The Ganja State Historical-Cultural reserve-the research establishment organized on the basis of “territory of Ancient Ganja by historic-cultural reserve” from 18.04.1988 to №136. The reserve serves protection of Ganja to historically certain territory of res- toration of its individual shape.
All historical and cultural monuments taking place in the territory of reserve and having scientific, historical or art value, are protected by the state.
The reserve operates in sphere of activity of Ministry of Culture of the Azerbaijan Republic. It is considered the organization with the independent balancing budget. It  has the rights of the legal person.
The reserve in the activity is guided by “Position” established by resolution of Ministry of Azerbaijan Republic from 25.11.1988 for №420, acts state authorities and controls on questions of protection and use of monuments and the authorized decree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic from 13.06.1988 for №725 law Azerbaijan Republics  “About protection of monuments of history and culture”.
The Ganja State Historic-Cultural reserve as a scientific research establishment of 4th category officially began to operate from the assignment of Seyyaf Sednik oqli Pashayev adopted by the order of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan Republic from 23.01.1989 №24.
The established post of reserve-21,5. The established posts consist of the following : the director-1, guard –1, deputy of scientifically researcher of the department-1, the deputy of the department of the mass excursion-1, the junior scientific employee-2, the guide-2, the chief accountant-1, the security guard of monuments-4, the security guard of museum exhibits-1, the artist-interior-1, the photographer-1, the deputy of an economic part-1, auxiliary-2, the secretary-typist-1, cleaner-0,5.
The area of the territory of the ruin of ancient Ganja reserve makes 1482 ha. From them 610 ha  is in territory of Samukh district and 872 ha of the city of Ganja the Historical territory of Ganja in 2051 ha is under the control of this reserve. In connection of increasing of the salary of workers of the cultural-educational establishments according to the decree of the President Azerbaijan Republic the reserve was ranked to 3 categories on the basis of the order of Ministry of Culture Azerbaijan Republic from  31.07.1990 for №273. On the basis of the order from 12.05.1997 for№38 committees on protection monuments of a history culture at the cabinet of Azerbaijan Republic the reserve has ranked on 2 categories. Taking into account mass character of spending work on protection of an ancient history of Azerbaijan historical and cultural monuments, their popularization and propagation by the order of Minister of Culture Azerbaijan Republic from 09.09.2002 for №287 the reserve is referred to the 1 category.
From 1989 to 2002 year employees of a department of mass excursion of reserve carried out 4642 excursions, have served 205496 people. They have read 27467 lectures in managements, the organizations and schools included 735699-students.  The research department has prepared a material of scientific-help character on 1900 pages. In an exhibit museum were collected found out on the territory of old Ganja and collected, from the population 155 exhibits. The employees of the reserve went on the live broad-cast 36 times AzTV-1, and radio, and also on independent channels “Space”, “Lider”, “ANS”, “Asiya-Avropa”, “Alternativ”, “Kapaz” and radio “freedom”. Except for the registered monuments employees have found out 283 more monuments. Bibliographic data are prepared and card files on 300 monuments are made. In the ledger of fund it is registered 418 monuments. For protection of the state monuments and monuments in private possession there were made 323 contracts. Photographs of 250 monuments are included on computer, diskettes are kept descriptions of 300 monuments. About 100 articles of the employees of the reserve have been published in republic newspapers, magazines and in materials of science conference.
In 1997 under the direction of a director S.S.Pashayev the employees of the reserve carried out archeological excavations, during which on the right bank of the Ganja River on the distance of 700m in territory of old Ganja was found a clay jug (see figure 1) for drinking water of XIV century.
This jug is kept in the exhibits museum of the fund. Besides on roads in different time fragments of a city jug (see figure 2), change multi-colored pieces of utensils and a lamp ( see figure 3-4), concerning to XV-XVI centuries, copper money(see figure 5), enchanted in old Ganja, clay jugs and copper utensils of XIX centuries (figure 6-7) were found out. All of them are included in the fund.
In 2002 on its extreme project of director S.S.Pashayev “We shall Rescue monuments of culture and art in Ganja”. State historic –cultural, of the reserve the fund of the help the grant in 5000 $ in a place demanded by fund of the help of institute of an open society of 114410 $ on 2500 $ of this sum is supposed to be used financial assets on purchase of the computer, the printer, a video camera,  the TV and, and 2250 $ in qualities of the salary for the organization of seminars, and 250 $ on bank and other charges. 5 seminars stipulated by the project are carried out on a high level and the information from these seminars was covered in newspapers and information programs of telephones.
These pages represented to you have become possible due to the grant allocated with fund of the help of  Institute of an open society. From the name of the Ganja State Historic-Cultural reserve, and also the public of Ganja we thank the Institute of the Open Society for the rendered help.
On these pages we shall acquaint interested persons with monuments of Ganja : the monuments created up to 1606 year starting after the earthquake 1139, with monuments of the period from 1606 to 1804 and from 1804 to 1918.
Before starting these pages, we consider that it is necessary to explain briefly a significant role of Ganja in the history of Azerbaijan.
*The city of Ganja was based in the V century of our era on a place of an ancient human settlement of Ganza by captivities from Oguz Turkish.
*In VII century the population voluntary accepted the islam. Since this century in Ganja there were the mints minting gold, silvered and copper money. “712-713 Ganja” which is kept in the Hermitage of Saint Petersburg Russian Federation testifies to it silver dirhem with an inscription.
*The middle of the X  century after destruction of Barda a distinct group of Emel’jan Pugachov Ganja became the capital of the country Arran. The city had a trade  relation ship with all countries which are taking place on a silk way.
*The earthquake in 1139 year destroyed all structures existing up to this period. A unique sample of material of culture of this period is one shutter of Ganja a gate on which the signature by the kufiy Arabian handwriting “ made in 1063 Ibrahim the osmanli turk oglu” and which is kept in Gelat monastery of Georgia.
*In 1235 as a result of a campaign of Mongolian khan Charmagon the city turned to ruins. And only in 4 years the civil constructive process began in the city.
*During the board of Iranian shah Takhmasib with the aim of simplifications of management by the territories which are taking place under his authority, Ganja was declared as the capital of Karabakh beklarbek. From 1524 Ganja carries this status.
*In 1606 the Iranian Shah Abbas I captured Ganja and burnt out the city. The shah gave the order to construct at 8 kms from the city a southwest on the bank of the Ganja  River again the new city named Shah Abbasabad. In 5 years in 1611 the name of the city was changed again then it was again called Ganja. Ganja becomes the center of the territory from the left bank of Tartar up to Gazakh.
*In 1804 the Imperial Russia captured Ganja, having killed the last Ganja khan Javad khan, put an end to khanate. The city was the named Elizavetpol.
*In 1872 Ganja under the name of Elizavetpol turned to one of the centers of the Russian province as the center of administration managerial control.
*28.05.1918 the created independent  Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was placed in Ganja. After 114 years as a break the first decision of the government changed the name of the Elizavepol to Ganja.
*In 1920 the Soviet Russia curtailed ADR and occupied Ganja. In the 1935 year by the decree the name of Ganja again was changed to Kirovabad. This name was changed 30.12.1989 by the decision of Azerbaijan Republic and returned to Ganja the historical name.
By this brief information we gave the information about Ganja. Our purpose to acquaint you with monuments of the period in the middle of XII century about XX centuries (800 years) cities of Ganja having 1500 history.
The author of considered views and the written texts is a director of the Ganja city historic-cultural reserve, the philologist, historian-ethnographer S.S.Pashayev.

Brief Biography

Seyyaf Sednik oglu Pashayev

*He was born 09.04.1957 in the mountain of the district of Ganja Dashkesan, is within Soviet authorities a separate administrative center.
*In 1974 he left school in № 6 of the city of Ganja. In 1978 he graduated from the  faculty of Azerbaijan language and literature of Ganja State Institute. In 1979 got married. He has 2 sons. In 1994  protected the dissertation on a theme of material culture of the population of Ganja, and  received a degree of the candidate of the historical sciences.
*In 1978 and 1984 years worked as a teacher of a secondary school №5 in the Zeyba of Geranboy area, the settlement of  Ziyadli of Samukh area and the settlement of Azad of the Khanlar area.
*From 1984 to 1986 worked as the junior scientific employee in the Ganja city picture gallery, from 1986 to 1987 the head of the department of Culture of the Dashkesan area, from 1987 to 1989 the director of the Children’s Youthful sports school of Ganja city.
*From January, 23 1989 up to present time works on a post of director of the Ganja State Historic-Cultural reserve.
*He has visited Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Dagestan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkey, Germany, Belgium and Holland.
*Writes verses, composes music and is able to draw.