Ancient pottery discovered in Ismayilli

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Ancient pottery has been discovered in Kurduvan village, Ismayilli.

The artifacts were found during the construction of highway ordered by President Ilham Aliyev on July 31, 2020.

As a result, it was found out that brick buildings and masonry were the basis of a historical monument.

A resident of the village Alikram Ismayilov informed the head of the regional administration and representatives of the State Service for the Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage about the finding.

A large number of ancient ceramics and various decorations were found on the area. One of the artifacts is decorated with Arabic inscriptions.

The discoveries also include ancient jugs, bowls, plates, coins of the Elkhanid dynasty and jewelry dated back to the 1st-3rd centuries AD 

Construction work at the site has been stopped, and the roads leading to them have been blocked. The territory is guarded by police officers.

Ismayilli is well-known for its spectacular historical monuments. The territory was once a part of the Albanian state.

A number of settlements, especially Lahij, Basgal, Ivanovka and other villages are notable for their ancient history and special beauty. 

The villages of Lahij and Basgal were declared the reserves of history and culture.

Since ancient times, Basgal has been a center for handicraft production. The village is known for its silk weaving, and production of national women's silk scarves. Carpet-making shops also work here.

Basgal was the center of Ismayilli region in 1932-1933. The several meters thick walls of the fortress located in Galabashi are preserved to this day. They are thought to have been built in the 14th century.

The Basgal State Historical and Cultural Reserve was established in 1989. On October 3, 2018, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the Basgal State Historical and Cultural Reserve. According to it, the State Agency of Tourism was instructed to prepare a detailed reference on the results of the study of the situation in the Basgal Reserve.

The historical sources report that first settlements in Lahij date back to the 3rd-4th centuries. It is interesting that the village's water and sewerage system is more than 1500 years old.

The village is also developed as an ancient craft center. It was one of the main centers of manufacture of copper dishes and weapons in the 18th – 19th centuries.

There were more than 200 craftsmen workshops in Lahij in the middle of the 19th century.

The ornaments of Lahij masters have always been associated with the image of the real world of flora and fauna. The patterns of the dishes are rich in visual elements and original interpretation of flowers and leaves.

They say that the legendary Monomakh's cap, a chief relic of the Russian Grand Princes and Tsars, was made here.

Lahij 's another feature is a mystery of the number 7. Historically there were 7 mosques, 7 spring waters, and 7 residential blocks in the village, which was also surrounded by 7 chains of Niyal mountains.