History Ateshgah of Baku

1 history

1.1 structure
1.2 indian local residents , pilgrims
1.3 zoroastrian local residents , pilgrims
1.4 inscriptions , period of construction
1.5 examination zoroastrian priests
1.6 exhaustion of natural gas
1.7 claimed visit czar alexander iii

history

surakhani located on absheron peninsula, famous being locality oil oozes naturally ground , flames burn perpetually - @ yanar dag - fed natural hydrocarbon vapours issuing rock.

in 7th century armenian geography ashkharatsuyts, attributed anania shirakatsi, location called “yotnporakyan bagink” (“place 7 worshiped holes”) mentioned in paytakaran province, thought ateshgah. armenian historian ghevond (8th century), describing invasion of khazars in caucasian albania in 730 ad, mentioned area “atshi-baguan”. sarah ashurbeyli notes “atsh” distorted “atesh” (“fire”) , “atshi-baguan” means “fires of baguan” referring baku. word “baguan” comes word “baga” means “god” in old persian. , bhagawan means god in sanskrit.

7 holes eternal fires mentioned german traveler engelbert kaempfer visited surakhani in 1683.

estakhri (10th century) mentioned not far baku (i.e., on apsheron peninsula) lived fire worshippers. confirmed movses daskhurantsi in reference of province of bhagavan (“fields of gods” i.e., “fire gods”).

in 18th century, atashgah visited zoroastrians. confirms persian handwriting naskh inscription on entrance aperture of 1 of cells, speaks visit of zoroastrians isfahan:

persian inscription:



transliteration of persian inscription:




ātaši saf kešide hamčon dak
jey bovāni reside tā bādak
sāl-e nav-e nozl mobārak bād goft
xāne šod ru *sombole sane-ye hazār-o-sad-o-panjāh-o-haštom




translation:




fires stand in line
esfahani bovani came badak [baku]






blessed lavish new year , said:
the house built in month of ear in year 1158.

the 1158 year corresponds 1745 ad. bovan (modern bovanat) village near esfahan. word badak diminutive of bad-kubeh. (the name of baku in sources of 17th , 18th centuries bad-e kube). @ end of reference constellation of sombole /virgo (august–september). in name of month master mistakenly shifted “l” , “h” @ end of word. according zoroastrian calendar qadimi new year in 1745 ad in august.

interesting information zoroastrianism in baku given d. shapiro in karaite wolhynia meets zoroastrian baku. avraham firkowicz, karaite collector of ancient manuscripts, wrote meeting in darband in 1840 fire-worshipper baku. firkowicz asked him “why worship fire?” fire-worshipper replied worshipped not fire, creator symbolised fire - “matter” or abstraction (and hence not person) called q’rţ’ . pahlavi q’rţ’ (derived avestan kirdar) signifies “one does” or “creator”.

structure

guebre ceremony in ateshgah temple

some scholars have speculated ateshgah may have been ancient zoroastrian shrine decimated invading islamic armies during muslim conquest of persia , neighboring regions. has been asserted that, according historical sources, before construction of indian temple of fire (atashgah) in surakhani @ end of 17th century, local people worshipped @ site because of 7 holes burning flame .

fire considered sacred in indo-iranian branches of sikhism, hinduism, , zoroastrianism (as agni , atar respectively), , there has been debate on whether atashgah hindu structure, zoroastrian, or sikh one. trident mounted atop structure distinctly hindu sacred symbol (as trishula, commonly mounted on temples) , has been cited zoroastrian scholars specific reason considering atashgah hindu , sikh site. however, azeri presentation on history of baku, calls shrine hindu temple , identifies trident zoroastrian symbol of thoughts, words , deeds .

one european commentator, jonas hanway, bucketed zoroastrians, sikhs, , hindus respect religious beliefs: these opinions, few alterations, still maintained of posterity of ancient indians , persians, called gebers or gaurs, , zealous in preserving religion of ancestors; particularly in regard veneration element of fire. geber persian term zoroastrians, while gaurs priestly hindu , sikhcaste. later scholar, a. v. williams jackson, drew distinction between 2 groups. while stating typical features hanway mentions distinctly indian, not zoroastrian based on worshipers attires , tilakas, strictly vegetarian diets , open veneration cows, left open possibility few actual gabrs (i.e. zoroastrians, or parsis) may have been present @ shrine alongside larger hindu , sikh groups.

indian local residents , pilgrims

engraving of temple

in late middle ages, there significant indian communities throughout central asia. in baku, indian merchants multan region of punjab controlled of commercial economy, along armenians. of woodwork ships on caspian done indian craftsmen. commentators have theorized baku s indian community may have been responsible construction or renovation of ateshgah.

as european academics , explorers began arriving in central asia , indian subcontinent, documented encounters dozens of hindus @ shrine sikh pilgrims en route in regions between north india , baku.

samuel gottlieb gmelin s reise durch russland (1771) cited in karl eduard von eichwald s reise in den caucasus (stuttgart, 1834) naturalist gmelin said have observed yogi austerities being performed devotees. geologist eichwald restricts himself mention of worship of rama, krishna, hanuman , agni. in 1784 account of george forster of bengal civil service, square structure 30 yards across, surrounded low wall , containing many apartments. each of these had small jet of sulphurous fire issuing funnel constructed in shape of hindu altar. fire used worship, cooking , warmth, , regularly extinguished.

ateshgyakh temple looks not unlike regular town caravansary - kind of inn large central court, caravans stopped night. distinct caravansaries, however, temple has altar in center tiny cells temple s attendants - indian ascetics devoted cult of fire - , pilgrims lining walls.

zoroastrian local residents , pilgrims

drawing of temple book journey in dagestan , caucasus

there data in addition hindus in temple present zoroastrians (parsis , guebres) , sikhs. chardin in 17th century reported persian guebres, worshiped forever burning fire in 2 days journey shemakha (on apsheron).

engelbert kaempfer, visited surakhany in 1683, wrote among people worshiped fire, 2 men descendants of persians migrated india.

french jesuit villotte, lived in azerbaijan since 1689, reports ateshgah revered hindus, sikhs, , zoroastrians, descendants of ancient persians.

german traveler lerch visited temple in 1733, wrote here there 12 guebres or ancient persian fire worshipers».

j. hanway visited baku in 1747 , left few records of ateshgah. people, worshiped fire in ateshgah calls indians , persians , “guebres”.

s. gmelin, visited ateshgah in 1770, wrote in present ateshgah lived indians , descendants of ancient guebres.

in 1820 french consul gamba visits temple. according gamba here lived hindus, sikhs, , zoroastrians, followers of zoroaster.

the englishman ussher visited ateshgah in september 19, 1863 calls atash jah , said there pilgrims india , persia german baron max thielmann visited temple in october 1872 , in memoirs wrote parsi community of bombay sent here priest after few years replaced. presence necessary, because here come pilgrims outskirts of persia (yazd, kerman) , india , remain in sacred place several months or years.

in 1876 english traveler james bruce visited ateshgah. noted bombay parsi punchayat provides permanent presence in temple of priest. pierre ponafidine visited temple @ same time , mentioned 2 priests bombay. e. orsolle, visited temple after bruce, said after parsi priest died in 1864, parsi punchayat of bombay few years later sent priest here, pilgrims came here india , iran have forgotten sanctuary, , in 1880 there nobody. o donovan visited temple in 1879 , refers religious worship of guebres.

in 1898 in «men , women of india» magazine published article entitled ancient zoroastrian temple in baku. author calls ateshgah parsi temple, , notes last zoroastrian priest sent there 30 years ago (that is, in 1860s.). j. henry in 1905, in book noted 25 years ago (i.e. in 1880) in surakhani died last parsi priest.

inscriptions , period of construction

ateshgah, beginning of 20th century

there several inscriptions on ateshgah. in either sanskrit or punjabi, exception of 1 persian inscription occurs below accompanying sanskrit invocation lord ganesha , jwala ji. although persian inscription contains grammatical errors, both inscriptions contain same year date of 1745 common era (samvat/संवत 1802/१८०२ , hijri 1158/١١٥٨). taken set, dates on inscriptions range samvat 1725 samvat 1873, corresponds period 1668 ce 1816 ce. this, coupled assessment structure looks relatively new, has led scholars postulate 17th century period of construction. 1 press report asserts local records exist state structure built baku hindu traders community around time of fall of shirvanshah dynasty , annexation russian empire following russo-persian war (1722–1723).

the inscriptions in temple in sanskrit (in nagari devanagari script) , punjabi (in gurmukhi script) identify site place of hindu , sikh worship, , state built , consecrated jwala ji, modern hindu fire deity. jwala (जवाला/ज्वाला) means flame in sanskrit (c.f. indo-european cognates: proto-indo-european guelh, english: glow, lithuanian: zvilti) , ji honorific used in indian subcontinent. there famed shrine jwala ji in himalayas, in settlement of jawalamukhi, in kangra district of himachal pradesh, india atashgah bears strong resemblance , on scholars (such a. v. williams jackson) suggested current structure may have been modeled. however, other scholars have stated jwala ji devotees used refer kangra shrine smaller jwala ji , baku shrine greater jwala ji . other deities mentioned in inscriptions include ganesha , shiva. punjabi language inscriptions quotations adi granth, while of sanskrit ones drawn sat sri ganesaya namah text.

examination zoroastrian priests

illustration brockhaus , efron encyclopedic dictionary (1890—1907)

in 1876, james bryce visited region , found remarkable mineral product naphtha, bursts forth in many places, profusely near baku, on coast of caspian, in strong springs, of said burning. without referencing atashgah name, mentioned of zoroastrians after extirpated persia mohammedans, hate them bitterly, few slunk here on pilgrimage , under more tolerant sway of czar, solitary priest of fire maintained parsee community of bombay, inhabits small temple built on 1 of springs .

the temple examined in late 19th , 20th century parsi dasturs, of whom had visited jwala ji @ kangra in himalayas. based on inscriptions , structure, assessment temple hindu , sikh shrine. in 1925, zoroastrian priest , academic jivanji jamshedji modi traveled baku determine if temple had indeed been once zoroastrian place of worship. until (and again today), site visited zoroastrian pilgrims india. in travels outside bombay, modi observed not me parsee little familiar our hindu or sikh brethren s religion, temples , customs, after examining building inscriptions, architecture, etc., conclude not [zoroastrian] atash kadeh hindu temple , gurdawa, brahmins (priests) used worship fire (sanskrit: agni).

besides physical evidence indicating complex hindu place of worship, existing structural features not consistent other zoroastrian or sikh places of worship (for instance, cells ascetics, fireplace open sides, ossuary pit , no water source. cannot ruled out site may once have been zoroastrian place of worship.

j. unvala visited temple in 1935 , noted structure pure sasanian style.

exhaustion of natural gas

the fire temple of baku, c. 1860

the fire once fed vent subterranean natural gas field located directly beneath complex, heavy exploitation of natural gas reserves in area during soviet rule resulted in flame going out in 1969. today, museum s fire fed mains gas piped in baku city.

claimed visit czar alexander iii

seven holy fires , revered temple enclosure in surakhany

there local claims made visiting zoroastrian dastur in 20th century russian czar alexander iii had witnessed hindu fire prayer rituals @ location. however, has been rejected hearsay , of dubious gossip.