Middle ages defensive tower in Muxas village of Oghuz district of Azerbaijan

There is an interesting historical monument in the village of Muxas (also known as Mukhas) in the Oghuz district of Azerbaijan. It is a defensive tower from the Middle Ages, which stands alone on a high ground on the mountain slope. That's why I call it a "lonely tower", as it seems to be far away from all major cities.

9th-century defensive tower in Muxas village of Oghuz district of Azerbaijan

According to historical sources, the defensive tower in Muxas (also Mukhas) village of Oghuz district of Azerbaijan was built in the 9th century and used sometimes until the 13th - 14th centuries. It is located on the slope of the mountain, the southern part of the Great Caucasian Mountains, and close to the Dashagilchay river. It is close to the Sheki-Oghuz highway. 

The tower is clearly visible on the slope of the mountain from the road going from Muxas village to the Dashagil waterfall and the Dashagil mountain passage. Maybe this is why people in the middle ages needed to build a defensive tower in the middle of nowhere. Because the tower serves as an observation tower overlooking the road and passage in the Great Caucasian Mountains. Right now this mountain passage goes to the Azerbaijan - Dagestan (Russia) border. For many years these mountains also served as natural borders for some states and empires. One example was Sasanian Empire. 

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The height of the tower is 11.6 meters. The thickness of the wall is 1.5 meters in the lower part of the tower and 1 m in the upper part. The tower is rectangular on the north, south, and west sides, and semicircular on the east side. It has this shape because of the relief of the area it was built. According to archaeologists this tower was built in the 9th century and was used as a defensive tower until the 13th - 14th centuries.

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