‘Machu Picchu of the Caucasus’: fort has attracted invaders and travelers for 1000 years

By Felipe van Deursen

39º10’N, 45º41’L
Alinja Castle
Xanegah, Culfa, Azerbaijan

When a small country is geographically situated at the transition between the two continents that were the cradle of most of the great empires and the scene of more than 70%* of the greatest wars and major human atrocities produced in history, we can be sure that such a country has had a rough time.

Azerbaijan lies in the Caucasus Mountains on the shores of the Caspian Sea, where the easternmost part of Europe meets the westernmost part of Asia.

It is a country that was born from Arab and Turkish invasions, conquered by the Russians, and incorporated into the Soviet Union.

Before the Russians and after the Turks, there were the Mongols.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, there were three invasions.

In 1385, three years after besieging and destroying Moscow with the support of Tamerlan, Toktamish, the khan of the Golden Horde (one of the dynasties of the heirs of Genghis), ruled Azerbaijan.

His ally Tamerlan was busy plundering Persia, but then the partnership fell apart when Toktamish took the city of Tabriz, a treasure that Tamerlan would rather have had for himself, triumphant and titanic.

The war between the clans mobilized hundreds of thousands of men and women (they swelled Tamerlane’s ranks).

The Golden Horde was eventually defeated; Toktamish fled and lost power.

Tamerlan literally continued his invasions in all directions and conquered almost everything.

He died in 1405 as he was preparing to try his luck in Ming Dynasty China.

In tiny Azerbaijan, always squeezed between empires, a fort bravely resisted Tatar onslaughts for 14 years.

Only in 1401 did Tamerlan’s men manage to take over Alinja Castle, where, according to legend, some of the emperor’s treasures were still hidden.

Tamerlan died shortly afterward, and his empire disbanded, so his hold on the fort was short-lived. But the allure of Samarkand, the capital he erected (today in Uzbekistan), followed for a long time.

WHAT IS THIS PLACE

Alinja was one of the most important forts of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia in the first centuries of the Common Era.

It stands in Nakhichevan, an autonomous republic that is part of Azerbaijan but, being an exclave only borders neighboring countries (Armenia, Iran, and Turkey) and not other Azerbaijani regions.

Several dynasties that ruled Nakhichevan, such as the Seljukids from Turkey in the 11th century and the Safavids from Iran in the 16th century, controlled the fort.

Eventually, the site was abandoned, so what we see today is a rebuilt version turned into one of Azerbaijan’s coolest attractions.

Nestled high on a mountain, Alija is often called the “Machu Picchu of the Caucasus” by local tourism agencies.

Despite the many historical, architectural, geographical, and cultural differences, a certain similarity in appearance is undeniable.

The castle, with its few sober lines, was divided into defensive, residential, and palatial areas. Cisterns in the shade preserved the water from the melting snow.

These and other curiosities about the history of the place are told in the museum at the foot of the hill dedicated to Alinja.

Because it is high up, accessible by a staircase of 1,500 steps, Alinja offers a far-reaching view of Nakhichevan, a region with other attractions quite different from those Azerbaijan has promoted to boost its tourism.

Nakhichevan has exuberant nature, including a sacred Islamic cave, ski slopes, and historic Silk Road towns, and is a regional bird-watching hub.

The republic offers an alternative itinerary to the already alternative Azeri tourism.

AZERBAIJAN TOURISM

In recent years, Azerbaijan has been promoting itself through sports.

The modern capital, Baku, and its historic walled center have become the backdrop for a Formula 1 circuit.

The city hosted decisive matches of the Euro 2020 World Cup, and the country’s name gained a huge projection in 2014 when it sponsored Atletico Madrid, and the team reached the final of the Champions League.

Criticism was leveled at the club for printing the tourist slogan “Azerbaijan – Land of Fire” on its shirt, advertising a country known for suppressing human rights.

Curiously, almost ten years later, part of the Spanish team’s fans pretended to hang Vinícius Júnior and committed horrific scenes of racism and xenophobia against the Brazilian player, star of archrival Real Madrid.

Controversies aside, such exposure has paid off, and tourism in the country has galloped in the past decade.

Foreign visitors spent about US$100 million a year in the country at the beginning of the century.

In 2017, the figure topped US$3 billion.

It then dropped and plummeted with the pandemic, but there are already clear signs of improvement.

It is a country that should be increasingly on the radar.

* Over 70% of major wars and the like? At least according to the surveys of the atrocitologist Matthew White, who pointed out that of the 100 worst atrocities of all times, only 26 did not take place in Europe or Asia (and even those that took place in the Americas and Africa almost all had the participation, or protagonism, of European powers).

With information from UOL

News Azerbaijan, English news Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan tourism

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