Bayat Castle, Medieval fortification in Kebirli village, Tartar District, Azerbaijan.
Bayat Castle is a medieval fortress in Kebirli village, Tartar District, Azerbaijan, built in the Arran architectural style using hard-fired brick. The site includes defensive walls, military trenches, and the remains of a marketplace, a bathhouse, and a mosque.
Panah Ali Khan had the fortress built in 1748, after the death of the Persian ruler Nadir Shah, and made it the first capital of the Karabakh Khanate. He moved his seat of power just a few years later, leaving Bayat behind.
The name of the fortress comes from the Bayat, a Turkic tribe that once lived in this region. Walking through the ruins today, you can still make out how the settlement was divided into separate areas for trade, worship, and defense.
The ruins are accessible on foot, and the remains of the various structures are still visible across the site. The castle is in Tartar District and is reached by road; a local guide can help you tell the different parts of the compound apart.
The fortress served as a capital for only four years before the ruler moved on, making it one of the shortest-lived seats of power in the 18th-century Caucasus. Despite this brief role, the site was built to include all the functions of a complete urban settlement, from bathing to commerce to prayer.
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