Gäncä

Gäncä

 formerly (1804–1918) Yelizavetpol' or (1935–89) Kirovabad

City (pop., 1997 est.: 291,900), western Azerbaijan. It lies along the Gäncä River. A town was founded nearby in the 5th century AD, was destroyed by earthquake in 1139, and was rebuilt on the present site. Taken by the Mongols in 1231, it was captured in 1606 by the Persian Safavid dynasty, who made it the centre of the Gäncä khanate. The Russians annexed it in 1804 and renamed it Yelizavetpol'. In 1935 it was renamed Kirovabad and developed industrially to become one of the largest cities of Azerbaijan. It manufactures aluminum, machinery, and instruments and is an agricultural processing centre. Notable buildings include Dzhuma-Mechet Mosque (1620) and the mausoleum of the 12th-century Persian poet Nezami, a lifelong resident of the city.