Товуз районы: тарих, мәдениет және қазіргі жағдайы

District of Azerbaijan

Tovuz District is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north west of the country and belongs to the Gazakh Tovuz Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Gadabay, Shamkir, Samukh, Agstafa, as well as the Tavush Province of Armenia and Kakheti region of Georgia. Its capital and largest city is Tovuz. As of 2020, the district had a population of 177,200.

In Tovuz district, there are 4 museums, 13 cultural centers, 6 libraries and a Photo Gallery. Mədəniyyət TOVUZ RAYON Icra Hakimiyyəti. Museums include Heydar Aliyev Center, History and Local Lore Museum, Ozan Ashug Museum and State Symbols Museum.

The ancient village of Goytepe (Göy Tepe) is one of the largest archaeological monuments in Tovuz District, and in Ganja – Gazakh region. It is located 2 km to the northeast from the village of Aşağı Quşçu, and well south of the current course of Kura river, but closer to Tovuz river which is flowing into Kura. Starting in 2008, “Tovuz Archaeological expedition” conducted new archaeological investigations at Goytepe, and also at the Mentesh tepe ancient settlement nearby. This is a joint investigation of archaeologists from Azerbaijan, Japan and France. In this same area of Azerbaijan are also located the ancient sites of Shomu Tepe, Soyuq Bulaq, and Boyuk Kesik. Shulaveris Gora is just across the border in Georgia.

Mentesh tepe is located close to Zeyem river about 10km east of Goytepe. The excavations of Neolithic levels at Mentesh Tepe have brought to light a material culture related to the Shulaveri Shomu culture, with some similarity to Baba Dervish site. The earliest levels of Mentesh represent an advanced Neolitic culture with full domestication of cereals and animals. The pottery is also found, although in small numbers. The occupation at Mentesh continued for a long period to the end of the Early Bronze Age. Local metallurgy here started already in the first half of the 6th millennium, and developed further during the second half of the 5th millennium.

The region is dominated by agriculture. Wine, fruit, vegetables and grain crops are all produced along with cattle. Thus, clashes between the Armenian Armed Forces and Azerbaijani Armed Forces broke out on July 12. The skirmishes resumed on 13 July and are ongoing with varying intensity, having resulted in at least 16 military and one civilian casualties. Among Azerbaijani military casualties were one major general (Polad Hashimov), one colonel (Ilgar Mirzayev) and two majors (Anar Novruzov and Namig Ahmadov). However, the fighting has decreased, the situation in the region is still considered as volatile.