Mingachevir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mingachevir
City
Azerbaijani: Mingəçevir
Country	Azerbaijan
Region	Central Aran
Founded	1946
Area
• Total	130 km2 (50 sq mi)
Elevation	545 m (1,788 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	106,048
• Density	816/km2 (2,110/sq mi)
• Population Rank in Azerbaijan	4th
Time zone	UTC+4 (AZT)

Mingachevir (Azerbaijani: Mingəçevir) is a cool city in Azerbaijan. It's the fourth largest city there, with over 100,000 people living in it. People often call it the "city of lights." This is because it has a huge power station that makes electricity from water! The Kur River flows right through the middle of the city.

The city you see today was built in 1948. Some of the people who helped build it were German prisoners of war from World War II. Mingachevir is also home to the Mingachevir Polytechnic Institute, which is a university. The city is an important part of Azerbaijan. It's about 323 kilometers (200 miles) from the capital city, Baku.

A home in Mingachevir built by German prisoners of war.

History of Mingachevir

People have lived in the Mingachevir area for a very long time. We know this from old tools and items found there. These items date back from about 3000 BC all the way to the 17th century AD!

In 1871, a person named Adolf Berge talked about the old things found in Mingachevir. He shared this information at a meeting of archaeologists.

A gold belt piece from Mingachevir, made by the ancient Scythians around 700 BC.

Archaeologists started looking closely at Mingachevir again in the 1930s. This happened because a big hydroelectric power station was going to be built there. In 1935, Professor Pakhomov led some research. They found two old settlements and many graves. But then World War II started, and they had to stop their work.

Crosses found from an old church complex in Mingachevir.

After the war, the power station construction began. This meant archaeologists could finally do a full study of Mingachevir. From 1946 to 1953, a team led by S. M. Qaziyev dug up many ancient sites. They found amazing things!

The base of a column with ancient Albanian writing.

Old stories say that a big battle happened right where the dam is now. It was between the Roman commander Pompey and the Albanian governor Oris. This battle took place in the 1st century BC.

A famous traveler named Evliya Çelebi visited Mingachevir in the 1600s. He wrote that it was a large town next to the Kur River. He said it had mosques, workshops that made silk, and bathhouses. A path called the "road of the messenger" connected Mingachevir to other towns and countries.

Many people came to Mingachevir to help build the hydroelectric power station. About 20,000 people worked on it! This included about 10,000 German prisoners of war in the late 1940s. It was the biggest hydroelectric power station in the Soviet Union at that time.

Geography and Climate

Mingachevir is about 139.53 square kilometers (54 square miles) in size. It sits 55 meters (180 feet) above sea level. The city is located in the center of Azerbaijan, near the Bozdag Mountain. It's also right by the Mingachevir reservoir.

The weather in Mingachevir is mild and warm. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are mild. The average temperature is about 14-15°C (57-59°F). In summer, it can get as hot as 42°C (108°F). In winter, it can drop to -10°C (14°F). The city doesn't get a lot of rain, only about 250-300 millimeters (10-12 inches) per year.

The Kur River flows through Mingachevir. This river is 1515 kilometers (941 miles) long! It's the longest and biggest river in the South Caucasus region. Mingachevir is located about 280-300 kilometers (174-186 miles) west of Baku, the capital city.

Mingachevir has grown a lot since it was founded. It's now one of the most important cities in Azerbaijan. It's known for its energy production, industries, science, education, and culture.

Economy and Power

Mingachevir has an active economy. For example, there's a fish farm that raises different types of fish like carp, silver carp, and sturgeon.

The Mingachevir Dam and Power Plant

The Mingachevir Dam and the Mingachevir Hydro Power Plant are very important. They were finished in 1953. The dam is made of soil and is one of the tallest dams in Europe! It can hold a huge amount of water, about 15.6 cubic kilometers.

The Mingachevir reservoir is about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) northwest of the city. It's 70 kilometers (43 miles) long and 3 to 18 kilometers (1.9 to 11 miles) wide. The deepest part is about 75 meters (246 feet) deep. The total area of the reservoir is 605 square kilometers (234 square miles).

The reservoir helps feed two long channels: the Upper Qarabag Channel (172 km long) and the Upper Sirvan Channel (123 km long). These channels are used to water a huge area of farmland, about 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 square miles)! There's also another smaller dam and power station called Varvara, located east of Mingachevir.

People of Mingachevir

The city of Mingachevir has grown over the years. Here's how the population has changed:

Who Lives in Mingachevir?

Most people in Mingachevir are Azerbaijanis. There are also smaller groups of Russians, Lezgins, and other ethnic groups living in the city.

Religion in Mingachevir

Most people in Mingachevir are Muslim. About 95% of the population follows this religion.

Weather in Mingachevir

Mingachevir has a climate that is often called "humid subtropical." This means it has warm, wet summers and mild winters. Rain is spread out fairly evenly throughout the year.

Culture and Fun

Mingachevir has a lively culture! The Davudova Mingacevir State Theatre was started in 1969. There are also many clubhouses where people can learn new things. These include singing, music, computer skills, sewing, and art classes. There are 8 clubhouses in the city, like the Martyr Azar Niftaliyev clubhouse.

A satellite view of the Mingachevir reservoir.

Museums and Art

The Mingachevir Historical Museum opened in 1968. It has two smaller parts: the Martyrs’ Memorial and the Independence Museum. The museum has over 14,000 interesting items! Mingachevir also has an art gallery. It shows 310 artworks by artists from Azerbaijan and Russia.

Music and Media

There are three music schools in Mingachevir: Hacibayov School, Bulbul School, and Martyr Qasimov School. Students learn to play traditional Azerbaijani instruments like the tar, kamancha, nagara, and saz. They can also learn piano, violin, and singing. About 1,500 students attend these schools.

The city also has its own TV channel called Mingachevir TV.

Parks and Green Spaces

Mingachevir has many beautiful parks where people can relax and play. Some of these include Sahil Park and Friendship Park.

Seaside Park in Mingachevir.

A spring in Mingachevir.

Another view of Seaside Park.

The Seaside Boulevard.

A beautiful sunset over Mingachevir.

More of the Seaside Boulevard.

Sports in Mingachevir

If you love sports, Mingachevir has something for you! The city has a professional football team called Energetik FC. They play in the top football league in Azerbaijan.

The Kura Olympic training center in Mingachevir.

Mingachevir is also home to the modern Kur Sport and Rowing Centre. This center was updated in 2010. It's a great place for water sports. It even hosted canoe sprint events during the 2015 European Games.

Getting Around Mingachevir

Public Transport

Mingachevir used to have a trolleybus system. At its busiest, it had three lines. However, the trolleybus system stopped running in 2005.

Education in Mingachevir

Mingachevir has good schools and universities. Mingachevir State University was founded in 1991. It's an important place for learning in the city. The Mingachevir Medical School also opened in 1991. It has many classrooms for studying different medical topics. There's also a local branch of the Azerbaijani Teachers Training Institute.

Famous People from Mingachevir

Some notable people come from Mingachevir, including the politician Aydin Mirzazade.

Sister Cities

Mingachevir has "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world. This means they share culture and ideas.

• Gölbaşı, Turkey (since 2007)
• Polotsk, Belarus (since 2012)
• Kars, Turkey (since 2013)
• Afula, Israel (since 2015)
• Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (since 2017)
• Orhangazi, Turkey

See also

In Spanish: Mingachevir para niños