Sabirabad is a city in Azerbaijan and the administrative center of Sabirabad District. The settlement was previously known as Petropavlovka or Petropavlovsk before being renamed as Sabirabad in 1931 in honor of Azerbaijani poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir. It was designated an urban-type settlement in 1952 and received city status on 4 December 1959.

Sabirabad lies in the Mughan plain, near the confluence of the Kura and Araz rivers.

History Following the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, the Mughan area came under the control of the Russian Empire. During the subsequent administrative reforms, Javad Uyezd was established within the Baku Governorate in 1868. In the late 19th century, Ukrainian peasant families were resettled in Javad, and the settlement became known as Petropavlovka from 1888.

In 1901, the settlement had 87 households, and by 1907 there were 13 Russian villages in the surrounding area. A cotton-ginning plant and two mills were operating there by 1913.

After Soviet rule was established in Azerbaijan in 1920, Petropavlovka became a local administrative center. From 1 May 1921 to 8 April 1929, it formed the Petropavlovka district of Salyan Uyezd. On 8 April 1929, it became the Petropavlovka district of the Mughan region, and on 8 August 1930 it was reorganized as an independent district. On 7 October 1931, Petropavlovka was renamed Sabirabad in honor of Azerbaijani poet Mirza Ali-Akbar Sabir.

Development of Sabirabad The wider area around present-day Sabirabad included the historic settlement of Cavad, situated near the confluence of the Kura and Araz rivers.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Petropavlovka developed as a settlement in the area of present-day Sabirabad. By 1901 it had 87 households, and by 1913 a cotton-ginning plant and two mills were operating there. Historical photographs from this period document the settlement and the surrounding Kura River landscape.

Geography Sabirabad is situated in the Kura–Araz lowland. The surrounding Sabirabad District lies where the Mughan, Mil and Shirvan plains meet, near the confluence of the Kura and Araz rivers. Much of the district lies below sea level.

The area has a dry, semi-desert environment, with average annual precipitation of approximately 300 mm. Gray-meadow soils are widespread, while the natural vegetation is predominantly desert and semi-desert. Tugay woodland occurs along the banks of the Kura River. Agriculture is important in the surrounding district, particularly cotton and grain cultivation.

Sabirabad was affected by severe flooding in 2010 when the Kura and Araz rivers overflowed; the city was among the settlements reported to have suffered significant damage.

Population As of 1 January 2024, Sabirabad had a population of 30,866, comprising 15,014 men and 15,852 women.

Infrastructure and public services The Sabirabad regional ASAN Service centre opened in December 2014 and began operating on 5 January 2015. The centre serves residents of Sabirabad and several surrounding districts. It is located at 128 Heydar Aliyev Avenue.

Sabirabad's water-supply and sewerage systems were included in Azerbaijan's National Water Supply and Sanitation Project, financed by the Government of Azerbaijan and the World Bank. In December 2014, drinking water began to be supplied to the city through a 62-kilometre main pipeline from the Kura water-treatment plants. The project was designed to improve water supply for more than 50,000 people in Sabirabad and six surrounding villages. By 2016, the World Bank reported that Sabirabad's water-supply system was fully completed and operational.

Transport A road bridge across the Kura River was opened near Sabirabad in August 2013. The bridge links Sabirabad city with 16 villages on the Shirvan Plain and three villages in neighbouring Kurdamir District. The eight-span bridge is 153 metres long and carries two traffic lanes, with pedestrian walkways on both sides.

Culture The Old Hamam on Fizuli Street dates to the early 20th century and is protected as a historical monument. The Shamakhi Mosque was built in 1903 by residents of Shamakhi who moved to Sabirabad after an earthquake in Shamakhi.

Sabirabad is also home to the Sabirabad History and Local Lore Museum and the Sabirabad District Culture Center. The Culture Centre occupies a purpose-built cultural building that opened in 1976. The building was renovated in 2013-2014, and the present Culture Center was established there in 2015. Its facilities include a 370-seat auditorium, exhibition spaces and rooms used for cultural activities.

Education Sabirabad has several schools, including eight numbered city secondary schools.

Sabirabad State Social and Economic College Sabirabad State Social and Economic College developed from the Sabirabad Agricultural Technical School, which was established in 1984. The institution was transferred to the Ministry of Education in 2000 and renamed Sabirabad State Social and Economic College in 2002. Sabirabad Vocational Lyceum Sabirabad Vocational Lyceum began operating in 1974 as a secondary technical vocational school and received lyceum status in 1996. It occupies a 6.6-hectare site with one teaching building and two dormitories. Wrestling Sabirabad has hosted wrestling events and training activities. In December 2024, the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation held a national seminar for wrestling coaches in Sabirabad.

Gallery

Notable natives Lutfiyar Imanov (1929-2008), Azerbaijani opera singer and People's Artist of the USSR. Elvin Aliyev (born 1984), Azerbaijani football player.

See also İnşaatçı Sabirabad FK

References