Ancient and medieval authors about the fortifications of the cities of Azerbaijan

The city is distinguished by a special way of life, the specifics of political, economic, socio-cultural and intellectual activities, worldview of various segments of the population. Questions about the emergence of cities, the formation of urban culture, the city-forming role of economic, socio-political, cultural processes in society are topical issues of historical science. When researching most of the questions on the history of ancient cities, the method of analyzing written sources is of particular importance. The reports of ancient and medieval authors contain valuable information about the country's natural resources, routes of communication, trade relations, political events, as well as about cities and the distance between them, about their social structure, planning, fortifications, etc. The available written sources in different languages testify that Azerbaijan has long been the center of a highly developed urban culture. They contain important information about the fortified Azerbaijani cities, which were mainly located on the main trade routes, in strategically reliable areas, climatically favorable regions of the country. The defense of cities was a permanent and decisive factor. The fortifications of the cities met all the necessary requirements of their time. The powerful defensive system of cities, including several belts of fortress walls with towers of various shapes, detached observation and signal towers and castles, reliably resisted massive attacks, throwing weapons and battering machines, both during a swift assault and a long siege, as evidenced by written sources. The article briefly analyzes the reports of ancient and medieval authors about fortifications in the system of protection of the historical cities of Azerbaijan.