History
Quba rose to prominence in the 18th century. In 1747, Nadir Shah ruler of the Persian Empire was assassinated. That same year, Hussein-Ali, the Shah's designated ruler of the region, decided to attempt to unify the Azeri khanates as an independent kingdom. One of his first moves was moving his capital from the less defensible Xudat in the Caspian lowlands to Quba where he built a fortress. Hussein-Ali died in 1757 and his son Fatali Khan carried on the expansion with Quba reaping the riches of its status as the capital. Some ruins from this period, such as Çirax Qala on the way to Baku, exist today.
However, upon Fatali Khan's death in 1789, the city's fortunes began to turn. In 1806, the khanate was occupied and soon absorbed by the Russian Empire. As a result the city fell into the background of Azerbaijani history and politics.
The city is home to several historic buildings, including the Juma Mosque (Cuma Məscid or Friday Mosque), Ardabil Mosque (Ərdəbil Məscid) and old hamman (baths).
The region is home to Azerbaijan's largest community of Mountain Jews in the community of Qırmızı Qəsəbə (formerly in Russian: Krasnaya Sloboda, English: Red Town), located just across the river from Quba City.
Read more about this topic: Quba Rayon
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