[8] In 1989, during perestroika, the city regained its original name of Ganja (Azerbaijani: Gəncə), which is known as Gyandzha (Гянджа, [ɡʲɪnˈdʑa]) in Russian,[11] Gyanja (Գյանջա) or Gandzak (Գանձակ) in Armenian,[12] and Ganjeh (گنجه) in Persian.

According to the legend, the Arab governor had a dream where a voice told him that there was a treasure hidden under one of the three hills around the area where he camped.

[14] The 14th-century Persian historian Hamdallah Mustawfi instead claims that the city was founded in 659–60, when the Arab armies first arrived in the South Caucasus.

[15] The area in which Ganja is located was known as Arran from the 9th to 12th century; its urban population spoke mainly in the Persian language.

The khans/dukes who de facto self-ruled the khanate, were subordinate to the central rule in mainland Iran and were from a branch of the Iranian Qajar family.

[23][24] From the late 18th century, Russia actively started to increase its encroachments into Iranian and Turkish territory to the south.

Following the annexation of eastern Georgia in 1801, Russia was now keen to conquer the rest of the Iranian possessions in the Caucasus.

In 1804, the Russians, led by General Pavel Tsitsianov, invaded and sacked Ganja, sparking the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813.

In May 1920, Ganja was the scene of an abortive anti-Soviet rebellion, during which the city was heavily damaged by fighting between the insurgents and the Red Army.

[39][40] In 2020, during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ganja came under bombardment by Armenian armed forces several times, killing 32 civilians and injuring dozens more.

[41][42] On 11 October, a residential apartment block in Azerbaijan's city of Ganja was destroyed overnight in an Armenian missile strike, killing 10 civilians and wounding 34 others.

[43][41] The Armenian MoD denied that this came from its territory,[44] while Artsakh stated that Armenian forces had targeted and destroyed the Ganja military airbase on Ganja International Airport, which they alleged was used to bombard Artsakh's capital Stepanakert and also stated that the Azerbaijani population were given warning to move away from military facilities to avoid collateral damage.

[46] On 17 October, 21 civilians were killed and more than 50 injured when an Armenian SCUD B ballistic missile hit a residential area in Ganja.

[47] Ganja, located 400–450 meters (1312 to 1476 ft) above the sea level, lies on the Ganja-Dashkasan plain in the Kur-Araz lowland in the west of Azerbaijan, 375 km (233 mi) away from Baku.

[57][58] Ganja includes 6 administrative settlements, namely Hajikend, Javadkhan, Shikhzamanli, Natavan, Mahsati and Sadilli.

[74] In addition to Persian and Turkic-speaking Muslims, the city had a numerically, economically and culturally significant Christian Armenian community.

The city's traditional Armenian name is Gandzak (Գանձակ), which derives from gandz (գանձ), a loan word from Old Iranian, which means treasure or riches.

[75][76] The founder of the Hethumid dynasty, Oshin of Lampron was an Armenian nakharar (prince) and lord of a castle near Ganja who fled to Cilicia in 1075 during the Seljuk invasion of Armenia.

Religious diversity has however greatly decreased over the last decades,[citation needed] with the emigration of most Armenians, Slavs, Jews and Germans.

Ore minerals extracted from nearby mines supply Ganja's metallurgical industries, which produces copper and alumina.

The city has one of the largest textile conglomerates in Azerbaijan and is famous for a fabric named Ganja silk, which received the highest marks in the markets of neighboring countries and the Middle East.

[101][102][103] Other tourist and entertainment spots include Javad khan street, Triumphal Arch near Heydar Aliyev Center, the Bottle House, Flag square, Hajikend resort zone.

[117][118][119][120][100][121] Ganja State Art Gallery was established in April 1984 according to the decision of Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR.

[122][123] Ganja is primarily known for its Azerbaijani and Islamic architecture, but its buildings reflect the various peoples and empires that have previously ruled the city.

[129] The facility includes a 1,200 concert hall, an open-air cinema theatre, a drawing gallery, an urban center and an observation tower.

[137] Heydar Aliyev Park Complex includes an Amphitheater considered for organizing large outdoor events for up to 5000 people.

The race started from Triumphal Arch and finished at the Heydar Aliyev Park Complex covering a distance of 17 kilometers.

Ganja sits on one of the Azerbaijani primary rail lines running east–west connecting the capital, Baku, with the rest of the country.

[158][160][161] The city's notable residents include: poet Nizami Ganjavi, scientist Firuddin Babayev, Olympic champion Toghrul Asgarov, ruler of Ganja Khanate Javad Khan, poets Mirza Shafi Vazeh, Mahsati Ganjavi, Nigar Rafibeyli, writer Ibn Khosrov al-Ustad, composer Fikrat Amirov, historian Farid Alakbarli, major political figure Nasib Yusifbeyli, deputy speaker of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Hasan bey Aghayev, geologist Mirali Qashqai, prime minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade, chess player Faiq Hasanov, footballer Mahmud Qurbanov, automotive designer Samir Sadikhov, and Supreme Court Justice Aziz Seyidov.

There were also several notable Armenian residents of Ganja, including Mkhitar Gosh, Kirakos Gandzaketsi, Vardan Areveltsi, Grigor Paron-Ter, Karo Halabyan, Askanaz Mravyan and Albert Azaryan.