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yanından olub. Hansı ki, məhz həmin ərazidə qala qapısının olduğunu təsdiqləyən
yerüstü əlamətlər indi də müşahidə olunmaqdadır. Onu da qeyd edək ki, qala qapısı
və körpü yeri olduğu güman edilən ərazi şəhərin qərb istiqamətindəki qala
divarlarının orta hissəsindədir. Bu da sözsüz ki, təsadüfi deyil. Yəni, orta əsr
şəhərlərinin əksəriyyətində əsas qala qapısı məhz qala divarlarının orta hissəsinə
yaxın olan yerdə olurdu.
Ağsu şəhərinin daha bir giriş qapısı şimal istiqamətindən olub. Bu, IV
qazıntı sahəsinin yanında olan ərazidir. Bu, o deməkdir ki, ya orada da körpü olub
və sonradan dolub. Yaxud da sadəcə olaraq həmin ərazidə ümumiyyətlə xəndək
olmayıb. Hər halda xəndəyin üstündən başlayan daş döşənmiş yol şəhər ərazisinə
daxil olan kimi qala divarlarına paralel olmaqla həm qərb, həm də şərq
istiqamətində uzanır.
Fortress walls: Medieval Agsu Town is situated a little south from the
region centre, Yukhari Shir-van Plain and encirclement of Ulguj, Agarkh,
Churuglu and Arabushagi villages. The area of the town was surrounded by a deep
trench, a higher ground shaft and immense fortress walls built on it completely in
east, west
and north, and partially in south.
Digging a ditch in south, south west and south east
sides and construction of
fortress walls are not completed. During elaboration of specified topographic plan
by specialists, it became known that the area of the town is of a quadratic form by
plan structure. Length of northern walls of the monument is 637, 3 meter, length of
western walls is 629, 5 meter, eastern walls- 632, 6 meter and southern walls- 630,
7 meter.
One of undertaken basic duties while choosing a place for IV excavation
site was to research fortress walls of the town. With this purpose northern
boundaries of the excavation were defined in 32-meter length along northern
defense trench of the town. Existence of fortress wall was not known there till this
exacavation. It is fact that traces of construction remnants formed in lines in
separate points over a high shaft lying along defense trench of the town are
observed. Are these remnants really belong to fortress walls? If so, it was required
to clarify the issues like capacity of at leaste basis of construction, architectural
resolution and others. With this purpose we gradually took surface of ground shaft
in 1, 1 a, 1 b and 1 c squares. Stone piles being in a shattered state were cleansed.
Besides, this view laid along the whole ditch. Finally, basis of fortress walls of the
town was displayed in 1c square.
So, 85-centimetre -height wall remnants consisted of 6-row river stones
formed onto each other accurately were displayed in the mentioned space. Only
outdoor part of the stones was hewed by chopping method. Stone resources of
Agsu and Girdiman Rivers were used entirely in construction of fortress wall.
Grout was used in construction as a fastening material. Stones are inclined to
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scatter since they were not firmly fastened. Outward side of the fortress wall was
gradually opened in other squares towards west. It became known that fortress
walls were particularly exposed to serious destruction in 1 and 1a squares. It is
notable that upper stones of the walls crashed down towards the ditch, or near to be
crashed in this part. The wall was thoroughly destroyed up to its basis in some
places. The wall remained better in 1 b and 1 c squares as it was mentioned above.
According to our observations we can say that exposition of fortress walls
to destruction should be explained with non-steadiness of its basis. Apparently this
factor was neglected since the fortress was hastily constructed. Fortress walls of
the town was built over the shaft consisted of the plot of defense ditch as it is
noted. Its basis could not
be solid, since it was built on casting ground. Furthemore,
the basis of the fortress walls was built from ordinary and tiny river stones. It
could not however guarantee steadiness. The basis of this kind of constructions
was built from large block stones. It was determined due to topographic capacities
that height is 100-101 meter in north west comer of the town's area as compared
with the sea level; 98-99 meter in north and north east part; 97-98 meter in central
parts and 90-91 meter in south. As it is seen from the topographic plan, northern
part is about 8-9 meter higher than south part of the town. Therefore, almost
majority of water and sewerage lines was
constructed in north south, partially west
east direction.
One of main entrance doors of the town was from western side as it is seen
from paintings belonged to late XVIII century. A bridge is seen in one of those
paintings, actually at the painting in entry of the town reflecting the meeting
between Gasim khan and Valerian Zubov in October, 1795. It means that Agsu
River flew not by its present river-bed that period, but along western part of the
town.
We can conclude as a result of visual and attentive study of the area that
western door of the town and a bridge were located near a cemetery in that
direction. Overhead signs confirming existence of a fortress door in that area are
observed presently. Let's note that the area supposed to be a fortress door and a
bridge is situated in middle part of fortress walls of the town in west direction,
what is not a casual case. It means that basic fortress wall situated in the site close
to middle part of fortress walls in most medieval cities.
Another entrance door of Agsu Town was from north direction. It is an area
next to IV excavation field. To recall, suburban ditch was broken there, i.e. either a
bridge existed there and then filled, or a ditch did not generally built in that area.
Stone-cobble road starting from above the ditch lies both in west and east
directions being parallel with fortress walls in entry into the town area.
Bir daha Ağsu Ģəhərinin tarixinə dair: Ağsu şəhərinin salınma tarixi ilə
bağlı bəzi məqamlara da bir daha toxunmaq istərdik. Artıq dəfələrlə xatırladıldığı