Alinja Tower

Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan

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Alinja Tower, also called Alinja-gala or Alinjagala (Azerbaijani: Əlincə qalası), is a dramatic medieval fortress perched on the summit of Alinja Mountain near Khanega village in the Julfa District of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, on the right bank of the Alinja River (Alinjachay).

Historically known as the Armenian fortress of Yernjak (Երնջակ) until the 14th century, it was originally built and held by the Armenian lords of Syunik, the ninth province of the Kingdom of Armenia, and served as a key stronghold and administrative center of the Yernjak district in historical Armenia. Over the centuries it passed through various rulers, including the Bagratuni and Orbelian dynasties, and later came under the Turkic Ildegizids (Atabegs) of Azerbaijan, whose name eventually gave the fortress the form “Alinja” that is used today.

The mountaintop fortress was famed for its near-impenetrable position and massive stone walls, and its complex included dozens of buildings such as barracks, warehouses, a bathhouse, stables, kitchens, an arsenal, a treasury, and the ruler’s palace, making it a full fortified town rather than just a tower.

It became legendary for surviving a 14-year siege by the Turko-Mongol ruler Tamerlane (Timur) in the late 14th to early 15th century; after a long struggle, it was eventually sacked in 1401, and local tales later claimed that Tamerlane used it to store his treasury, with hidden treasures still rumored in the area.