Şəmkir

One theory is that the name derives from the dialectal Azerbaijani word sham, meaning a place covered in green.[2][3]

Pottery dish of the 16th or 15th century BCE, found during excavations near Shamkir

The historical Shamkur (also known as Shamkhor and Shamkir[2]) has been known since the 5th century as a merchant and craft center of Persia.[3] In 652, the city was seized by Arabs.[4] In 737, Khazars settled in Shamkir after the Arabian commander Mervan's campaign to the Volga.[4] In 752, the city was destroyed by the Sabir people, who lived nearby and rebelled against the Arabs.[4] In 854, the Muslim Khazars took refuge in Shamkir.[4] Later, the city was under the reign of Ganja amirs from the Kurdish dynasty of Shaddadids.[4] In the 12th century and in the beginning of the 13th century, Shamkir was under the Georgian reign.[4] In 1195, the Georgian Queen Tamar's commanders destroyed the troops of Azerbaijan's Atabey Abu-Bakr, who was from Seljuk dynasty of the Ildegizids.[4] In 1235, Shamkir was destroyed by Mongols.[4] From the first quarter of the 16th century till the beginning of the 19th century Shamkir was governed by hereditary rulers a Turkic tribe called Shamsaddinli-Zulgadar.[4] In 1803, during the military actions against the Ganja Khanate of Qajar Iran, Shamkir was taken up by Russian troops and annexed to Russia.[4]

In 1817–1818, a colony of Germans resettled from Wurttemberg, was established on the site of Shamkir under the name Annenfeld.[2] There were also other Germans in Azerbaijan besides those associated with the colony. On September 3, 1826, during the Russo-Persian War, the Shah's guard consisting of 10,000 soldiers was destroyed near Annenfeld.[4] In 1915, Assyrians from Turkey and Iran were resettled here and still lived here as of the 1930s.[5]

Annenfeld in the early 20th century

Following World War I, Annenfeld was given the Russian name of Annino (Russian: Аннино).[2] In 1938, it was granted urban-type settlement and renamed Shamkhor (Шамхор), after the nearby railway station and the historical Shamkir.[2][3] In 1944, two years after the German population was deported as part of the population transfer in the Soviet Union, it was granted town status.[3] In 1991, the name was changed to Shamkir.[2]

There are cognac and wine plants and also a plant of local industry functioning in the city.

The city has one professional football team, Shamkir, currently competing in the second-flight of Azerbaijani football, the Azerbaijan First Division.[6] The club has two Azerbaijani league titles.

As of 2014, city's home of Shamkir Chess a category 22 event and one of the highest rated tournaments of all time.[7]

Some of the city's many prestigious residents include: poets Molla Vali Vidadi and Ahmad Javad, footballer Javid Imamverdiyev and archer Zinyat Valiyeva.

• 
  Molla Vali Vidadi's poetry expressed positive view on life.
• 
  Ahmad Javad, is known for writings lyrics of Azerbaijan national anthem
• 
  Javid Imamverdiyev, footballer.
• 
  Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman to the State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Shamkir is twinned with:

• Şəmkir at GEOnet Names Server