Ağstafa (Rayon)

Location Ağstafa in Azerbaijan

Ağstafa (also Agstafa ) is a Rajon in western Azerbaijan on the border with Georgia and Armenia . The capital is the city of Ağstafa . The Rajon has an area of ​​1509 km². The Kura , Aghstafa and Chasansu rivers flow through the region .

economy

Large quantities of wine and grain are grown in the region and domestic cattle are raised .

population

The population consists of 98.7% Azerbaijanis , 0.6% are Turks . Almost the entire population is Muslim . The rayon has over 80,000 inhabitants.

History and sights

The region was already settled in the Bronze and Iron Ages, as evidenced by the sites of Djantepe, Agaligtepe, Shamutepe, Zurnatepe and Gargalartepe. Ancient water reservoirs from this period are still in use today.

For a long time in its history, the rayon was part of Georgia, but also part of Azerbaijani states such as Gəncə . From 1801 the area with Georgia belonged to the Russian Empire . In 1914 the city of Ağstafa was founded at a railway junction.

The border with the Georgian region of Kakheti is still controversial, especially about the Dawit Gareja monastery complex , which lies on the border. It is the same in the case of the Bertubani Monastery. Both complexes house art treasures such as frescoes.

traffic

The railway line runs into the area from Baku to the west and splits into one line to Tbilisi and one to Yerevan . The most important border crossing to Georgia is in Krasny Most, the border to Armenia is closed due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Azerbaijan Development Gateway ( Memento of November 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) about the Rajon
2. ↑ Azerbaijani statistical office on population figures ( Memento of November 14, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ ^{a b} Azerb.com about the region and city of Ağstafa

Coordinates: 41 ° 15 '  N , 45 ° 27'  E