Beylagan (city)

Beyləqan (also Beylagan, Schdanowsk, Ždanovsk ) is a town in Azerbaijan and the administrative seat of the district Beyləqan. 2010, the city had about 15,500 inhabitants.

History

At the place was in ancient times the city Palakatan, founded by the Sassanid rulers Qobad and in the 5th century was the capital of the state of Albania. After the Islamic conquest, it was a prosperous trading town on the road from Ardabil to Bərdə under the name Beyləqan. The name is probably derived from Beyləqan Kurdish tribe of Belikan, who lived in the nearby mountains.

The city was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. The ruins of the historic Beyləqan lie near the modern city.

In Soviet times the city Schdanowsk ( Жданов ) was called after the politicians Andrei Alexandrovich Zhdanov.