RELIGIOUS TOURISM ITINERARY IN AZERBAIJAN (DESTINATIONS )

HEYDAR ALIYEV FOUNDATION
Starting its activity since 2004, Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been
actively participating in building a new society and contributing to
the social and economic development of the country, by implementing
various projects in spheres such as education, public health, culture,
restoration of religious monuments, sports, science and technology,
environment, and social and other spheres.








GABALA CITY - CAPITAL OF ISLAMIC TOURISM 2020

Gabala city was selected as the Islamic Tourism Capital for 2020 at
the 10th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM),
held on 05-07 February 2018 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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CHOTARI ALBANIAN UDI CHURCH

Location address: Qabala city, Nij village
The Chotari Albanian Udi Church is located in the village of Nij of
Gabala city. It was built in 1723 at the expense of local residents. The name
for the church was derived from the quarter of Chotari. During the Soviet
era, the church was used as a nut storage. After 3 year-long reconstruction
works, the church was put into service of believers in 2016.

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Albanian-Udi Christian Religious Community
Caucasus Albanian Church, which formed in Azerbaijan, is one of
the first apostolic churches in the Christian world. In 1836, Albanian
Christian Church was annulled by a decree of Russian tsar Nicholas
I and was transferred to the Armenian Gregorian Church. However,
Udis, descendants of Caucasus Albanians successfully resisted this new
attempt of assimilation.
It is estimated that Udi ethnic population has about 10,000 people in
the world. An estimated 6,000 Udis live in Azerbaijan, including 4,400
in Nij village of Gabala and Oguz.

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UPPER QUARTER SYNAGOGUE

Location address: Oghuz district, Arzu Aliyeva Street
The Upper Quarter Synagogue was constructed in 1897 under the
auspices of Rabbi Barukh. During the time of the Soviet Union, this
synagogue was also closed down as other places of worship and later it
was used as a warehouse.

In October 2004, renovation work was launched in the synagogue
by local Jews and it was completed in 2006. The synagogue is being used
as a temple at present.

In Azerbaijan, there are three main Jewish
communities - Mountain Jews, Ashkenazi Jews
and Georgian Jews. The total number of Jews in
the country is nearly 16,000. Of these, 11,000 are
mountain Jews, about 6,000 in Baku, 4,000 in
Guba and thousands in Ganja, Oghuz, Goychay.

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LOWER QUARTER SYNAGOGUE

Location address: Oghuz district, Gudrat Aghakishiyev Street.
The Lower Quarter Synagogue was built in 1849. This synagogue
was used as a tobacco and furniture warehouse during the Soviet era.
In 1992, renovation work was started in the synagogue by local Jews
and it was completed in 1994. Although more than half a century has
passed, the synagogue still remains in good condition. Jews worship in
the synagogue, celebrate their festivals.

Today Mountain Jews constitute 110 000 of
all the Jews in the world. They name themselves as
“juhur” and belong to the Eastern branch of Judaism
(Sephardim). Sephardim differ from Ashkenazim in
their pronunciation of Hebrew, in cultural traditions, in
synagogue cantillation etc.

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“KISH” TEMPLE

Location address: Sheki city, Kish village road
Kish temple or Alban Apostolic Church of St Eliseus (also referred
to as the mother of eastern churches) has been religious enlightenment
center of the Caucasian Albanian Apostolic church for centuries. The
Albanian apostolic church is considered one of the oldest in the Caucasus,
as well as in the entire Christian world. The spread of Christianity in
Albania and the establishment of the first church are associated with the
names of apostles. According to legend, James who was one of Jesus’s
Twelve Apostles sent St. Eliseus to Albania to promote Christianity. After
completing missionary work in Chola and Uti province, St. Eliseus went
to Gish village where he built a church in I century in Apostolic period.
This is the first Christian church not only in the territory of Albania, but
also in the whole Caucasus.

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The temple passed through several stages for
the period of its existence. In the XIX century, the
temple was refurbished. Full-scale reconstruction
and restoration work was carried out in the temple
in 2003. Protected as the historical monument,
Kish temple is used as the museum.
Apostle Saint Eliseus

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SHEKI JUMA MOSQUE

Location address: Sheki city, Dadash Bunyadzade 40
Sheki Juma Mosque dates back to the 18th-19th centuries. The two-
storey mosque is built of river-stone and burnt brick. Its prayer hall is
420 square meters in area, while the courtyard is 700 square meters. A
new, 28.5-metre tall minaret stands in the place of the old minaret, which
was destroyed. Rows of wooden columns in the prayer hall support the
wooden ceiling. The prayer hall has 44 windows opening outwards. A 90-
square meter area on the mezzanine floor is designated as the women’s
prayer room.
A great many prominent educators of Azerbaijan went to the madrasa
at the Sheki Juma Mosque in the 19th century.

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Palace of Shaki Khans
Palace of Shaki Khans was
the summer residence of Shaki
Khans. The Palace, known for its
magnificent interior and exterior
decorated with frescoes and
exquisite stained glass work, was
built in 1762 by Muhammed Hasan khan during his first tenure as a ruler.
The Palace of Shaki Khans was nominated for List of World Heritage
Sites, UNESCO in 2001.

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KURMUK TEMPLE

Location address: Gakh district, Ambarchay village
Kurmuk is one of the most ancient Caucasus Albanian temples of the
early Middle Ages. Early construction history of this temple located near
to the Ambarchay village of Gakh district dates back to I-III centuries.
Archaeological excavation released that this temple has been renovated
four times in a phased pace within centuries (I-III, IV-VII, VIII-IX, XIX).
The temple is named after the Kurmuk River. The meaning of the word
Kurmuk is explained by the merging of the words “kur” - “extravagant”,
“capricious” or “rancorous” and “mugh” - the name of ethnic Turkish
tribes who settled in Azerbaijan since ancient times.

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Researchers claim that there has been a Moon temple in the high
hill of rocky area at the site of Kurmuk. This temple had been a place
of worship before the Christianity emerged. The “black stone” here has
become holy site for believers in very early ages. In the pre-Christian
era, the inhabitants of Albania worshipped the Goddess of the Moon –
Selene and that temple was built in her honor. After Christianity became
state religion of Caucasian Albania, the temple of Kurmuk in the place of
Moon sanctuary was established.

In the following period, Kurmuk temple was replaced with Russian
Orthodox Church by the support of “Society for the Resurrection of
Orthodox Christianity in the Caucasus” in 1892-1894. Foundation and
debris of the Kurmuk temple have been remained as a historical evidence
so far. In 2004, renovation work carried out in the church. Nowadays,
pilgrims visit Kurmuk temple during “Kurmukoba” holiday in April
and November. It is one of the rarest places visited by both Christians
and Muslims. It is necessary to offer a sacrifice after every pilgrimage.
Interestingly, Christian pilgrims during their pilgrims do not slaughter
pigs, which is prohibited in the Islamic religion.

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“Kurmukoba” holiday
“Kurmukoba” is one of the
ancient holidays in the North-West
of Azerbaijan and celebrated for
centuries. In the past, the river was
devastating and local people started
to believe in its power. People exercised rituals for the sake of Kurmuk
River twice in a year during overflows. This festive is surviving today and
thousands of people flow to the temple to celebrate this ancient holiday.

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SAINT GEORGE’S GEORGIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH

Location address: Gakh district, Gakhingiloy village
The St. George’s church is located in Gakhingiloy village of Gakh
district. This church was built in 1888 in honor of Saint George with the
voluntary donations and the funding support from the “Society for the
Resurrection of Orthodox Christianity in the Caucasus”. The area of the
church building is 120 sq. m.

Georgian Orthodox Churches
Four Georgian Orthodox churches
functioning in Gakh are subordinated to
the Orthodox Patriarchate of Georgia.
Georgian Orthodox population of
Azerbaijan live mainly in Gakh. Total
number of the population does not
exceed 7 000 persons.

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YUKHARI TALA JUMA MOSQUE

Location address: Zaqatala district, Tala village
The Yukhari Tala Juma Mosque was built in 1901-11. Its prayer hall
of 1,200 square meters made it the largest mosque in the South Caucasus
in the past.

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The mosque’s roof was covered with 2,000 sheets of steel donated
by the great philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev. The Tala Mosque
was used as a grain store for a collective farm between 1929 and the early
1990s.

Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev (25 January 1823
– 1 September 1924)

Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, Azerbaijan’s
renowned philanthropist was one of the most
famous and respected oil magnates not only in
Azerbaijan, but also in the all-Muslim world.
Taghiyev paid attention to the construction and
restoration of the religious temples in Azerbaijan.

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WESTERN REGION
IMAM-ZADEH COMPLEX

Location address: Ganja city, AZ2008
Some seven kilometers outside Ganja, the Imam-zadeh sanctuary is
thought to have been built in the 14th-15th centuries. The main building
is a domed mausoleum, mostly built of deep and light blue glazed brick.
That is why it is sometimes popularly referred to as the “Blue Imam”.
According to several written sources, the mausoleum could have been
built as early as the 8th century over the grave (tomb) of Ibrahim, son of
Imam Muhammad al-Bagir (R.A.). The mausoleum is surrounded with
takiya or places of worship for dervishes, a small mosque and ancillary
buildings. The most beautiful part of the complex is the Mausoleum
dome faced with bright-blue tiles. The height of the dome is 2.7 meters,
its diameter - 4.4 meters. The height of the Mausoleum itself is 12 meters.
The Imam-zadeh complex is also known for its old cemetery.



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The Imam-zadeh sanctuary looked quite different up until 1878
when it was restored at General Yadigar-zadeh’s expense. He dedicated
the restoration both to his own ancestors and the Imam’s descendant
Ibrahim.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a series of decrees in
2010, 2011 and 2013 on restoration of the Imam-zadeh complex, located
on the territory of the Ganja State Historical and Cultural Reserve. The
large-scale refurbishment and reconstruction works have started at the
Imam-zadeh sanctuary in 2010 and completed by the opening ceremony
with the participation of the head of State on 17 February 2016.

The complex is a proud addition to the remarkable architectural
and historical monuments for which Nizami Ganjavi’s birthplace is so
famous.

Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209)
Nizami Ganjavi, a 12th-century Azerbaijani
poet, was born in Ganja city of Azerbaijan.
Nizami is considered the greatest romantic epic
poet in Azerbaijani literature and the greatest
representative of the Eastern Renaissance.

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SHAH ABBAS MOSQUE

Location address: Ganja city, Heydar Aliyev Avenue
The Shah Abbas Mosque or Juma Mosque of Ganja was built of
egg white and clay mixture and baked red bricks in 1606. The mosque
was designed by Sheikh Bahaddin Muhammad Amuli. In 1606, the
Safavid forces retook Ganja. Returning to power after years of hardship,
Muhammad-khan Ziyadoglu, at Shah Abbas’ behest, built a mosque in
the city center and dedicated it to him.

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The Shah Abbas Mosque complex was renovated in 2008 at the
initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and by decree of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev.

Shah Abbas I
(27 January 1571 – 19 January 1629)
Shāh Abbās the Great or Shāh Abbās I was the
fifth Safavid Shah (king) of Persia, and is generally
considered the strongest ruler of the Safavid
dynasty.

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ALEXANDER NEVSKY RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH

Location address: Ganja city, Haji Ali Huseynzadeh Street, 2
The church was constructed of bricks in 1887 on the site of the
ancient cemetery at the expense of local Orthodox and Muslims’ charity
donations in the style of Byzantine architecture. This Orthodox temple
had a cathedral status until the Bolshevik Revolution. In the 20’s of the
XX century, the church was closed by the Soviet authorities and used
for different purposes. The temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox
Church in 1946.

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Saint Alexander Nevsky, original name
Aleksandr Yaroslavich, prince of Novgorod
and of Kiev and grand prince of Vladimir.
By defeating a Swedish invasion force at the
confluence of the Rivers Izhora and Neva (1240),
he won the name Nevsky, “of the Neva.”

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LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE SAINT JOHN

Location address: Goygol district, S. Hajiyev Street
Saint John’s Church (German: St. Johanniskirche) was the first
Lutheran church in Azerbaijan. The first stone of St. John’s church
was laid in 1854 in the Neo-Gothic style of architecture. Construction
of the church was completed on 10 March 1857 and it was solemnly
consecrated. It functioned as a church until 1941. During Second World
War, the church was used as a military hospital. The church was renovated
in 2008 by German Technical Cooperation Society.

Saint John the Apostle
St. John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and
Salome, and the brother of James the Greater, was one
of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is considered the
same person as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos
and the Beloved Disciple.

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GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH

Location address: Shamkir district, Hazi Aslanov Street.
German Lutheran Church was opened in Annenfeld in 1909. The
church was designed by architect F.A. Lemkul in the Neo-Gothic style of
architecture. It functioned as a church until 1941. The church covers an
area of 10 hectares.



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Restoration of the church began in May 2012 and was completed in
July of 2013.

Helenendorf and Annenfeld
Helenendorf (present-day

Goygol) and Annenfeld (present-
day Shamkir) were German
settlements in Azerbaijan. In
1817–1818, colony of Germans
resettled from Wurttemberg.
Helenendorf became the primary spiritual center for the Germans of the
eight colonies formed in the Elizavetpol Governorate. There were 6,000
Germans living in these colonies overall. The last German resident of
Goygol (Helenendorf), Viktor Klein, died in 2007. The city has nowadays
over 400 buildings whose construction dates back to the German period.

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SOUTHERN REGION
GIRGIS PEYGEMBER (PROPHET GIRGIS)

MOSQUE AND SANCTUARY COMPLEX

Location address: Beylagan district, Shafagli village
Legend has it that the sanctuary is the burial place of the Prophet
Girgis who was tortured to death by an evil and faithless king four times
and was resurrected by Allah each time. The ancient sanctuary was
transformed into a mosque by a Tabriz mason named Hassan in the early
20th century. The legend of Saint George found in both the Torah and
the Bible is virtually identical to that of the Prophet Girgis in Islam. A
merchant named Girgis, of Rome, travels to Mosul, where he witnesses
the ruler’s endeavors to make everyone worship an idol named “Aflun”,
and he openly defies the ruler. For this, the king has him subjected to
the most unthinkable and gruesome torture and executions four times in
a row. Nevertheless, Allah resurrects Girgis and makes him a prophet.
Locals in Beylagan claim that after the Prophet Girgis toiled to spread
and instill monotheism in Damascus, he moved to Beylagan, which was
then one of the East’s largest cities, and there he lived until the end of his

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days. The Prophet Girgis sanctuary has gained wide acclaim throughout
Azerbaijan, as well as Dagestan and Georgia, with many pilgrims
visiting the holy place. Even back in Soviet times no propaganda or
downright prohibitions could keep people from coming to pay homage
to the Prophet Girgis.

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KARABAKH REGION
JOJUG MARJANLI MOSQUE

Location address: Jabrail district, Jojug Marjanli village
Jojug Marjanli Mosque, a mosque reminiscent of the famous Yukhari
Govhar Aga Mosque of Shusha, was constructed in 2017 in Jojug
Marjanli village, which was liberated from the Armenian occupation in
the aftermath of April 2016 battles. Building of the mosque is also to be
regarded as a valuable contribution to “2017 Islamic Solidarity” in our
country.

2017 - YEAR OF ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY in Azerbaijan
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev declared 2017
a Year of Islamic Solidarity in Azerbaijan.

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AZERBAIJANI CAPTIVE MONUMENTS
AGHDAM JUMA MOSQUE

Location address: Aghdam district
The Juma Mosque in Aghdam was built circa 1868-70. Juma
Mosque, a true gem of Azerbaijani architecture, has been under Armenian
aggression since 1993.

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YUKHARI GOVHAR AGA MOSQUE

Location address: Nagorno-Karabakh, Shusha city
The mosque in was built in Hijra 1182 (1768-69 A.D.) by the ruler
of Garabagh, Ibrahimkhalil Khan. Mosque has been under Armenian
occupation since 1992.

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SAATLI MOSQUE

Location address: Nagorno-Karabakh, Shusha city
The Saatli Mosque was built by architect Kerbalayi Safi Khan
Garabaghi in 1883.
Mosque has been under Armenian occupation since 1992.

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SAINT ELISEUS MONASTERY

Location address: Nagorno-Karabakh, Aghdara district
The monastery complex was built in the V century in honor ofApostle
Eliseus, who was credited with spreading Christianity in Caucausian
Albania. Currently, `Gregorianization` process of this monument by
Armenia is going on.

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GANJASAR MONASTERY COMPLEX

Location address: Nagorno-Karabakh, Kalbajar district
The Ganjasar Monastery was the shrine of the Jalalids, Albanian
kings. The Ganjasar Monastery, known as the Khaznadag Temple, was
constructed in the XIII century. At present, Armenians misrepresent the
Ganjasar Monastery as “Ganzasar” Armenian monastery complex to the
world.

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KHUDAVANG MONASTERY COMPLEX

Location address: Nagorno-Karabakh, Kalbajar district
Khudavang (or Dedeveng) Monastery is one of the masterpiece of
Caucasian Albania. The complex is supposed to have been founded in
the IV-VII centuries. The complex was mainly reconstructed in the XIII
century.

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AGHOGHLAN TEMPLE

Location address: Nagorno-Karabakh, Lachin district
Aghoghlan Temple is Albanian monastery built in the V-VI centuries.
Aghoghlan temple become one of the most spectacular monuments of the
Albanian period architecture of the Azerbaijani history. The monument
has been under occupation since May 18, 1992. Armenians renamed the
Aghoghlan temple “Tsitsernavank”.

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AMARAS MONASTERY

Location address: Nagorno-Karabakh, Khojavend district
Amaras Monastery was established in the IV century and was
built over a spot considered to be the burial place of St. Gregory the
Illuminator’s grandson, St. Grigoris. It was one of the prominent religious
and cultural centers in Caucasian Albania.

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NAKHCHIVAN REGION
NOAH’S TOMB

Location address: Nakhchivan, Nakhchivan city
The tomb built in the Old Fortress neighborhood of the ancient city
of Nakhchivan is said to be the burial place of the Prophet Noah. During
the Great Flood, Noah’s ark clipped the mountains of Ilagdagh, Alangaz
and Kamki, before finally coming to anchor on Mount Gamigaya. Noah,
together with the people who survived the Flood and the animals from
the ark, founded a city here, lived a long life and was buried here. For
centuries, the local people have believed that this is where the events
associated with the second beginning of humankind occurred.

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Prophet Nuh
Nûh ibn Lamech ibn Methuselah or
Nuh (known as Noah in English) is an
important character in Islamic tradition,
as well as in Christianity and Judaism. It
is reported that Nuh lived to be 950 years
old (Qur’an 29:14). Allah praised Nuh in
Quran as “Grateful Servant of God” and
“True Messenger of God”.

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ASHABI-KEHF SANCTUARY COMPLEX

Location address: Julfa district, Najafalidiza AZ7200
Ashabi-Kehf is a sanctuary tucked in between the Ilandag and
Nahajir mountains. It’s Arabic for “cave owners”; this place is called
like this because it is presumed to have been the actual place where
the events described in the 18th chapter (Al-Kehf) of the Noble Koran
as this area bears a lot of similarities to the holy book’s account of the
events.

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In the 18th verse of the chapter, “Al-Kehf reads, “You would think
them awake, as they were asleep.” Could it be that this story narrated by
the Holy Book is about us? Could this world be just the cave and we, just
as the cave men, would one-day wake up to find ourselves wondering
whether we had slept a day or less? The truth is known only to Allah who
ordered upon them to sleep 300 and 9 more years long. This Surah of
the Noble Koran says that never say I am going to do it tomorrow, rather
say InshAllah, i.e., God willing. Because all we know about this world,
all of our knowledge and science are never even, close to what He only
knows.

The people in a cave discussed in the seventh book of Plato’s State
are also said to see but a shadow of the truth and not itself, meaning they
are too asleep. The Greek philosopher was keen to share this knowledge
with the humankind. The Ashabi-Kehf sanctuary is like a living book
about us that we read as we walk about it, pondering, walking up and
down its endless stairs hewn in the rocks. An open mosque is built atop a
cliff for us to offer prayers, domed with the firmament above our heads as
we pray. This place was believed to have been connected with the event
described in the Noble Koran centuries ago. People come here from all
over the world to pay their homage.

NAKHCHIVAN, CAPITAL OF ISLAMIC
CULTURE 2018

Nakhchivan city was proclaimed as the
Asian region’s Capital of Islamic Culture for
2018 at the sixth Conference of Culture Ministers
of OIC Member States, held in Baku, in October
2009.

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APPENDICES

Azerbaijan Holidays and Memorial Dates

1 January New Year
20 January Day of Nationwide Sorrow (Black January)
2 February Day of Youth 
26 February Khojaly Genocide Day
8 March International Women’s Day
20, 21 March Novruz Holiday
27 March Day of Science
31 March Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis
9 May Victory Day over Fascism
28 May Republic Day
15 June National Salvation Day
26 June Armed Forces Day
15 September Day of Knowledge 
18 October Independence Day
9 November State Flag Day
12 November Constitution Day
17 November Day of National Revival
31 December Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis

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Religious Holidays
Ramadan Holiday (Eid al-Fitr, marks the end of Ramadan fasting)
- dates change yearly Gurban Holiday (Eid al-Adha, also called the
Sacrifice Feast) - dates change yearly
The local non-Muslim communities yearly mark religious holidays
such as Easter, Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah etc. as well.

Notes:
Holidays that fall on the weekend will be observed on the following
Monday.
Non-working days are generally Saturdays and Sundays (mainly for
government institutions). A working day starts from 8 or 9 a.m. and ends
18:00 p.m.

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Signed for publishing: 16.09.2018
Size of book: 60x90 1/16
Number of copies: 3000