Didivan Castle

Didivan Castle (Didivan Tower) — an ancient and nationally significant architectural monument located 5 km from the city of Qazax, on the slope of Mount Dədəban to the west of the village of Xanlıqlar. Its construction date is assigned to the 6th–7th centuries.

General information

It is on the edge of the ancient caravan route leading from Iravan to Qazax. Among the people it is also called Koroğlu Castle. Although the name is explained in various ways and given different meanings, the interpretation of Dədəban as “grandfather’s house” is more convincing. According to another hypothesis, “Didi” is a Persian word meaning “eye”, and “van” means settlement or station. It denotes a watch‑post.

In the plan the castle is circular. The height of the castle, hewn from large rock blocks, is 8.3 metres and its diameter is 5.9 metres. The walls are 1 metre thick at the base and 0.5 metre at the top. The interior of the castle is empty. However, in some places of the walls there are holes that once held boards forming the floors. It is believed that the castle was built approximately in the 6th–7th centuries. Until the middle of the 20th century it was a place of pilgrimage. Observation openings oriented toward the Delican road prove that the construction was precisely an observation, watchtower. Similar observation towers also exist on the banks of the Coqaz River and near the village of Cəfərli.

Didivan Castle is a nationally significant architectural monument entered in the state register by Decision No. 132 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan (02.08.2001) and is currently used as an exhibition object.

Additional information

According to some hypotheses, Didivan Castle was built as early as the 1st millennium BC and together with the Alban temple on Mount Avey formed part of the region’s defence system. The castle is located on the side of the ancient caravan route from Iravan to Qazax, on the summit of Didivan Mountain. There are also legends about hidden passages beneath the castle.

As an ancient architectural example, it is among the nationally significant monuments. Because it is prominently conical in shape, this monument is sometimes also likened to a windmill. However, the internal construction of the tower clearly shows that it does not have the characteristics of such a typological structure.