Albanian temples
Name of the Monument: Albanian Temples
Period: Late Early Middle Ages
Location: Qatardag Ridge, Keshikchidagh State Historical and Cultural Reserve
Azerbaijan is one of the countries that has historically maintained traditions of religious tolerance. One of the clearest proofs of this is the sensitive protection of the ancient and unique monuments and temples of various religions located in the country by both the state and the society. In Jeyranchol, Keshikchidagh, the highest elevation in the region, there are two temples dating back to the end of the early Middle Ages and located 1500 meters apart from each other. The construction of the ceilings of the temples with domed masonry reflects the traces of Albanian architecture. In the 1990s, restoration works were carried out by Georgians in cave temples to declare them as Georgian monuments. This magnificent temple, well-hewn from solid local hard stone and neatly built, stands out among the monuments of Albanian architecture due to its skillful structural solution. One of them is attached to the mountain, and the other is built on a relatively flat surface on top of the mountain. The temples built in the Ghatar mountain lane of Jeyranchol are rectangular from the outside and oval-circular from the inside. Both temples have observation windows in the front and sides, which partially illuminate the interior of the building. The observation windows located here are open to the south and north.Thus, the western and eastern parts of the area where the temple is built are mountainous, and the northern and southern sides are steep cliffs. There are narrow and elongated windows in the walls to illuminate the interior of the temple. In the facade of the temple adjacent to the mountain, two narrow windows were placed above the entrance door, and the masonry continued up to the roof. Galtan and river stone, which are local building materials, were used for the walls of the temples, and baked tiles were used for the roof. The use of this style is our cultural heritage, which indicates the high level of building culture and architecture in Caucasian Albania, and preserves the delicacy of Albanian architecture.