Kura Island

Kura or Kurkosa (), also known as Kurinskiy in the Russian language, is the largest island of Azerbaijan. It lies in the Caspian Sea, off the coast of the Aran Region, to the south of Neftchala and about to the SSE of Baku.

History The island was formerly attached to the mainland by a narrow spit. It was named Kurkosa after the Kura River located further north by Fyodor Soimonov, the pioneering explorer of the Caspian Sea during the time of Peter I the Great. Soimonov wrote the 'Pilot of the Caspian Sea,' the first report on that until then little known body of water, that was published in 1720 by the Russian Academy of Sciences.Fedor I. Soimonov - Encyclopædia Britannica

In Soviet times there were two villages on the island with a population of almost 3,000 souls. However, the rise of the Caspian Sea level cut Kura Island off from the mainland, making communication problematic. As a result, in 1981 most inhabitants were evacuated. By 2009 only about 10 people lived on Kura Island. The last inhabitant of the island died in 2020.Последний русский Робинзон из Азербайджана. Затерянный мир острова Кюр-Дили (ВИДЕО, ФОТО)

Geography Kura Island is located off the Kura Spit, the nearest point, and to the east of the Kyzylagach Bay (Qızılağac Bay) shore. Although located quite far away from it, it is considered the southernmost island of the Baku Archipelago.Igor S. Zonn, Aleksey N Kosarev, Michael Glantz & Andrey G. Kostianoy, The Caspian Sea Encyclopedia, page 262

The area of Kura Island is . Its length is and its maximum width .GoogleEarth The island is low, with mudhills, and stretches in a NE to SW direction.

There is a lighthouse on Kura that was built in 1911 and abandoned in 1966.

Kura Stone Kura Rock or Kura Stone (Kurinskiy Kamen), , is a small islet with a maximum length of 0.18 km. It is located 13 km to the east of Kura Island's NE end at .

Kura Island

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