Goranboy City
Goranboy – area is 317 km². Centre is Goranboy town. Ancient Shatal city – castle is located near the town. At one time, this town was located on the caravan road between Ganja and Barda cities. Albanian annalist Musa Kalankatli noted in his book entitled “History of Albania” that, Shatal was at the same level of development with Shaki, Shamakhi, Shabran and Shamkir. Ancient sources indicate that, Shatal existed in V-VI centuries as a town and was called as Shatar, Shatal, Shetel, Shutur in different times. Shatal was wiped out during the Mongolian attacks to Ganja, Beylegan and Shamkir, in 1231. The area in which Shatal was located for centuries, is called as “Place of Castle”, the village near Shatal is called as Shadli with the meaning of “pleasure, fun, happiness”. There are following historical and architectural monuments in the region: survivals of human settlements in 25 km north from Goran station belonging to I millennium B.C.; Gochtapa settlement in 2 km northwest from Goranboy city belonging to Bronze Age; Tapayazilan dwelling near Gizilhajili settlement belonging to Middle Ages; Tosal Ojagi (Tosal holy place) near Balakurd village belonging to VII-VIII centuries; monument near Khangarvand belonging to XVIII centuries; Sepulchre in Safikurd village belonging to beginning of XX century, castle (XIII century) and mosque from XIX century; Sepulchre complex in Rahimli village belonging to XVIII-XIX centuries, Shatal castle from XIX century, Mirza Adigozel bay sepulchre from XX century, sepulchres in Gazanbulag village belonging to Middle Ages, XIX century’s castle in Kurekchay village, Gulustan Castle in Gulustan village belonging to XII-XVII centuries. Newly-founded Naftalan town played an important role in glorification of this region. The main rich of Naftalan is Naftalan oil. Etymology of Naftalan was formed “nafta”– “filtering” or “flowing”. Midians called the oil as nafta. Having medical features Naftalan oil is known all over the world as exclusive means of treatment nervous, gynaecologic, urological and skin diseases, diseases of a liver and etc. German engineer with Jeger surname has started to make ointment "Naftalan" in 1887, Germany. There is a museum in Naftalan, which is unique in the world: The exhibits of this museum are crutches. The patients left their crutches after recovering.