Lahij
A National State Historical Cultural Reserve (2007). A Tat Speaking Village Of Cobbled Lanes, Stone Houses And Workshops Where Families Have Hammered Copper And Made Knives, Saddles And Carpets For Centuries, In A River Valley Below The Greater Caucasus. · Lahij, Ismayilli
Lahij (Lahic) is a mountain village of about 1,200 m in the Ismayilli district, set in a river valley below the Greater Caucasus and reached by a mountain road of some 30 km that leaves the Baku to Gabala highway, roughly two and a half hours from Baku. Its people speak Tat, an old Iranian language, and for centuries families here have hammered copper into pots, trays and jugs, and made knives, saddles and carpets. The cobbled main street, the Bazaar Street, is lined with small coppersmiths' workshops where you hear hammers before you see the doors. The stone houses, old mosques, a small museum of history and ethnography and the Lahij river all sit within a short walk. It is a living village with a tourist trade, busiest on weekends, and it rewards a slow visit. Cash only, mobile signal is patchy, the lane is steep, and the best purchases are new handmade pieces bought from the maker. Combine it with Ismayilli, Basqal or Shamakhi on the same trip, or stay a night in a family guesthouse in the village.
Copper-working mountain village at about 1,200 m in the Ismayilli rayon, reached by a 30 km mountain road from the Baku-Gabala highway, Lahij, Ismayilli, Azerbaijan
The village and the lane are open at all hours and free to walk. Workshops and shops open from mid-morning to late afternoon, and many keep shorter hours on weekdays in winter or close for a family reason. The small museum opens on a limited schedule and may close one weekday. Confirm locally, and arrive before midday for the best chance of seeing the metalworkers at work.