Blogs about Azerbaijan | World Jewish Travel

World Jewish Travel Official February 11, 2023

The Jewish Story of Baku, Azerbaijan

Jewish population of Baku consists mainly of Ashkenazi Jews, who started arriving in Baku in 1832. They are believed to be soldier-cantonists, underage sons of Russian conscripts, who from 1721 were educated in special “canton schools” for future military service. These schools were called garrison schools in the 18th century and those who left the Pale of Settlement (the western region of Imperial Russia with varying borders that existed from 1791 to 1917, in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed and beyond which Jewish residency was mostly forbidden). The industrialization of Baku as a result of the oil boom attracted many qualified immigrants, including Ashkenazi Jews. In 1913, the population of Jews was 9,689 people or 4.5% and this number was constantly increasing.

Azerbaijan August 3, 2022

The Jewish Story of Oghuz, Azerbaijan

Oghuz is known as a place where the Muslims and Jews have always lived in peace. During the years 1930-1933, the Jewish population of Oghuz reached between 2000 and 2500. In the late 1930’s, the city fell victim to typhus infection, causing 200-250 of the residents to die. They were buried in the Jewish cemetery, which today can be found today near the graves of Nabat and Rabay Babayevs in the center of the cemetery. The second time when the Jewish population of Oghuz rapidly decreased was when they started leaving the city during World War II, when many families moved to Yevlakh, Ganja, Baku and Tiflis. The majority of the Jewish population of Oghuz moved to Israel in the early 1990’s when the USSR fell and the country was going through economic hardships of the Perestroika period.

World Jewish Travel Official August 2, 2022

The Jewish Story of Guba, Azerbaijan

Quba Khanate (Guba) was ruled by Hussein Ali Khan in the 18th century. Under his rule, the capital was moved from Khudat to Quba which strengthened the economic foundation of his khanate. This included bringing in many craftsmen and tradesmen, many of whom were Mountain Jews from the destroyed settlement of Kulqat. They established a new settlement known as Qirmizi Qasaba (Red Town), which developed rapidly during the reign of the succeeding ruler of Quba, Fatali khan. Fatali khan joined south Dagestan and the entire north east of Azerbaijan under his state.

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