{{Short description|Armenian fortress}} {{Infobox building |name = Alinja Tower |native_name = {{langx|az|Əlincə qalası}} |image = |image_size = |caption = |former_names = Alenjik or Alinje |building_type = |architectural_style = |structural_system = |location = To the west of Khanega village, not far from Julfa city, Azerbaijan |owner = |current_tenants = |landlord = |coordinates = |construction_start_date = |completion_date = |demolished_date = |height = |diameter = |other_dimensions = |floor_count = |floor_area = |main_contractor = |architect = |structural_engineer = |services_engineer = |civil_engineer = |other_designers = |quantity_surveyor = |awards = }} thumb | right | alt=Alinj Castle in summer | Alinj Castle The '''Alinja Tower''',<ref>{{Cite book |author=|url=http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_geo/3407/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%85%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F |title=Нахичеванская Республика |publisher=У-Фактория |year=2006 |isbn= |location=Словарь современных географических названий. Екатеринбург |pages= |accessdate=}}</ref> also known as '''Alinjagala''',<ref>{{Cite book| title = История СССР с древнейших времен до наших дней| author = Под ред. Б. Н. Пономарева| publisher=Наука| location=Академия наук СССР| year = 1966| pages=518| isbn=| accessdate= }}</ref> '''Alinja-gala'''<ref name="Бретаницкий">{{Cite book| title = Зодчество Азербайджана XII-XV вв. и его место в архитектуре Переднего Востока| author = Л. С. Бретаницкий| publisher=Наука| location=| year = 1966| pages=556| isbn=| accessdate= }}</ref><ref name="Палестинский сборник">{{Cite book| title = Палестинский сборник, Выпуск 21. Ближний Восток и Иран| author = Российское палестинское общество.| publisher=Наука| location=Ленинград| year = 1970| pages=193| isbn=| accessdate= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| title = Г. А. Мадатов.| author = Нахичеванская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика| url=http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/sie/11841/%D0%9D%D0%90%D0%A5%D0%98%D0%A7%D0%95%D0%92%D0%90%D0%9D%D0%A1%D0%9A%D0%90%D0%AF| publisher=Советская энциклопедия| location=Советская историческая энциклопедия, Москва| year = 1967| pages=| isbn=| accessdate= }}</ref> ({{langx|az|Əlincə qalası}}) or the Armenian fortress of '''Yernjak''' up to the 14th century<ref name="Бюллетень">«Крепость Ернджак (Алинджа-кала)» /Бюллетень Кавказского историко-археологицкского института в Тифлисе, Выпуски 1-8 / p.16 – Изд-во Академия наук СССР, 1928</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author = Иван Шопен|title = Исторический памятник состояния Армянской-области в эпоху ея присоединения к Российской-Империи |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzIpAAAAYAAJ&q=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B0|location = |publisher = Имп. Академии наук|year = 1852 |pages = 324}}<blockquote>Ханъ-ага. Выше селенія этого имени возвышается неприступная гора на вершинѣ котороіі находится извѣстная крѣпость Ернджакъ, нынѣ Алинджа</blockquote></ref> ({{langx|hy|Երնջակ}}<ref name="СТА-2-246-247">Словарь топонимов Армении: Том 2. Pages 246-247.</ref>), is a tower located to the west of Khanega village, not far from Julfa city in Azerbaijan, on the right coast of the Alinja River (Alinjachay), higher of the Armenian monastery St. Karapet,<ref>Обозрение российских владений за Кавказом, в статистическом, этногафическом, топографическом и финансовом отношениях / Directmedia, 2013 {{ISBN|5446026128}}, 9785446026128 - p.336</ref> on the top of Alinja Mountain.<ref>[https://mapj38.narod.ru/map1/ij38032.html Карта J-38-32. Издание 1975 г.]</ref> The tower was one of the strongest defensive buildings of its time.<ref name="Бретаницкий"/>
==History== The first mentions are in sources from the 1st century. The tower was founded and belonged to the Armenian lords of Syunik.<ref name="Бюллетень" /> It was one of the important fortress in Armenia.<ref>Robert H. Hewsen. Armenia: A Historical Atlas. — University of Chicago Press, 2001. — 341 p. — {{ISBN|0226332284}}, {{ISBN|9780226332284}}. P. 121.</ref> By the 10th century, the tower was in the hands of the Bagratuni dynasty. In 914 Yusuf ibn Abi'l-Saj occupied Dvin and took captivity King of Armenia Smbat I. After that, Yusuf wanted to occupy the Armenian citadel, which resisted the Arabian army too long. He killed Smbat I in front of Yernjak with the purpose to force handing the fortress.<ref>[http://arthistory.fsu.edu/People/Faculty/Faculty-Folder/Lynn-Jones Lynn Jones] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104134451/http://arthistory.fsu.edu/People/Faculty/Faculty-Folder/Lynn-Jones |date=2015-01-04 }}. Between Islam and Byzantium: Aght’amar and the Visual Construction of Medieval Armenian Rulership. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2007, P. 66 «In 913 Yusuf again stormed Duin; this time he took Smbat prisoner. Smbat remained at Duin until 914, when Yusuf, unable to take the Bagratuni fortress of Emjak»</ref><ref>Щеблыкин И. П. Памятники азербайджанского зодчества эпохи Низами (материалы) / Под ред. И. Джафарзаде. — Б.: Издательство АзФАН, 1943.</ref> Yernjak was captured to Arab emir of Goghtn a short time later. In the 13th century the fortress pass into the hands of the Armenian Orbelean family, who were lords of this part of Syunik.<ref name="Бюллетень" /> Perhaps the tower was their residence.<ref name="Steven Runciman">{{cite book| author = Steven Runciman | title = The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and his reign: a study of tenth-century Byzantium| year = 1988| publisher = Cambridge University Press| pages = 160–161}}:<blockquote>The third great family of Armenia was the Orbelians of Siounia. Siounia was the large canton to the east of the country, which stretched from Lake Sevan to the southernmost bend of the Araxes. Siounia was subdivided among various members of the princely house, and possessions seem to have changed hands among them fairly frequently. There were main branches of the family; of the elder the head at the time of Sembat’s martyrdom was the Grand Ischkan Sembat whose possessions lay on the west of Siounia, including Vaiotzor and Sisagan (which he apparently acquired from his cousins of the younger branch) and extending down to Nakhidchevan. He had married an Ardzrouni princess, Sophie, Gagic’s sister, and was one of the most prominent figures in Armenia. His brother Sahac owned the districts of Siounia on the east, with his capital probably at Erendchac; a third brother Papgen, the villain of the family, owned a town or two on the east and was jealous of his richer brothers; a fourth, Vasac, had already been killed in the interminable civil wars. The possessions of the younger branch clustered round Lake Sevan.</blockquote></ref> In the 14th century, the tower already belonged to the Turkic dynasty of Ildegizids. Since then, Yernjak became called Alinja.<ref name="Бюллетень" />
The main treasury of Iraq Seljuks was kept in the tower of the Ildegizids.<ref name="Палестинский сборник"/>
Defenders of the tower made strong resistance to occupants during the epoch of Timur’s invasion to this region. During 14 years, beleaguered soldiers defended the tower from Timur’s army and his son Miran Shah with the help of Georgians.
==Construction== There are many hydrotechnical, defensive, residential and palatial buildings in the tower, which were on the top of the mountain and on its slopes. Strong rows of stone walls led from the outskirts of the mountain to the top in a few lines. Cistern-pools once keeping rain and melt water remained in the shadow. The main treasury of Azerbaijani Atabeys was kept in Alinjagala tower.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Towers in Azerbaijan Category:Monuments and memorials in Azerbaijan