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Tabletop mountains with large pieces of rock scattered at the foot constitute the major
feature of Gobustan. Located close to each other, these massive rock slabs created a
sort of caves and grottos that were used both as dwellings and shrines for primeval
human tribes for millennia. These were the places of ritual ceremonies, magic rites,
worship to ancestral spirits and mountains, and so on. Deeply rooted cults of worship
are practiced in the areas adjacent to Gobustan to this very day. E.g. procession to
Mount Beyukdash is still a mandatory element of a wedding ceremony among local
residents who perform popular folk round dance yally nearby the rock carvings at
Beyukdash depicting similar dance (Farajova M., 2009).
Ruins of several old shrines were also found in the rocky area of Gobustan with
petroglyphs carved into surrounding stones. The ensemble of shrines and worship
places creates a very harmonious combination with the flat-top mountains nearby.
The shrine known as Qara-Alty is located at Mount Kichikdash. A rock with natural
hollow stands next to it. The place is frequently attended by pilgrims with special
wishes and desires (niyyat). For these wishes to come true, people tie motley pieces
of fabric to shrubs and the special local worship tree (Celtis Caucasica Wili) or
assemble small dwellings at Qara-Alty shrine. Plethora of caves and shelters dating
back to various periods is another indication of the place’s active use within recent 15
thousand years.
Gobustan is a unique open-air depository of rock carving art since the earliest periods,
like the Upper Paleolithic, to the Middle Ages. The 15th century caravan-serai
(
medieval inn) and a still active shrine (Qara-Alty) featuring similar rock carvings
provide a clear evidence of the area’s sustainability as a sacred place.
Summary of the facts mentioned above provide sufficient grounds to believe that
Gobustan with its numerous rock carvings succeeded in preserving old religious
traditions to this very day.
Gobustan