Mardakan
| Mərdəkan | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
 Mərdəkan
|
|
| Coordinates: 40°29′32″N 50°08′20″E / 40.49222°N 50.13889°ECoordinates: 40°29′32″N 50°08′20″E / 40.49222°N 50.13889°E | |
| Country |
 Azerbaijan
|
| City | Baku |
| Raion | Khazar |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 15,603 |
| Time zone | AZT (UTC+4) |
| • Summer (DST) | AZT (UTC+5) |
Mərdəkan (Mardakan) is a settlement and municipality in Khazar raion of Baku, Azerbaijan with a population of 15,603.
Mardakan is one of the oldest villages of the Absheron peninsula. It is named after a tribe called the Mards (the Azerbaijani word for "Braves") who lived in the area during the 1st century AD. Several traces of ancient settlements have been discovered close to the village. Some rocks in the area have paintings typical to the bronze age.
The main points of interest of Mardakan are its castles with watchtowers, technically being keeps. There are two keeps - one being with a round tower, the other with a quadrangular tower. These towers are parts of the general chain of towers and other fortresses over the Absheron peninsula. When enemies attacked, the tops of these towers were lit up with oil to warn the population of the approaching danger. The round tower was built in the 13th century and is 15.5 meters in diameter with three stories. The quadrangular tower dates from 14th century and is about 25 meters tall with five stories.
Mardakan is the favourite places for building dacha summer cottages for Baku residents. The tradition to build cottages in Mardakan dates back to the 19th century when business magnates from the emerging oil industry began to build extravagant summer houses.
Mardakan has a favourable microclimate for growing fruits and vegetables. This has attracted several plantations, one of them being the Mardakan Arboretum.
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Wikipedia