Gabala

This piece is inspired by the ceramic art of Gabala, an ancient city over 2000 years old. Excavations here revealed earthenware from the 14th-16th centuries. For 600 years, Gabala was the capital of Caucasian Albania, a state referenced in first-century texts like Pliny the Elder’s ‘Natural History.’ Later known as Khazar in Arab sources, the city was part of the Khazar Empire’s administrative division. The earliest tiled roofs and ceramic plate remnants were discovered here. In the archaeological layer dating from the 9th to 13th centuries, many fireplaces, tandoor ovens, wells, underground ceramic water channels, and unique glazed ceramics were unearthed. These findings suggest that pottery, jewelry, and arts, along with agriculture and horticulture, were integral to Gabala’s ancient economy.