Barda District

Summary

Barda District (Azerbaijani: Bərdə rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the center of the country in the Karabakh Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Tartar, Agdam, Aghjabadi, Zardab, Agdash, and Yevlakh. Its capital and largest city is Barda. As of 2020, the district had a population of 157,500.[2]

Barda District
Map of Azerbaijan showing Barda District
Map of Azerbaijan showing Barda District
Country Azerbaijan
RegionKarabakh
Established8 August 1930
CapitalBarda
Settlements[1]111
Government
 • GovernorVidadi Isayev
Area
 • Total950 km2 (370 sq mi)
Population
 • Total157,500
 • Density170/km2 (430/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4 (AZT)
Postal code
0900
Websiteberde-ih.gov.az

History edit

Materials and coins found in archaeological excavations related to the period of Alexander the Great, Arakis, and Empire of Rome prove that the center of the district (Barda city) is one of the oldest centers, not only in Azerbaijan but also in the Middle East. According to 9th-century Arabian historian Al-Baladhuri, Barda was established in the period of Kavadh I, who was a Sassanid ruler, while according to 14th-century Iranian historian Hamdallah Mustawfi it was from the period of Alexander the Great (336–323 BC).[3]

Barda became the center of the region ruled by the governor during the Sassanid period. During the reign of Kavadh I, Barda was surrounded by fortress walls. It was the capital of Albania in the 10th century. The center of the Albanian church was moved to Barda in 552 and was occupied by Iranian feudalists in 639. Thereafter, Barda received autonomy with the help of Javanshir, who was the ruler of Alban. It became a central part of Arran Province in 752. Barda was part of the Sassanid state until the 890s.[3]

The remains of cultural items from the 2nd millennium BC to the late Middle Ages have been found and preserved in Barda. The cultural items include a Barda tomb built in 1322, remains of old city walls from the 6th century, the Ibrahim Mosque (18th-century cemetery), two bridges from the 7th–9th centuries on the Tartar River, the Axsadan Baba tomb of the 14th century, and an eight-point tomb in the village of Guloghlular from the 18th century. All of these findings are well-preserved by the government. In addition, the Juma mosque (built in Barda city in 1905), a 19th-century bathhouse, the 19th-century Ugurbeyli Mosque, the Bahman Mirza Mausoleum,[4] and other historical and architectural monuments were found in Shirvanli village.[3]

Barda consisted of two parts: Shahristan and Rabad. The city center was in Shahristan, which was surrounded by fortress walls. Meanwhile, there were craftsmen, merchants, and caravanserais in the place called Rabat.[3]

Barda District was established in 1930 as an independent administrative unit.

Monuments edit

Historical monuments left to date are as follows:

  • Ibrahim Mosque (built in the 8th–9th centuries)
  • Bahram Mirza Tomb
  • “Akhsadan baba” Tomb
  • Barda Tomb
  • “Torpag gala”
  • Juma Mosque
  • 2 bridges over Tartar river[5]

Economy edit

Barda is well-developed agriculturally. The main agricultural sectors include grain and cotton growing. The economy is primarily based upon cattle-breeding, vegetable growing, and silkworm breeding.

Barda District has a developed industry. There are “Yag-Pendir” (“Butter-Cheese”) and “Garabag-Pambig” (“Grabag-Cotton”) OSJCs, cannery, etc. functioning in the district.

The district runs education, health, social, recreational and public catering facilities.[6]

Population edit

The population of the district was 143.9 thousand people until January 1, 2011. According to the official information dated 01.06.2012, the population of the region is 147700. Among the residents, there are 222 Karabakh war invalids, 438 martyrs, 884 Karabakh war veterans and 41 Great Patriotic War veterans.[7]

Population
Ethnic group census, 2009
Total 141 646
Azerbaijanis 141 485
Turkish people 97
Russians 48
Ukrainians 5
Tatars 5
Others 6

According to the State Statistics Committee, as of 2018, the population of city recorded 155,400 persons, which increased by 24,800 persons (about 18.9 percent) from 130,600 persons in 2000.[8] 78,900 of total population are men, 76,500 are women.[9] More than 25,8 percent of the population (about 40,100 persons) consists of young people and teenagers aged 14–29.[10]

The population of the district by the year (at the beginning of the year, thousand persons) [8]
Region 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Barda region 130,6 131,6 132,6 133,6 134,7 136,1 137,6 138,7 140,0 141,4 142,4 143,9 146,6 148,1 149,5 151,2 152,7 154,2 155,4 156,3 157,5 158,2
urban population 36,1 36,2 36,5 36,7 36,9 37,2 37,5 37,5 37,6 37,8 37,9 38,1 38,5 38,8 38,9 39,3 39,5 39,8 39,9 40,0 40,2 40,3
rural population 94,5 95,4 96,1 96,9 97,8 98,9 100,1 101,2 102,4 103,6 104,5 105,8 108,1 109,3 110,6 111,9 113,2 114,4 115,5 116,3 117,3 117,9
The population of the district by sex (at the beginning of 2018, thsd. persons)[9]
Towns and regions Total including: urban places including: rural places including:
men women men women men women
Barda district 155,4 78,9 76,5 39,9 19,7 20,2 115,5 59,2 56,3
Barda city 39,9 19,7 20,2 39,9 19,7 20,2 - - -

Geographical location edit

Barda city is located on the Kur-Araz lowland, 87 meters above sea level, in the center of the Karabakh plain. The region is bordered by the Tartar region in the west, Yevlakh region in the north, Aghdash region in the north-east and the east, Zardab region in the south-east along the Kur River and the Aghdam and Aghjabadi regions in the south.[5]

Infrastructure edit

The Yevlakh-Agdam railway, the Yevlakh-Lachin-Nakhchivan and Yevlakh-Agjabedi motorways pass through the region.

References edit

  1. ^ "İnzibati-ərazi vahidləri" (PDF). preslib.az. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Population of Azerbaijan". stat.gov.az. State Statistics Committee. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "TERRITORIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS-District of Barda" (PDF).
  4. ^ "VAHİD MƏRKƏZLƏŞDİRİLMİŞ KİTABXANA PORTALI". barda.cls.az. Archived from the original on 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  5. ^ a b "Rayon haqqında - BƏRDƏ RAYON Icra Hakimiyyəti". berde-ih.gov.az.
  6. ^ Barda District[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Samadov (www.anarsamadov.net), Anar. "Population". The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
  8. ^ a b "Political division, population size and structure: Population by towns and regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan". The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  9. ^ a b "Political division, population size and structure: Population by sex, towns and regions, urban settlements of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the 2018". The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  10. ^ "Political division, population size and structure: Population at age 14-29 by towns and regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the 2018". The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

External links edit

  • Azerbaijan Development Gateway
  • Ministry of Culture and Tourism's history of Barda
  • belediyye.org

40°22′00″N 47°07′00″E / 40.3667°N 47.1167°E / 40.3667; 47.1167