Interesting facts about Ordubad
Doors without locks, the «40 steps» kahrizes, the custom of sweet tea and the legend of Noah — the stories that make Ordubad Ordubad.
During his visit to Ordubad on 26 March 1980, national leader Heydar Aliyev said: «Ordubad is rightly called the pearl of the Azerbaijani land. Ordubad is famous for the unique beauty of its orchards, waterfalls and mountain lakes.»
The town lies on the left bank of the Araz river, at the foot of the Zangezur range, about 850 metres above sea level. The Ordubadchay river divides the town in two. Ordubad is made up of quarters, and each quarter has its own square, mosque, plane tree, pool, fountain and bathhouse. The oldest is Sərşəhər, meaning «head town» in Persian. It is said that the old name of Ambaras, on the other bank of the river, was Abirasd, meaning «abundant in water».
The people of Ordubad are known for their hospitality. The XVIII-century geographer Haji Zeynalabdin Shirvani wrote: «Ordubad is a heart-gladdening place… Its waters and orchards are many. Its fruits are fine and plentiful. Its air is pleasant.» It is said that here people do not lock the door when they leave home.
The kahriz system created in the Middle Ages still supplies the town with water today. Because of the stairways built to descend into them, people call the kahrizes «40 steps». In summer, grapes, watermelons, meat and dairy products were placed inside these stairways to keep cool.
Ordubad is famous for its tea table: samovar tea, walnut and apricot jam, lemon, dried fruit. People are even invited to a meal with the words «let's go and have tea». If the family receiving the matchmakers serves «sweet tea» to the young man's family, the girl's family has consented — a custom that is still alive today.
The XVII-century Qeysariyya was once a covered Eastern bazaar where jewellery was sold, later served as a zorkhana — a wrestling arena — and today is a museum. On the square south of the Juma Mosque, beneath giant plane trees, the teahouses are an inseparable part of Ordubad life.
According to legend, during the Flood, Noah's ark first lightly touched Mount Kamki in Ordubad, then came to rest on land at Gamigaya. The rock carvings of Gamigaya — images of people and animals, hunting scenes — were left by Nakhchivan's most ancient inhabitants.
Opinions also differ on the meaning of the name Ordubad: according to one explanation, Arab travellers called it «the garden of paradise» for its fertile orchards; most researchers, however, link the name to the ancient Turkic words «ordu» (residence, headquarters) and «abad».
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