Dictionary of islamic architecture

See also:
Cairo, Damascus, fortification, Syria,
Yemen
Azerbayjan
Country lying south of the Caucasus and east of the
Republic of Armenia.
The present Independent Republic of Azerbayjan
is the northern part of the Azeri-speaking region
which also includes north-western Iran. The capital
of the southern part of Azerbayjan is Tabriz whilst
the capital of the Independent Republic is Baku. The
Independent Republic of Azerbayjan received its
name from the Turkish invasion of 1918 although
historically it may be identified with the Albania
of classical writers. The country lies to the south of
the Caucasus and to the east of the Republic of
Armenia. More than half of the country is
mountainous, though the eastern coastal strip
bordering the Caspian Sea is relatively flat. From
the twelfth century at least Baku has been known
for its natural oil wells which are also the basis of
its modern economy. Turkish became the main
language of the country after the Seljuk invasions
of the eleventh century. Most of the population is
Muslim although there are a small number of
Zoroastrians with their own fire-temple.
Unlike much of Central Asia and Iran
Azerbayjan has its own well-developed, dressed-
stone masonry tradition. This can be seen in the
tombs, madrassas and mosques of Azerbayjan
which have façades carved in relief in a style
reminiscent of Seljuk Anatolia. One of the best
examples of this stone-working tradition is the
palace of the Shirvan Shas in Baku which has
monolithic stone columns with austere geometric
capitals. Baked brick was also used throughout
Azerbayjan, though predominantly in south (now
western Iran). One of the most elegant examples of
Seljuk brickwork is found in the Gunbad-i-Surkh
at Maragha which was built in 1146.