Despite its name, it is a Zoroastrian temple. It is a strategic military site. Since the roads to the fortress are comp-letely destroyed, it is inaccessible. Villagers say that one can only approach it by going up the hill for 45 mountains. It is impossible to enter it. The fortress is shrouded in numerous legends. Here is one by Iosif Gallakhov from a 1889 book “Caucasus names and descriptions”.
Conqueror of the whole world, Tamerlane once reached Azerbaijan. After facing stiff resistance, he mobilized his best commanders to subdue these lands. News about a beautiful and brave girl, who was one of those fighting against the occupiers, reached Tamerlane. In one of the fierce battles, the girl, called Pari, killed one of Tamerlane’s most trusted commanders with a sword. Infuriated by the news, Tamerlane ordered Pari to lay down arms and to marry him. Angered even more by Pari’s answer that “surrendering to an enemy is worse than dying”, Tamerlane ordered his commanders to be even more ruthless. Many people were killed, while Pari gradually reached the fortress but was already completely exhausted. Realizing that defeat was inevitable, she threw herself down from the fortress. After days of searching, Tamerlane’s soldiers discovered her body in the river. Tamerlane ordered to keep it in a tent for one night, while on the following day he left the place with his troops. It is said that when offered to attack the Caucasus again afterwards, he replied: “Even women fight there like men” and never set foot here again.
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