Top Places To Visit in Ganja
Ganja is the second largest city of Azerbaijan, located on the banks of the Ganja river on the northern slopes of the Small Caucasus range about 375 km west of Baku. Being a monument of the ancient culture and the industrial center of western Azerbaijan Ganja has a population of about 323,0 thousand people. The city is situated in the middle of the way between Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, and Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. Ganja has always played a central role in the political-economic and cultural life of the country since the earliest of times. The city is considered the country’s literary and cultural center and was the birthplace of great Azerbaijani poets Nizami Ganjavi, poetess Mahsati Khanim Ganjavi, Mirza Shafi Vazeh. With ample streets and avenues and well-designed parks, Ganja is one of the prettiest Azeri towns. The city retains a strong German influence in its architecture. Below is the list of the top places to visit in Ganja:
1. The Juma Mosque (Shah Abbas Mosque)
Located in central Ganja and dating to 1606, Juma Mosque boasts a red-brick exterior and a large white dome. Sheykh Baheddin Mohammad Amil of the Persian Safavid Empire commissioned the mosque which once had an adjoining madrassa. The two minarets were added later towards the end of the 18th-century.
2. Bottle House
Bottle House ranks as one of the more unique attractions in Ganja. Few buildings around the world use 50,000 glass bottles as part of the masonry. A private family owns the house and created an image of a family member lost during World War II. Located down a small street off Nizami Ganjavi, Bottle House attracts several tourists making it one of the most photographed spots in Ganja.
3. Nizami Ganjavi’s Mausoleum
Nizami Ganjavi, a 12th-century poet, is Azerbaijan’s most famous and revered figure. A large monument was erected which later collapsed from dilapidation in the 1840s. Reconstructed again in 1947 and renovated into its current form in 1991 after Azerbaijan’s independence, the tall cylindrical structure, and surrounding gardens are a major attraction in Ganja. Tourists need to travel nine kilometers (5.6 miles) along the R51 Highway to reach the Mausoleum.
4. Imamzadeh Mausoleum
A few kilometers northeast of Ganja lies Imamzadeh, a sacred place in Shiite Islam. The name translates as ‘the sons of prophets’ referring to the burial place Prophet Ali’s descendants. The mausoleum dates back to the 14th-century and includes mosques, funerary monuments, and an ornate blue-tiled dome. Ganja’s Imamzade attracts Muslim pilgrims and lists as a protected monument in Azerbaijan.
5. “Goygol” Lake
If you are planning to visit Ganja, you shouldn’t pass to see this amazing lake. A deep blue mountain lake surrounded by dense forest can be reached in just over an hour from Ganja. Lake Goygol, often rated as Azerbaijan’s most beautiful lake, sits 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) above sea level housing a wide variety of fish and wildlife. After recently opening to the public (closed because of the ongoing conflict with Armenia), only a small section is accessible to tourists. Don’t expect a day of hiking or exploring. But the drive through the mountains and passing traditional villages with a hint of German culture makes Lake Goygol a top attraction in Ganja.
6. Alexander Nevsky Church
This Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1887 during Russia’s occupation of Azerbaijan. During the early part of the USSR, the church was closed down and turned into various secular institutions, but it was reopened as a church in 1946.
7. Ganja Khan Bagi Park (Khan’s Garden)
A lush park in the middle of the city near the other major landmarks, this city was initially created as a garden during the Ganja Khanate, and it was kept up during the Russian empire and known as Sadar’s Garden. It’s a great place to unwind and appreciate green space in the city. There is a piece of the Ganja Fortress near the entrance.
8. Helenendorf: Azerbaijan’s First German Settlement
The main street of Khanlar which was once called Helenendorf and the settlement of German immigrants. The houses were built in the mid-1800s. Typical architecture of the home’s hand made by settlers who came to Helenendorf from Germany in the early 19th century.
