Nakhchivan Fortress (Yezidabad)

Nakhchivan Fortress or Kökhna-Gala, more locally known as Yezidabad, is a medieval fortress southeast of the city and represents the oldest settlement in Nakhchivan. It is from these foothills that the current urban fabric extends. From it, you can make out both Nakhchivan’s city center and the Aras Reservoir, some 5 km away, in the same view.

The fortress was founded in the time of the Sassanid ruler Yazdegerd III, during the mid-7th century. At that time, this region was a focal point of both Byzantine-Sassanid conflict and Arab pressure. For this reason, Yedizabad Fortress was planned not only as a fortification line but also as a strategic military base controlling Nakhchivan and its surroundings.

The fortress was situated in a suburb of the Armenian capital of Astapat in the early Common Era centuries. Following the destruction of Astapat by the Arab troops in 705, the focus of the region shifted entirely to the citadel, and the settlement was no longer called “Yedizabad” but rather “Nakhchivan.” The site where the city of Babek is located today is a continuation of this ancient center.

From the 16th century onwards, the citadel was a place of residence and an administrative center of the Seljuk Turk atabegs in the region. After the founding of the dynasty by Shams al-Din Ildeniz after 1136, Nakhchivan became one of the political centers of the state together with Tabriz. Fortresses, roads, and bridges built along the Aras River were part of the military-economic program of this period, in which Yeddiabad was a nodal point.

The arrival of Jalal ad-Din Manguberdi in 1225 and the subsequent Mongol invasion brought severe destruction to Nakhchivan. Most of the superstructure elements of the citadel were destroyed; this is the reason why we see only a faint trace of it on the surface today. Despite this, the 200 x 400 meter scale of the walled city is still legible in the Büyük Gala part, which forms the main residential area of the castle.

A millennium after Yazdegerd, a second line of defense was built inside these walls: the so-called “Persian Small Fortress/Narin-Kala.” This small, square-plan fortress with 150-meter-long sides was restored to its present condition, complete with gates and walls, in 2013. The central circular building now houses a museum.

The castle has a multilayer defense system: to the west lies the line protecting the old city walls, to the northeast are the surviving round towers, and to the southwest is a cave shelter that could house up to 300 people at one time. The light and ventilation holes in the ceiling of this cave are details designed for long sieges. The secret underground passage from Narin-Kala to the Nakhchivan River and the two wells within the castle were also designed to accommodate both defensive and siege conditions.

The most expressive feature of the fortress is the 22.5-meter-wide corridor between Büyük Gala and Narin-Kala, also called the “stone trap.” Such a construction was designed as an area of containment, complicating the advance of the attacker and concentrating firing at him. While touring the site, you notice the width and location of this corridor-the testimony of purposeful military conception of the structure.

After the restoration in 2013, Yedizabad was rearranged as the Nakhchivangala Historical-Architectural Museum Complex. The museum is located in the central circular space of the small fortress and exhibits traditional Nakhchivan clothes, local carpets, metal artifacts, and architectural pieces from the Ildenizli period. On the same axis of the fortress are the new mosque and Noah’s Tomb, bringing together military history, local prophetic narratives, and a modern prayer area within one route. Daytime admission to the fortress and museum areas is free and open-air.

As with most other historic sites in Nakhchivan, there is no entrance fee to visit Yedizabad. The ground is rocky and sloping in places; it is highly advisable to wear closed-toe shoes with non-slip soles around the cave shelter, narrow corridors, and tower. The area is cold and windy in winter and hot and sunny in summer; it is important to dress appropriately for the season. If you are staying in the city center, you can easily walk or take a short taxi ride to reach the citadel.

If you’re booking hotels in the city, such as Saat Square, Tabriz Hotel, Grand Nakhchivan, and Nakhchivan Palace, you can get to the citadel in one vehicle; if you happen to book out-of-town establishments like the Duzdağ Hotel, you first need to get into the city center. Further, by booking your stay in the city center, you can combine Nakhchivan’s millennia-long history of settlement and defense into one day by first seeing the Yedizabad Citadel, Noah’s Tomb, the Khan’s Palace, and finally, the Mausoleum of Momine Khatun.