LAHIJ – BABADAGH - KHINALIG

LAHIJ – BABADAGH - KHINALIG

Description:   Lahij is one of the most ancient human settlements in Azerbaijan. The Lahij District is located in the Ismayilli region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range at a height of 1211 meters above sea level.

    During the Medieval Period, Lahij became an important center of craftsmen in Azerbaijan. Lahij master craftsmen could create forty types of items related to Folk Art. These skilled craftsmen included jewelers, blacksmiths, carpenters, carpet makers, engravers, painters, tanners, shoemakers and bast shoemakers, sock weavers and others. Many valuable examples of the products of these skills are exhibited in famous museums and collections.

 

   Khinalug is located just north of Quba in the middle of the Greater Caucasus mountains that divide Russia and the South Caucasus. Khinalug is also the highest, most remote and isolated village in Azerbaijan and among the highest in the Caucasus. The weather changes dramatically during summer and winter, ranging from −20 °C to 18 °C. Khinalug has a population of about 2,000 people. This small group of people speaks the Khinalug language, which is an isolate within the Northeast Caucasian language family, although many speak Azerbaijani as well.

    Because of its location, scenery and relative isolation, Khinalug is considered one of Azerbaijan`s premiere destinations for hikers and adventure travelers.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 1.

•          Arrival in Baku

 

•          Check-in at the hotel (from 14:00)

 

•          Free day

 

•          Overnight in the hotel

 

 

Day 2.

 

·      Breakfast in the hotel

 

·      City tour in Baku. Visiting the monumental, historical and architectural landmarks of the city

 

·      Lunch

 

·      Trip to The Ancient Zoroastrian Temple Ateshgah - `Fire Temple `

The Temple of Eternal Fire - Ateshgah - is an authentic Azerbaijani exotic. It is well-known practically all over the world. It is located 30 km from the center of Baku in the suburb of Surakhany. This territory is known for such unique natural phenomenon as burning natural gas outlets (underground gas coming onto surface contacts oxygen and lights up). The temple in its present state was constructed in the 17th-18th centuries. It was built by the Baku-based Hindu community related to Sikhs.

 

·      Dinner and free time

 

·      Night in hotel

 

 

 

Day 3.

 

·      Breakfast in the hotel

·      Road with bus from Baku to Lahij ( 3+ hours)

 

·      City tour in Lahij.
Lahij is a notable place in Azerbaijan, with its authentic handicrafts traditions, particularly related to copper. The village`s carpet and rug crafts are also well known in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus. Lahij has an old sewage system (some experts claim that it was built 1000 – 1500 years ago). Due to frequent earthquakes, local people have developed sophisticated and authentic construction techniques.

·      Lunch

·      Free time

·      Dinner

 

·      Night in the local house in Lahij village

 

 

Day 4.

 

·      Breakfast in locals hause

 

·      Driving to Gourbangah ( with 4x4 cars) 2300 m. altitude.

·      Setting camp + lunch

 

·      Free time

 

·      Dinner

 

·      Night in the camp tent

 

Day 5.

 

·       Breakfast at 3:00 AM

 

·      Hiking to Babadag peak ( 3628 m. Altitude)  Watching Sun rising.
Apart from its height (3,628m), Mount Babadag, which straddles the Ismayilli and Quba regions, is well known for its holiness. Baba indicates respect and Babadag (literally `Grandfather Mountain`) carries the meaning of a high mountain covered with snow. As a matter of fact, there are many holy mountains in other parts of the world that bear the same name.

Besides, the mountain also has several other names. Some people call it Qarli baba (Snowy Grandfather) because its peak is snow-covered throughout the year. Others address it as Hazrati Baba Ziyaretgahi (`Grandfather `s Pilgrimage `), believing that those who visit this place seven times receive the honorific title of Hazrat, meaning `His Holiness ` or `Your Majesty.`

·      Walking to see lakes Goturnohur, Goynohur ( 4 hours)

·      Lunch in camp (3300 m.)

·      Free time and dinner

·      Night in camp tent

 

 

Day 6.

 

 

·      Breakfast

 

·      Walking to Haput village (12 km 8 hours), Lunch on the half of road – near of Haput waterfall.
Haput (also, Hapıt, Khapit, and Khaput) is a village in the Quba Rayon of Azerbaijan. Haput people belong to the Shahdag national ethnic people group. They speak in their own hapit language. They live in Guba region mainly but also has 3 villages in Ismayilli region.

 

·      Free time and dinner

·      Night in a local house

 

 

Day 7

 

·      Breakfast

 

·      Walking to Khinalig ( 5 hours)
Khinalug is over 5,000 years old. For centuries, this village has been cut off from civilization by hard-to-reach mountains with dangerous rocky cliffs. Due to the isolation, its residents managed to preserve their unique language, not belonging to any language group, as well as traditions and customs found nowhere else. Khinalug population is about 2,000, all the residents are aboriginals and divided into 4 families. Each family has its own graveyard, its own patterns for carpets and clothing. Khinalug residents practice Muslim and before Islam, they were fire worshipers. This is proved by the fire temples and some semi-pagan traditions having nothing to do with the Muslim ones.

The first records of this people date back to the first century AD in the Roman historian Pliny `s writings and in famous Strabo `s Geography. But a speaking proof of extreme antiquity of the village is its 8 large graveyards, whose area is much larger than that of Khinalug itself. The graves, made in 3 and even 4 layers, bear inscriptions in different alphabets on their gravestones.

 

·      Lunch in Khinalig village

 

·      Khinalig tour and free time

 

·      Dinner

·      Night in the local house

 

 

 

 

 

Day 8

 

·      Driving to Baku

·      Free time

·      Night in the hotel

 

 

 

Day 9

•          Breakfast in the hotel

 

•          Free time

 

•          Check-out from the hotel and Departure (12:00 leave from rooms)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

İncluded:

·      Transfer

·      Accommodation

·      3-time foods

·      Entrance fees

·      Guides

 

Non included:

·      Air tickets

·      Visa payment

·      Equipments