Goychay city
Goychay – is the original Turkish word and has been taken from the name of Goychay river on the coast which the city is located. The river has been named so because water in it was extremely transparent and cast blue ("gay") a shade. According to some historical sources the population basically has been generated from Garaman nobility moved from Turkey in XV century. In 50th years of a XIX century the part of the population of Shamakhi which have suffered from earthquake, has moved to the territory of Goychay and therefore this settlement started to expand. Within the administrative reforms of Czar Government, in December, 1867 Goychay District was founded as a part of the Baku province. The district center – settlement Goychay has been entitled as a city since 1916. Goychay Region was founded on August 8th, 1930, in connection with division of Azerbaijan into regions. The development of Goychay City also has begun approximately in the 30s of the XX century. The Goychay area is located in the center of the Azerbaijan Republic, in northern part of Shirvan plain, at bottom of mountains of the Greater Caucasus. The area of the region makes 736 км² by stretching of 25 km from north to south and 40 km from east to west. The center of the Region Goychay is located in the 216 km of the Baku-Gazakh highway, and from the 18 km from Ujar railway station. The ragion has border with Ismayilli in northern-east, Kurdamir – in southern-east, Ujar – in South and Aghdash – in west. The region is divided into geographical parts – mountainous and plain areas. Mountainous area includes Bozdag Garamaryam and the plain area includes other territories of the region. The geological structure of territory concerns the third period of a Cenozoic era, and a flat part – by the fourth period of the same era. Some sites of territory are covered by modern adjournment. In general, all surface of territory of the region is covered by a layer of clay and clay soil, in some places – sand adjournment by thickness of 10-15 centimeters. Goychay River and the Upper Shirvan Canal pass through the area of the region. The area territory is rich with the natural stocks used in building industry. A river pebble, rubble and sand are extracted in a valley of the Goychay River and near Jayirli village. There are rich deposits of clay from which the high-quality brick is made in Garabaggal village. A steppe formation spread in a vegetative cover of area. In a mountain part there are bushes. The climate of Goychay area concerns to moderately hot semidesertic with droughty summer and to dry subtropical type of a climate. This climate is characterized by small humidity, in the soft winter both in the dry and droughty summer. The annual rainfall in area territory makes 400-600 mm. In area there is variety of the monuments reflecting history of our people. Surkhay Castle constructed in XII-XIV a century belonging to Arabian Caliphate, and also tombs in Incha and Arabjabirli concerning II century B.C. prove the settlements in very ancient periods. The underground bath and 4 mosques constructed at the end of XIX century also belong to the list of historical monuments of region.