Goygol District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan, situated in the western part of the country within the Ganja-Dashkasan Economic Region. The district is bordered by districts of Goranboy, Kalbajar, Dashkasan, Shamkir, Samukh, and the city of Ganja. Its administrative center and largest city is Goygol, close to the Goygol Lake. Originally established in the early 19th century as "Helenendorf" by German settlers, the area has evolved into a key region for agriculture and tourism in Azerbaijan. As of 2020, Goygol District has a population of approximately 64,600 residents.
During the Soviet era, the administrative center, originally called Helenendorf underwent several name changes reflecting the political climate of the time. In 1930, Narimanov district was established with Helenendorf as its center. In 1938, the district and its center were renamed Khanlar, district and Khanlar city, respectively.
Following Azerbaijan's independence, the region underwent another name change to reflect its Azerbaijani heritage. On April 25, 2008, the district and its administrative center were officially renamed Goygol district and Goygol city,
Access to the southern portions of the district remains restricted due to its proximity to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the armistice line.
Geography
Location
thumb|Executive Power of Goygol district of [[Azerbaijan|211x211px]]Goygol is located in the western part of Azerbaijan, within the Goygol District, situated in a mountainous and foothill zone. The district lies approximately 364 km kilometers west of the capital city, Baku and 20 kilometers south of Ganja, the second-largest city in Azerbaijan.
The region's highest point reaches an elevation of 3,724 metres above the sea level. Goygol District borders the administrative districts of Samukh to the north, Goranboy to the east, Kalbajar to the south, Dashkasan to the west, Shamkir to the north-west and Ganja city to the north. The total area of the district is 920 square kilometers, with a population of around 63,400 residents. One of the most notable natural features of the region is Lake Goygol, a scenic mountain lake formed as a result of an earthquake in 1139, located at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. The climate in Goygol is temperate, with warm summers and mild winters, supporting agricultural activities such as viticulture and farming.
Climate
Administrative divisions
There are 27 administrative territorial units in Goygol district including a city (Goygol city), 5 towns (Khanlar, Gizilgaya, Hajimelik, Ashaghi Zurnabad and Firuzabad) and 39 villages
Goygol contains several notable historical buildings. Among them are the castle in Zurnabad village dates to the 12th century village, and the sepulcher from the 16th century in Gushgara village. The region also features structures such as the Anaid Temple (16th century), St. Mary Church in Chaykend village, the German Lutheran church (1854-1857) in Goygol city, and Gabriel Church (1674).
thumb|Goygol Olympic Sports Center
Infrastructure
There are 5 bridges in the district: Agh bridge dates to 12th century in Topalhasanli village on Ganjachay river, Birgozlu and Ikigozlu bridges date to the 16th century in Dozular village and in Goygol city on Kurekchay river and Ganjachay river respectively, Uchgozlu bridge dates to 1896 in Uchtepe village on Ganjachay and Stone bridge with two arches on Ganjachay.
Goygol National Park is located at an altitude between 1100 and 3065 meters. It has a total of 12755 hectares area including 6739 hectares of Goygol State Reserve, 1577 hectares forests, 3909 hectares of Goygol district, 300 hectares of Dashkasan district and 230 hectares of Goranboy district.