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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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!
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| Stark cliffs outside of Lahij... |
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| ...contrast moments later with green rolling hills |
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