Qusar | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Qusar | |
| Coordinates:41°25′35″N48°26′08″E / 41.42639°N 48.43556°E /41.42639; 48.43556 | |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| District | Qusar |
| Region | Europe |
| Established | 1938 |
| Elevation | 667 m (2,188 ft) |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total | 21,341 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
| Area code | +994 2338 |
Qusar (alsoGusar;Azerbaijani:QusarAzerbaijani pronunciation:[gu'saɾ],Lezgian:Кцlар) is the capital ofQusar District,Azerbaijan. Qusar is located in the foothills of theGreater Caucasus, over the Qusarchay River, 35 kilometers southwest fromKhudat railway station and about 180 km fromBaku.
According to theOxford Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names, the word literally means "man" and derives fromLezgiankus.[2]
In 1837-1839, there were uprisings led byimamMuhammad Huluhvi luk andabrekAli Hilivi in the territory of Kuba province and in the south of Dagestan.[3]
The main reason for the uprising was the intensive displacement of the Lezgin population fromGuba, Gusar andKhudat. The selected lands were given to Russian settlers and under military garrisons.[4]
AllLezgin clans of the present-day Gusar district participated in the rebellion, with a total of about 12,000 rebels in the province, Lezgin clans from Southern Dagestan adjacent to the province also participated. By 1839, all pockets of rebel resistance had been suppressed.
In 1836,Mikhail Lermontov visited Qusar, where he met with scientist-philosopher Haji Ali-efendi. There he heard “Ashiq Qarib”dastan from an eminent ashiqLazgi Ahmad; he later wrote his famous work “Ashiq Qarib” based on its motifs. A home-museum of the poet is reserved in the city with a memorial plate, inscribed with the famous lines of Lermontov:[5]
I welcome you, the hoary Caucasus! |
![[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) |
In 1938, Qusar settlement acquired a city status.[6]
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(November 2014) |
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The city is located not far fromBazarduzu,Shahdagh Mountains and a border withRussia. The mountain river Qusarchay, in honor of which the city acquired its name, flows in Qusar.[7] There is also an artificial lake, Fialka.
Qusar is located in a zone ofsubtropical climate and the northern part of the rayon is in zone ofmild climate. But because of the heights above the sea level and proximity of the mountains winter is always cold here, and summer is not hot. Temperature of air can change more than 15 degrees during a day. For instance, in summer incessant days-long rains can begin after hot weather.
According to the 1916 publication of theCaucasian Calendar, there lived 1,203 people, primarilyRussians in Qusar.[8] In 1926, there were 120Mountain Jews, a number which had increased to 241 by 1939.[6]
According to a census of 1959, at least 7366 people[9] lived in Qusar. According to a census of 1979, population of the city consisted of 12225 people,[10] and in 1989 it reached 14230.[11]
97% of the population consists ofLezgins.[citation needed]
The economy of Qusar is partially agricultural, partially tourist based, with some industries in operation. There are tinned food, milk and asphalt factories in the city.
Qusar is home toShahdag Winter Complex, the largestski resort inAzerbaijan.[12]Other mountain ranges are popular among tourists.
Local history museum was established in 1980 and moved into its current building with an area of 1652 sq.m. in 1982. There are 3700 exhibits in the museum.[13]
The Qusar State Art Gallery opened in 1986 in Hil village of Qusar raion was moved to Qusar city in 1998 . 152 works of Azerbaijani artists, including 111 paintings, 34 graphic and 7 sculptural works are on display in the gallery.[14][15]
In 1998, the State Drama Theatre ofLezgins was opened in Qusar.[16]
Heydar Aliyev Center was built in Heydar Aliyev Memorial Complex in 2012 with the aim of organizing different events and involving young people in various career and personal development activities. The Center features a memorial museum, a library, a reading hall, different conference rooms, and dance, carpet-weaving training centers.[17]
Qusar has plenty of parks and gardens, mostly well maintained. TheNariman Narimanov Park is one of the most scenic parks in the city.
The city has one professionalfootball team,Shahdag Qusar, currently competing in the second-flight of Azerbaijani football, theAzerbaijan First Division.[18]
Qusar's urban transport system is managed by theMinistry of Transportation.[citation needed] Bus rides cost 0.5 AZN.
In 2008, 6 secondary schools, one of which functions inAzerbaijani and 5 inRussian language, were operating in the city. There are also two state run preschools and one private preschool, Panda School, as well as Azerbaijan State Pedagogical College, which trains future teachers of Azerbaijani, English, and elementary school. As of 2016 there are three language schools in the city. The most popular one, Apex English Language School, has been operating in Qusar since 2013.
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