The city's most prominent feature is a ruined fortress, built in the 1830s by occupying Russian forces during the Caucasian War to defend the city from rebels (See Djaro-Belokani league). In the 1850s, the town was the site of battles between Russians and Dagestani leader Imam Shamil. It was center of Zakatala okrug (district) of Tiflis Governorate between 1860 and 1917. It was part of Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic between 1917 and 1918 and Georgian Democratic Republic between 1918 and 1921 before passing to Azerbaijan in March 1922.