Ateshgah of Baku - History

History

An inscribed invocation to Lord Shiva in Sanskrit at the Ateshgah. The Persian inscription above the entrance to one of the cells.

Surakhani is located on the Absheron peninsula, which is famous for oil oozing out of the ground naturally, as well as for natural oil fires.

“Seven holes with eternal fires” were mentioned by German traveler Engelbert Kämpfer who visited Surakhany in 1683.

“Surakhany” in Tati (language of Surakhany, close to Persian) means “hole with the fountain”. In other words, “Yotnporakyan Bagink” and “Surakhany” is practically calques.

Armenian historian Ghevond (8th century), describing the invasion of the Khazars in the Caucasian Albania in 730 AD, mentioned area “Atshi-Baguan”. Sarah Ashurbeyli notes that the “Atsh” is distorted “Atesh” (“fire”) and “Atshi-Baguan” means “Fires of Baguan” and that we are talking about Baku. Word “Baguan” comes from the word “Baga” which means “God” in Old Persian.

In general, eternal flames of Apsheron peninsula were worshiped not later Sassanian times.

Estakhri (10th century) mentioned that not far from Baku (i.e., on the Apsheron Peninsula) lived fire worshippers. This was confirmed by Movses Daskhurantsi in his reference of the province of Bhagavan (“Fields of the Gods” i.e., “Fire Gods”).

In the 18th century Atashgah was visited by Zoroastrians. This confirms the Persian handwriting Naskh inscription over the entrance aperture of one of the cells, which speaks about the visit of Zoroastrians from Isfahan:

Persian inscription:

“

آتشی صف کشیده همچون دک جیی بِوانی رسیده تا بادک سال نو نُزل مبارک باد گفت خانۀ شد رو سنامد (؟) سنة ۱۱۵٨

”

Transliteration of Persian inscription:

ātaši saf kešide hamčon dak

jey bavāni reside tā bādak

sāl-e nav-e nozl mobārak bād goft

xāne šod ru *sombole sane-ye hazār-o-sad-o-panjāh-o-haštom

Translation:

Fires stand in line

Esfahani Bavani came to Badak

"Blessed the lavish New Year", he said:

The house was built in the month of Ear in year 1158.

The 1158 year corresponds to 1745 AD. Bavan is the village near Esfahan. The word Badak is a diminutive of Bad-e Kube. (The name of Baku in the sources of the 17th and 18th centuries was Bad-e Kube). At the end of the reference is the constellation of Sombole /Virgo (August–September). In the name of the month the master mistakenly shifted the “l” and “h” at the end of the word. According to Zoroastrian calendar Qadimi New Year in 1745 AD was in August.

Interesting information about Zoroastrian from Baku mentioned by D. Shapiro in “A Karaite from Wolhynia meets a Zoroastrian from Baku”. Avraham Firkowicz, a Karaite collector, wrote about his meeting in Darband in 1840 with fireworshiper from Baku. Russian officer introduced the fireworshipper to Firkowicz as the “Bramin”. Firkowicz asked him “Why do you worship fire?” Fireworshiper replied that they do not worship fire at all, but the Creator, which is not a person, but rather a “matter” (abstraction) called Q’rţ’, and symbolized by fire. Term Q’rţ’ (“kirdar”) means in Pahlavi and Zoroastrian Persian “one who does”, “creator”.