Kachaghakaberd

Armenian: Կաչաղակաբերդ Azerbaijani: Qaxaç qalası
39°58′17.0″N 46°36′53.5″E / 39.971389°N 46.614861°E / 39.971389; 46.614861
Location	between the villages of Kolatak and Khndzristan in Khojaly District of Azerbaijan
Type	Fortress
Completion date	9th century

Kachaghakaberd (Armenian: Կաչաղակաբերդ, Azerbaijani: Qaxaç qalası) is a mountain-top fortress located between the villages of Kolatak and Khndzristan, in Khojaly District of Azerbaijan.^[1]

The Janapar Trail runs very near to the fortress. A short side trail takes to the top of the fortress.

Etymology

Kachaghakaberd is translated from Armenian as magpie's fortress, a combination of the words կաչաղաք (kachaghak, designating the bird magpie) and բերդ (berd, meaning fortress).^[2][3]

Architecture

The fortress was an important fortification of the medieval Armenian Principality of Khachen that thrived in the High Middle Ages,^[4] and is located at a height of more than 1700 meters, surrounded by vertical limestone cliffs with the heights of 50–60 meters, has a hard-to-reach entrance from the southern side of the fortress. During its history no one could ever storm the fortress. Parts of the defensive walls remain standing.^[5]

The territory of the fortress occupies a large area, though it seems small. Many rooms, secret passages cut into the cliffs, and special loopholes for throwing stones at enemies are inside its territory.^[6] The water supply problem was solved by a unique method: two rock-cut reservoirs to store rain and melt-water are in the center of the fortress. Fresh water was brought from a spring at the foot of the mountain.^[7]

Gallery

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  View of the tower
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  View from the tower
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  View of Kolatak village from the tower
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See also

• Culture of Azerbaijan
• Culture of Artsakh
• Principality of Khachen
• Kingdom of Artsakh

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kachaghakaberd.