Naftalan | |
|---|---|
City Subordinate to the Republic | |
 | |
 | |
| Coordinates:40°30′24″N46°49′30″E / 40.50667°N 46.82500°E /40.50667; 46.82500 | |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| Region | Ganja-Dashkasan |
| Founded | 28 April 1967 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Vugar Novruzov |
| Area | |
• Total | 40 km2 (20 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 10,200 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
| Website | naftalan-ih |
Naftalan is a city inAzerbaijan, known as a medical touristic center. It is located on an agricultural plain near the LesserCaucasus Mountains. The wordnaftalan also means a petroleum product that can be obtained there. It is the centre of apetroleum industry, with a grade of oil referred to as"Naftalan".[2]
The city is located approximately 330 kilometers west of Baku, 50 kilometers fromGanja city, and 40 kilometers fromMingachevir city. It is 225 meters above sea level and experiences a warm spring and mild winter climate, with an average annual temperature of approximately +14.8 degrees Celsius. The city covers an area of 35.73 square kilometers.
The wordNaftalan, can be traced to theGreek word "naphtha" ("νάφθα"), meaning pertaining tooil, and theAzerbaijani suffix "-alan", which is of the verb "to take" (and literally meaning "oil buyer").[3]
Archaeological findings in the region date to the 12th century AD. Naftalan city was functioning as a settlement within theGoranboy andYevlakh districts until 1967. On April 28, 1967, Naftalan was granted the status of the subordinate city. The city of Naftalan consists of a city and two villages. The base of Naftalan city is Sanatorium - Resort infrastructure. Naftalan Resort has been operating since 1933. In 1938, the Naftalan Experimental Laboratory was established in the Azerbaijan Scientific-Research Institute of Medical Rehabilitation. The biological and therapeutic effects of the Naftalan oil began to be studied there. Also, in 1965, Scientific Research Laboratory was established in Naftalan.[4]
In the 2010s, the number of hotels increased in the city after the Azerbaijani government's tourism policy.[5]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(November 2014) |
Naftalan city is located 330 km west ofBaku, 50 km fromGanja in the foothills of theLesser Caucasus Mountains. It's located at an altitude of 225 m above sea level. The spring is warm, the winter is soft here. The average annual temperature is +14.8 degrees. The wind in Naftalan is mainlymonsoon. The city's territory is 35.73 km2.[6]
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(November 2014) |
According to the 1999census, the population in Naftalan was 7,551. As of 2017, the population of the city is 8718 persons.
Ethnic Groups Population (1979 census)
The area is home topetroleumspas (or "oil spas"), that were popular vacation spots of theSoviet Union.[7] At the height of their Soviet-era popularity, the spas in Naftalan had 75,000 visitors a year. The combination of theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War and the end of Soviet-sponsored free trips brought the industry to its knees in the late-1980s.[7] All but one of the older spas were converted intorefugee housing. The remaining spa, the Naftalan Therapeutic Center, had 1,000-beds.[3]
The number of domestic and foreign tourists coming to Naftalan, which had a capacity of about 2,200 tourists a day, has increased by 5–6 times in 2016 and reached 30,000.[8] As of 2017[update] the city has again become a major destination forhealth tourism.[9]
There are two Houses of Culture that promote national traditions. Also, there is the Naftalan Museum and Music School. There are four parks in the city of Naftalan.[8]
There are threegeneral education schools and one Children's Creative Center in the city.[10]
Naftalan resort city can be reached by car or train from Baku and Ganja cities. The closest route for foreign visitors is the flight toGanja International Airport.[6]
The administrative authority of Naftalan city is overseen by the Head of the Executive Power of Naftalan, who is responsible for its governance. Over the years, there have been several individuals who have held the position of the city's head since 2004:
Naftalan istwinned with:
L'Aigle, France (2013)[11]
Positano, Italy (2013)[12]
Yessentuki, Russia (2014)[13]
Uniejów, Poland (2014)[14]
Ivanić-Grad, Croatia (2023)[15]
