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Lankaran
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Lankaran (; also, Länkäran, Lencoran, and Lenkoran’) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near the southern border with Iran. Has a population of 50,244 (2008, up from 48,400 in 2002), at least half of which are Talysh. It is next to, but independent of Lankaran rayon. The city forms a distinct first order division of Azerbaijan.
The Talysh have preserved their old traditions and customs. They number about 30,000 in an area of about 600 km², sometimes referred as Talyshtan.
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Encyclopedia
Lankaran (; also, Länkäran, Lencoran, and Lenkoran’) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near the southern border with Iran. Has a population of 50,244 (2008, up from 48,400 in 2002), at least half of which are Talysh. It is next to, but independent of Lankaran rayon. The city forms a distinct first order division of Azerbaijan.
The Talysh have preserved their old traditions and customs. They number about 30,000 in an area of about 600 km², sometimes referred as Talyshtan. The name Lankaran is said to come from the Talish words for 'Cane house', that is 'Lan Karan'. The city was built on a swamp along the northern bank of the river bearing the city's name. There are remains of human settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period as well as ruins of fortified villages from the Bronze and Iron Ages.
The city is rather recent, dating from the 16th century. Lankaran was for a long time the capital of the Talysh Khanate, which enjoyed variable degrees of independence throughout history. It was first held by Russia from 1728 to 1735, but only fell definitively to Russia's General Kotlyarevsky in 1813, that status having been confirmed by the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828.
The Lankaran region is an important producer of spring and winter vegetables. Rice, grapes, tobacco, citrus trees and oak woods thrive in the warm climate. However the main and most famous crop is tea, which is processed at a local tea factories. Other industries are centered around food processing, furniture, silk, wood and fine carpets.
The city has a historic museum built on the site of the Khan's palace (S.Akhundov street, near the military hospital). The main mosque is located near the bazaar, and there are several other smaller mosques.
There were lots of tanks in Lankaran. One sits in the main square: it is made of white stone and is a memorial to Hazi Aslanov - a tank commander - another was a real tank placed on a podium in the Caspian sea, but it has since been removed. Besides the memorials, Lankaran houses a tank brigade(it used to house the 60th Motor Rifle Division of the Soviet Fourth Army). The local military have had their moments of fame: twice this century Lankaran was the named as the capital of self-declared entities. The first time was in 1919 in the confusion after the end of World War I and the initial stages of the Russian civil war, the Bolshevik Mughan Soviet Republic was declared. It rejoined Azerbaijan a few months later. More recently, in the summer of 1993, a new Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic was declared by Alikram Humbetov, with the support of the local tank regiment. However, soon after the revolt leader was arrested and the revolt collapsed.
The local soccer field is home to Football Club Khazar.
There are sandy beaches near Lankaran. Thermal sulphide, chloride, sodium-calcium waters of Andjin (Upper and Lower) mineral springs are situated 12 km west of the town. Also to the west are the ruins of Ballabur castle, near the village with the same name.
The region has a vast area of national parks, where a variety of fauna and flora are preserved. Kizilagach national park hosts over 250 kinds of plants, 30 species of fish and more than 220 kinds of birds. Gircan national park is famous for its iron-trees, "Demir-agach".
There is a nightly train from Baku, going as far as Astara. The airport on in the western side of the city.
Etymology
The old form of the name was "Langarkanan" that in Persian means "the place of pulling up the anchor(s)" : "Langar" (anchor) + "kan" (to pull) + "an"(, suffix of places).
Ethic Groups
- Talysh 62.1% (31.151)
- Azerbaijanians 35.9% (17.935)
- Others 2% (1.024)
See also
Lankaran is also known for Parrotia persica, or ironwood. It is naturally grown in the region. Local myth has it that it is the only wood that sinks in water, hence the name (ironwood).
Historically it has been used for heating, since it burns for a long time and is not easily extinguished.
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