Daily life in Atəşgah
For centuries Azerbaijan was part of the Silk Road, the network of trading routes connecting Asia and Europe. It
was probably merchants who learned about the eternal fires
of Surakhany first. The temple of the Atashgah was rebuilt
by fire-worshippers from different countries including India
at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries,
and it continued to grow and function until the 19th century.
The Atashgah temple housed different kinds of worshippers. Merchants stopped here for short periods of time but their donations were vital for the continued existence of the temple. Meanwhile, the temple had permanent inhabitants like ascetics who practised quite extreme forms of devotion
and self-denial.
Daily life in Atəşgah
For centuries Azerbaijan was part of the Silk Road, the network of trading routes connecting Asia and Europe. It
was probably merchants who learned about the eternal fires
of Surakhany first. The temple of the Atashgah was rebuilt
by fire-worshippers from different countries including India
at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries,
and it continued to grow and function until the 19th century.
The Atashgah temple housed different kinds of worshippers. Merchants stopped here for short periods of time but their donations were vital for the continued existence of the temple. Meanwhile, the temple had permanent inhabitants like ascetics who practised quite extreme forms of devotion
and self-denial.