walking around Ganja withAli and Nino
First published in Vienna in 1937, the novel Ali and Nino tells the story of a romance between Ali, an Azerbaijani nobleman, and Nino, a Georgian princess, set against a backdrop of major historical events: The First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The novel is mainly set in Baku, but also moves to Shusha, Ganja, Tbilisi, Dagestan and Iran, covering the period from 1909 to 1920. Besides being extremely beautiful and moving, it’s also a useful guide to the complex ethnic and cultural contrasts of the Caucasus in the early 20th century. Meanwhile, the mysterious identity of the book’s author, writing under the pseudonym ‘Kurban Said,’ adds an extra layer of intrigue.
This tour takes visitors to the main places in Ganja featured in the story. Ganja was a key city at the time of Ali and Nino as the first capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. It is also where the story reaches its apogee and ends with a series of events that follow Ali’s attempts to save the ADR from the invading Bolsheviks. You’ll see the building that housed the ADR’s first government and stroll through the historic Khan’s Garden, located opposite, before moving on to the nearby 17th-century Juma Mosque where Ali seeks refuge.
After visiting the informative Ganja Fortress Gates – Archaeology and Ethnography Museum Monument Complex, you’ll continue to an old 17th-century Russian Orthodox church. Finishing up on the boulevard along the River Ganjachay, you can relive the touching monument when Ali and Nino embrace each other, a symbol of their eternal love. Overall, the tour is a great chance to discover Ganja’s rich history through the touching story of Ali and Nino.
