Naftalan, Azerbaijan
| Naftalan | |
|---|---|
 Naftalan
|
|
| Coordinates: 40°30′24″N 46°49′30″E / 40.50667°N 46.82500°E | |
| Country |
 Azerbaijan
|
| Rayon | Naftalan |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 7,800 |
| Time zone | AZT (UTC+4) |
| • Summer (DST) | AZT (UTC+5) |
| Area code(s) | +994 255 |
| Website | Official website |
Coordinates: 40°30′24″N 46°49′30″E / 40.50667°N 46.82500°E
Naftalan is a city in Azerbaijan, surrounded by the rayon of Goranboy. It is on an agricultural plain near the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The word naftalan also means a petroleum product which can be obtained there.
It is the center of a unique petroleum industry, with a grade of oil referred to as "Naftalan".
The word Naftalan, can be traced to the Greek word "naphtha" ("νάφθα"), meaning pertaining to oil, and the Azerbaijani suffix "-alan", which is of the verb "to take" (and literally meaning "oil buyer").
Archaeological findings in the region date to the 12th century AD. The qualities of Naftalan oil has been known since early times; Marco Polo noted them. The oil in the area was known to people as far as China and India, and was traded by caravans throughout countries of the Near East. Modern use of the oil has dated to the 1870s under Czarist Russia. By 1912, a German was founded to export and trade the oil, which was used as a treatment in the Russo-Japanese War. Research on the properties of the oil continues to be done at Azerbaijan Medical University and the Scientific Arthritis Center of Azerbaijan.
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Wikipedia