Barda is the capital city of the Barda District in Azerbaijan, located south of Yevlax and on the left bank of the Tartar river. It was the capital of Caucasian Albania perhaps since the end of the fourth century, Barda became the chief city of the Islamic province of Arran, the classical Caucasian Albania, remaining so until the tenth century.

The name of the town derives from Arabic which derives from Old Armenian Partaw, itself from Iranian *pari-tava- 'rampart', from *pari- 'around' and *ta?v- 'to throw; to heap up'.