Bujaq village

- 28-12-2024, 22:38
- Villages
- Elnur Nəciyev
Another village located along the Albanian Road is Bujaq. Today, Bujaq village is part of the administrative-territorial district of the Oghuz region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The village is situated 12 kilometers west of the district center, on the right side of the Oghuz–Shaki highway, on the left bank of the Dashagilchay River, at the foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountain range. The name of the village is also associated with the Bayır-Bujaq Turkmens.
That is, the village name is also interpreted as an ethnotoponym. A branch of the Nogai tribes also carried this name. Based on this theory, some researchers have even connected the residents of Bash Dashagil and Bujaq villages to Christian Turks—the Gagauz people. For example, researcher Ali Shamil writes that the people living in the village of Bash Dashagil in the Oghuz district were referred to as Gagauz. He draws parallels between the Komrat Baba shrine in the village and Komrat in Moldova. However, it is difficult to make a definitive statement on this matter. Linguistic, ethnographic, and archaeological research is needed to clarify this issue.
The name Bujaq also has a geographical explanation. For example, in Azerbaijan, there are toponyms called Zaviya (in Nakhchivan, there is a neighborhood and a madrasa with this name). In Arabic, zaviya translates to “corner” or “angle,” similar to Bujaq. Thus, the geographical location of the village may also be explained in this way. The Bujaq toponyms found in Oghuz, as well as in other districts of Azerbaijan (such as Kurdemir, Neftchala, and Yevlakh), are not named based on their current geographical position, but rather due to the historical names carried and brought by the Bujaqlar (sub-groups or communities) themselves. There are also settlements named Bujaq in Turkey, and the Bujaq Steppe and a settlement named Bujaq in Moldova. In the 19th century, there was a community called Gullu Bujaqlı in the area of the village. Later, as part of this group settled near the village of Dashagil, they became known as Bujaq Dashagil, while the other part, located near Mukhas, became known as Mukhas Bujaqlı. Since the village is situated by the Qozluchay River, it was also referred to as Qozlu Bujaq. Bujaq village is surrounded by mountains and forests. It is located at an altitude of 575 meters above sea level and has a favorable geographical position. It lies in front of the Dashagil Pass, which leads to the Dagestan border. The ancient highway that begins at the Georgian border passes through the territory of the village and reaches Baku via the Gabala–Shamakhi route.