Ugurlu Khan Caravanserai

Uğurlu Khan Caravanserai — a building from the 17th century in the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan.

The caravanserai was built in Ganja by the beylik of the beys (or Karabakh beylik) on the funds of I Uğurlu Khan, son of the brother of Murtuzqulu Khan, and according to the project of Sheikh Bahaddin.

History and architecture

Uğurlu Khan caravanserai is located near another caravanserai in the city of Ganja, the Shah Abbas caravanserai. There are four internal passages between these two caravanserais. The complex has two large courtyards.

In the construction of the building, a mixture of egg white with clay-lime and baked red brick was used. This caravanserai was built in 1663–1664 with the funds of I Uğurlu Khan, son of the brother of Murtuzqulu Khan Ziyadoglu, who was the Karabakh beylik. The caravanserai was built based on the project of architect Sheikh Bahaddin.

The first floor of the building consists of 17 large rooms. In the first floor, openings resembling niches were made in the interior of the right and left walls for guards to stand, and lamps as well as chandeliers were used for interior lighting; this area has no windows. Also, the central part of the octagonal tomb has ornamental elements that create a dense, compact node of the composition. The doors of the caravanserai rooms are connected by a curved wooden lintel, and two styles are noticeable in the interior architecture: Eastern and European style. At the head of the right lintel, a place where a panorama of Ganja was made is called the confectionery. In addition, the building, like all caravanserais, is surrounded on all four sides by high walls.

After the Russian troops captured Ganja in 1803, the caravanserai, like all khan property, was confiscated and transferred to the treasury. After the first corps of the caravanserai was leased to the Sherbats (makers of sherbet), it began to be called "Sherbatchi Caravanserai" among the people.

The caravanserai was intended for guests from foreign countries and for commercial purposes in Ganja. During the Soviet period, the Mahsati Ganjavi named Kirovabad Pedagogical School was located in the building.

Renovation

In the 1970s, based on Heydar Aliyev's order, artistic design, restoration, and improvement works were carried out in the Ugurlu Khan caravanserai under the leadership of the artist Cavanşir Məmmədov.

In 2011, restoration work was again carried out in the caravanserai. The renovation was carried out on the order of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Foundation and reinforcement works were carried out on all structures of the caravanserai. In parallel, the columns were also reinforced from the foundation with concrete. Areas in the interior and façade that were in a damaged state were repaired. The bricks used in the caravanserai were brought from the city of Shaki.