Goygol District

Map of Azerbaijan showing Xanlar rayon

For Xanlar in the Bibi Eybat oil fields, see Baku and Baku Oil Fields.

Goygol (Azerbaijani: Göygöl, Ҝөјҝөл, گويگول) is a rayon (district) in northwestern Azerbaijan. Formerly known as Khanlar, the region was renamed "Goygol" after Lake Goygol, the famous blue lake, by the decision of the Parliament of Azerbaijan on April 25, 2008.^[1][2] The administrative center of the rayon is the city of Goygol.

The city of Goygol was founded as the German settlement of Helenendorf in 1819 and was renamed as Khanlar (Xanlar) in 1938.

The rayon was established in 1930 under the name of Khanlar, and in 1992 the territory that was to become Samukh Rayon was separated from Khanlar. Goygol rayon now covers an area of 1,030 km² and has a population of 54,000. The city of Goygol is the largest town, followed by Hajimelik. Important villages are: Balchili, Gushgara, Chayli, Mollajalilli, and Topalhasanli.

Access to the southern portions of the rayon is restricted due to its proximity to Nagorno-Karabakh and the armistice line there.

References

Coordinates: 40°35′N 46°18′E / 40.583°N 46.300°E / 40.583; 46.300