Gabala , also known as
Qabala, is a city in
Azerbaijan and the capital of the
Qabala Rayon. The municipality consists of the city of Gabala and the village of
Küsnat. Before 1991 the city was known as Kutkashen, but after Azerbaijan's independence the town was renamed in honour of the much older city of Gabala, the former capital of
Caucasian Albania, the archaeological site of which is about 20 km southwest.