Azerbaijan National Academy of Science

In August 2020, under the leadership of Akif Guliyev the head of the Department of Numismatics and Epigraphy of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of ANAS, Ph.D., the Shamakhi archeological expedition began archeological research in the legendary Bugurt fortress, the last residence of Shirvan judges, located near the village of Galaderesi.

Bugurt fortress is located 20 km north-west of Shamakhi, on the top of a high mountain covered with forest on all sides. Due to its strategic importance, the fortress, which has a favorable position, cannot be seen even at close range. Around the fortress are the villages of Galaderesi, Kechmedin and Galeybugurt. The main roads to the fortress pass through the village of Galaderesi. To the east of Bugurt Fortress, on steep cliffs, there is a small castle called Maiden's Fortress.

There is no exact information about the date of construction of the tower. Archaeological excavations will clarify this issue.

According to Akif Guliyev, this is not an ordinary fortress, but a medieval fortress-city with extensive infrastructure. The castle had a perfect water-sewage system, numerous residential buildings, administrative buildings, palaces, mosques, reservoirs, baths in accordance with the relief.

According to the archaeologist, the total area of the fortress is 17 hectares. It is estimated that about 30,000 people lived in the area, including the castle-city complex. Residential houses were located mainly in the lower part of the fortress.

Note that Bugurt fortress was captured and destroyed by Safavid Shah Tahmasib the First in 1538, the last Shirvanshah Shahrukh was captured and killed. This put an end to the existence of the millennial state of Shirvanshahs. Archaeologist Huseyn Jiddi began exploring the fortress in the 1970s.

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