Gobustan is an administrative district, or rayon, of Azerbaijan. Area 1,369.4 km²; population 37,137; population density 27 persons/km². Administrative centre is Maraza located about 50 miles west of Baku. From 1930 until 1943 and again from 1960 until 1990 the territory belonged to Shamakhi administrative district.
The area has been settled since the 8th millennium BC. It is known for hosting thousands of rock engravings spread over 100 square km depicting hunting scenes, people, ships, constellations and animals. Its oldest petroglyphs date from the 12th century BC. There are inscriptions left by Alexander the Great's cohorts in the 4th century BC. In 2007, UNESCO included the 'Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape' in the World Heritage list.[1] The Gobustan State Reserve was featured during the Thirty-third Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.[2]
Near Maraza there is the mausoleum of Sufi mystic Diri Baba (Living Grandfather) built in 1402.
Qobustan as a geographic region also comprises some territory southeast of the administrative district of Gobustan.
References
- ^ Gobustan
- ^ "AzDipServis"
See also
Coordinates: 40°32′06″N 48°55′16″E / 40.535, 48.92111
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