Gala: centuries-old museum breathing history

By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan, a marvelous land blending the European and Oriental culture, is in the list of countries which hosted the first sites of ancient people.

The archaeological researches conducted on the territory of Azerbaijan and numerous materials found here enabled to include the country into regions where mankind formed.

One of the interesting places in Azerbaijan in terms of historical monuments is the Absheron Peninsula, which has a unique and complex historical, architectural and urban infrastructure.

Gala is an open air museum located in the eastern part of the peninsula with a history of 5,000 years.

This open-air museum, which occupies an area of 1.2 hectares, provides perfect conditions for studying the history of Azerbaijan.

Established here in 2008, the museum collects and restores archaeological and architectural monuments found in various parts of the Absheron Peninsula. In addition, barrows, ancient dwellings and other monuments of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC are presented in their original form here.

One may feel him/herself in the 3rd millennium BC being surrounded by 215 architectural and archaeological monuments preserving in the museum.

The village keeps valuable architectural monuments from the 3rd millennium BC to the 20th century including five mosques, three baths, dwellings, kahrizes, wells, agricultural buildings, tombs, barrows, sarcophagi and the ruins of a fortress.

The first studies on the territory of Gala was held in 1941, while the comprehensive study here began in the 1960s.

Houses in Gala village were built close to each other, basically being two or three-roomed.

Location of the village on the caravan route, availability of sewer systems and concentration of cultivated land on the outskirts of the settlement allows archaeologists to assume that Gala was actually a village of urban type.

A large number of coins belonging to eras different khanates were found on the territory of Gala. Archaeological, historical and ethnographic data suggest that Gala was one of the oldest shopping centers. Transit route from Gala transported salt and agricultural products. Proof of active trading are 72 coins belonging to different Khanate found in the reserve.

The local population, who were engaged in sericulture and the cultivation of tobacco, used to migrate, depending on the time of years, and to return back to Gala in fall.

The numerous petroglyphs found in the area belong to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The rock paintings are diverse in themes and plots, which depict hunting scenes, human sacrifices, ritual marriages, etc.

One of the most interesting monuments of ancient culture is the tambourine “gavaldash”. The secret of the extraordinary sound of the stone is that it rests on an air bag. The dry and light lime “gavaldash” touches the rock in two points, and the rest is hanging in the air. If you slightly hit it, there appears an unusual sound that does not cease for a minute.

Be sure to visit Gala, as this tour will be a fascinating journey for you that will allow to feel the spirit and history of the past, and will allow deeper to learn Azerbaijani culture and its origins.