Village of Lahij

A favorite weekend getaway in Azerbaijan is the village of Lahij.  With its proximity to copper mines and community of skilled craftsmen, Lahij has been a center for copper and metal work since the 1700s.  On our visit, we toured an abandoned blacksmith shop that still contained a forge, bellows, and other tools of the trade.

Erica pumps the blacksmith bellows

We also entered operating workshops still making jugs, cups, and platters in the traditional fashion, and stood watch while craftsmen fine-tuned their creations.

Craftsman hammers a pot into shape

One shop featured a sizable display of antiques and a friendly merchant who provided a run-down of the names and functions of the various lamps, urns, and trays.

Display of traditional metalwork items

Outside of the metalwork shops, Lahij is popular because it is so picturesque.  Its narrow cobblestone streets are flanked by buildings with wooden shutter-like doors overhung by small balconies.  We discovered the hard way that it's not an easy village to drive through, but it's perfect for strolling!

Lahij's cobbled main street

But the best part of a trip to Lahij is the drive in and out.  The entrance road passes through a gorge with stark vertically-layered cliffs before opening up into a postcard-perfect image of idyllic mountain serenity!

Stark cliffs outside of Lahij...

...contrast moments later with green rolling hills

Hiking Accomplished

After recent failed attempts to get out and enjoy nature (see prior post for one example), I finally got in some hiking this weekend.  We decided to tackle Besh Barmaq (Five Finger) Mountain, a very visible and well-known landmark about an hour's drive from Baku.

The rocky pinnacle of Besh Barmaq

We got off to a rough start.  None of us had actually been to Besh Barmaq before, so we drove past the unmarked access road once, then twice, before stopping for directions and getting onto the right road.

Roadside mosque and stalls with Besh Barmaq in background

Despite the difficulties in finding the place, Besh Barmaq was actually set up to be accessible to hikers with a wide range of abilities.  Much of the route had built-in staircases to mitigate the steepness of the path.  Along the stairs we encountered many old ladies wanting money or selling herb bundles.

Old woman seen through a hole in the rock formations

We diverted from the main path a few times to scramble over boulders and check out interesting crevices.  Eventually reaching the top, we encountered a very cheerful woman who enthusiastically insisted on taking several photos with us.  We weren't quite sure if she was intrigued by seeing foreigners or just thought our hats were funny, but we obliged anyway.

Larry and Erica with our new Azeri friend

On the way back down, another woman insisted on giving us candies.  We felt like celebrities - first photos and then free gifts!  We basked in the attention and then let our egos come back down to earth as we descended the final steps to the base.

Our small band of hikers