Bayat Castle, Medieval fortification in Kebirli village, Tartar District, Azerbaijan.
Bayat Castle is a medieval fortification located in Kebirli village within Tartar District, Azerbaijan. The complex contains defensive walls, military trenches, a marketplace, a bathhouse, and a mosque, all constructed using hard-fired brick.
Panah Ali Khan founded this fortress in 1748 as the first capital of the Karabakh Khanate following the death of Persian ruler Nadir Shah. The settlement served in this role for only four years before being abandoned for a new location.
The fortress takes its name from the Turkic Bayat tribe and reflects the military thinking of its time. You can see how the settlement was organized around defense and daily governance needs.
The ruins can be explored on foot and the remains of the different structures are still clearly visible on the ground. Visiting with a local guide helps to understand how the different areas of the fortress were organized and used.
The fortress functioned as the seat of power for a remarkably short period, with the ruler shifting his capital after just four years. This swift relocation reveals the unstable political conditions of the Caucasus during that era.
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