Qakh (city)
Qakh (, ) is the capital of the Qakh District in the north of Azerbaijan, near the Russian border. History The Qakh region of Azerbaijan has a long history dating back to ancient times. Archeological excavations suggest the area had been populated during Eneolithic, Bronze and early Iron Ages. What remains of these early inhabitants' activities indicates they engaged largely in sedentary cultivation, animal-breeding and art. According to historians, the territory of Qakh was a part of the Scythian Kingdom in the 7th century B.C. Initially this territory of modern Qakh was a province of Caucasian Albania. After that, the region was a separate kingdom of Kakheti within Georgian cultural and political influence. During the medieval era what later became known as Saingilo was mostly controlled by the kingdom of Georgia and Shirvan. With the spread of Christianity throughout the region during the existence of Caucasian Albania, some Christian temples were built in the Qakh district. In the 8th century A.D., Qakh fell under Arab occupation. Starting from the 11th century first Oghuz Turks and later Qipchaq Turks inhabited the area, the region was incorporated into Great Seljuq Empire. Qakh was later a part of the Atabeg and Shirvanshah states.