed in 2007 and completed in 2017.[152] The completed branch connects Ganja with Tbilisi in Georgia, and from there trains continue to Akhalkalaki, and Kars in Turkey.[153]
Education
The first seminary in Azerbaijan aimed at professional training of school teachers was opened in Ganja in 1914 which was united with Girls Seminary in 1927 and renamed as Ganja Pedagogical Technical School (Azerbaijani: Gəncə Pedoqoji Texnikumu).[154]
There are also schools offering secondary specialized education like Ganja Music College, Ganja Medicine College, Ganja State Regional College (established by combining Ganja Humanitarian College and Ganja Technical College in 2010).[157][158]
There are a total of 7 schools offering vocational education in Ganja, being located as 3 vocational lyceums and a vocational school in Kapaz raion, a vocational lyceum and 2 vocational schools in Nizami raion.[157][159][160]
^Bölmə 2: Demoqrafik göstəricilər, səhifə 89. // Azərbaycanın Statistik Göstəriciləri 2015 (statistik məcmuə). Müəllifi: Azərbaycan Respublikası Dövlət Statistika Komitəsi. Məcmuənin ümumi rəhbəri: Həmid Bağırov; Məcmuənin hazırlanması üçün məsul şəxs: Rafael Süleymanov. Bakı – 2015, 814 səhifə.
^Bournoutian, George (2018). Armenia and Imperial Decline: The Yerevan Province, 1900-1914. Routledge. pp. 6–7.
^Tucker, Spencer C., ed. (2019). Middle East Conflicts from Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century: An Encyclopedia and Document Collection. ABC-CLIO. p. 489. ISBN978-1440853524.
^Dorfmann-Lazarev, Igor (2023). "Stalin's Legacy in the Post-Soviet Nations and the Genesis of Nationalist Extremism in Azerbaijan". In Dorfmann-Lazarev, Igor; Khatchadourian, Haroutioun (eds.). Monuments and Identities in the Caucasus: Karabagh, Nakhichevan and Azerbaijan in Contemporary Geopolitical Conflict. Leiden ; Boston: Brill. p. 243, n. 16. ISBN978-90-04-67738-8. The city known from the Armenian sources as Gandzak is named Gand̲j̲a in Arabic sources.
^Barsegհyan, Hovhannes (2006). Տերմինաբանական և ուղղագրական տեղեկատու [Terminological and orthographic reference book] (in Armenian) (6th ed.). Yerevan: 9-rd hrashalik. p. 48. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
^Movsēs Dasxuranci (1961). The History of the Caucasian Albanians. Translated by Dowsett, C. J. F. London: Oxford University Press. p. 218, notes 2–3 (book 3, chapter 20). When another two years had passed after this, Xazr Patgos, a furious and merciless man, came and was slain in the same year his son came, however, and took our land by the sword and enslaved us and burned down many churches and went to Baghdad. Returning thence at the king's command and expense, he built the city of Ganjak in the canton of Aršakašēn. [...] Xazr (to be amended to Xałd despite Markwart's hesitance) Patgos is Ḵh̲alīd b. Yazīd; [...] His son Muhammad is correctly called Mahmet son of Xałtʿ below.
^Tucker, Spencer C., ed. (2010). A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East. ABC-CLIO. p. 1035. ISBN978-1-85109-672-5. January 1804. (...) Russo-Persian War. Russian invasion of Persia. (...) In January 1804 Russian forces under General Paul Tsitsianov (Sisianoff) invade Persia and storm the citadel of Ganjeh, beginning the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813).
^Baddeley, John F. (1908). The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus. London: Longmans, Green and Co. p. 67. Citing "Tsitsianoff's report to the Emperor: Akti, ix (supplement), p. 920".
^"Location". Executive Power of Ganja. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^"Location". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^"Station 37735 Gandja". Global station data 1961-1990 — Sunshine Duration. Deutscher Wetterdienst. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
^Mammadov, Ramiz (27 December 2009). "Üfüqdən boylanan şəhər". Xalq Qazeti (in Azerbaijani). p. 5. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014 – via anl.az.
^Кавказский календарь на 1917 год [Caucasian calendar for 1917] (in Russian) (72nd ed.). Tiflis: Tipografiya kantselyarii Ye.I.V. na Kavkaze, kazenny dom. 1917. pp. 190–197. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021.
^"Statistical Yearbook of 2018". State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
^"Gəncə Şəhər İcra Hakimiyyəti" [Ganja City Executive Power]. ganja-ih.gov.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
^Philological Society (Great Britain) (1956). Transactions of the Philological Society. Philological Society (Great Britain). Published for the Society by B. Blackwell. p. 100.
^Zapletin, Georgy; Shirinzade, Gyulnara (2008). Русские в истории Азербайджана [Russians in the History of Azerbaijan] (in Russian). Baku: Ganun.[page needed]
^"Ganja city". mct.gov.az. Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
^"Gəncənin tarixi". gdu-ri.com (in Azerbaijani). Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Ganja State University. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010.
^"Ganja Mall". worldarchitecture.org. 4 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^ abcd"About the city". Executive Power of Ganja. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^"Historical monuments". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^"Subordinate organizations". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^"About Ganja". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Centre. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^"Ganja State Art Gallery". Culture portal of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
^"Ganja State Art Gallery". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
^Chelkowski, Peter J. (1975). Mirror of the invisible world: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 3. ISBN0-87099-142-6. ISBN978-0-87099-142-4
^"Ganja writes history". euronews.com. 9 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
^"Radio-TV yayımı". mincom.gov.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
^"Ganja State Drama Theater". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
^"Ganja State Puppet Theater". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
^"State Theatres". Theatre of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
^Sadigov, Hasanbala (March–June 2012). "The Khan's Garden in Ganja". Visions of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on 20 September 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
^"Subordinate organizations – parks". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
^"Amphitheater in Ganja". Yeni Gəncə (in Azerbaijani). 11 July 2017. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
^"13. Гянджа (Кировабад) (троллейбус)" [Vândža (Kirovabad) (trolleybus)]. Горэлектротранс (Electrotrans) website (in Russian). Дмитрий Зиновьев (Dmitry Zinoviev). Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
^ ab"Education". Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan – Ganja Regional Culture Office. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.