Surakhany
Encyclopedia
Suraxanı is a settlement and raion
of Baku
, Azerbaijan
. It has a population of 196,700.
The raion is best known for the Fire Temple of Baku
, a castle-like temple and monastery complex known locally as the Ateşgah or Ateshgyakh,. It was a Hindu
temple. The complex was built on a pocket of natural gas
that once produced a flame from natural gas seepage.
The local Tat
name of the raion is said to related to "the Persian words 'Surakh' (hole) or Surkh/ Sorkh (red) and 'khani' (source or fountain). According to historical sources, before the construction of the Indian Temple Of Fire (Atashgah) in Surakhani at the end of the 18th [century], the local people also worshipped at this site because of the 'seven holes with burning flame'. And thus the name 'Surakhani' - holes with burning fountains."
The township itself is poor and surrounded by the decaying petrochemical industry facilities that are endemic to the Abşeron Peninsula and the lasting legacy of the Soviet era.
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
of Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. It has a population of 196,700.
The raion is best known for the Fire Temple of Baku
Fire Temple of Baku
The Baku Ateshgah or "Fire Temple" is a castle-like ancient Hindu religious structure in Surakhani, a suburb of greater Baku, Azerbaijan. "Atash" is the Persian word for fire....
, a castle-like temple and monastery complex known locally as the Ateşgah or Ateshgyakh,. It was a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple. The complex was built on a pocket of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
that once produced a flame from natural gas seepage.
The local Tat
Tat
Tat or TAT may refer to:in ethnology:* Tats, an Iranian ethnic group from the Caucasus* Tat language , their language* Juhuri language, the Jewish Tat language* Tati language , a group of northwestern Iranian dialects...
name of the raion is said to related to "the Persian words 'Surakh' (hole) or Surkh/ Sorkh (red) and 'khani' (source or fountain). According to historical sources, before the construction of the Indian Temple Of Fire (Atashgah) in Surakhani at the end of the 18th [century], the local people also worshipped at this site because of the 'seven holes with burning flame'. And thus the name 'Surakhani' - holes with burning fountains."
The township itself is poor and surrounded by the decaying petrochemical industry facilities that are endemic to the Abşeron Peninsula and the lasting legacy of the Soviet era.