The city of Ganja is in western Azerbaijan, and in its east lies the tomb of a very famous writer and poet of this region, a man who lived in the 12th century by the name of Nizami Ganjavi, a man much respected and revered. The city of Ganja also has the Imamzade complex, which is a walled fortress constituting religious buildings.
Once in Ganja, one has to explore and also try the Dovga, a traditional yogurt soup, along with fresh wine. The city has a youthful energy and was also voted the most youthful city of Europe in 2016. The city is also a city of martyrs, the dead soldiers numbering over four thousand of them who gave their lives fighting with Armenia in the recent war. The streets and signboards are full of posters and photographs of soldiers who were killed in this war, and a drive around the streets can have a solemn impact and effect on you.
“You know, Ganja means weed in Hindi. We call it Ganja. This city must be really high then,” I told Uslan, who was busy with his phone trying to figure out what the Google navigator was actually saying. “Yes, that is funny. I know, but this is a very old city; people have been living here for over two thousand years. It has the tomb of the famous Azerbaijan poet, Nizami Ganjavi,” Uslan replied to me.
“I hope we get our hotel today. Have you confirmed with the Baku Tours company?” I asked my driver cum English guide, Uslan. “Yes, we have a good hotel today. When you get there, you rest, we have dinner at night, or just go for a drive,” Uslan always there to make my trip more enjoyable.
I like the serenity of this place, and as the city is a bit higher up, the weather here is much cooler than in Sheki. Ganja also has an old Ganja city full of old mosques, caravanserai (a place where travelers can rest), bridges, and towers. In 1804, the Russian armies occupied Ganja and renamed it as Yelizavetpol. It was built in the 6th AD, but in the 7th century, the Persians destroyed the city, and in the later half, the Arab armies did the same. In 1139, a huge earthquake destroyed the city, and as a result, many lakes and waterfalls were formed that are all around the city, giving it a very distinct look and feel. The city has a population of three hundred thousand people and is the second city to Baku for Azerbaijan.