South route Azerbaijan
SOUTH ROUTE: BAKU-SALYAN-BILESUVAR-JALILABAD-MASALLI-LANKARAN-LERIK-ASTARA
SALYAN
The district of Salyan is located in the southeast part of Azerbaijan, in Lankaran-Astara region which is characterized by its original cultural and historical traditions and unique flora. It is located 126 km from Baku The region is also famous for its longest-livers and special cuisine with broad assortment of fish meals. It has been inhabited since the ancient times. The district forms an original gate to this region. Major transport lines of the republic, a highway and railway connecting the rest of Azerbaijan with its south regions and also with Middle East countries, traverse its territory,
Located here is the State National Park "Shirvan" (reorganized from the reserve of the same name in 2003). The reserve was established in 1969 to protect and reproduce special plant complexes of Shirvan lowlands (semidesert and aqueous-swampy ecosystems). There is also a reserve called "Bandovan" established in 1961. The reserve covers an area of 30000 hectares. It includes parts of territories of two administrative regions - Salyan and Garadag and was formed with the purpose of preservation and restoration of the population of gazelles, water birds and little bustards.
The place is also interesting due to its archeological importance. There are a number of remained historical and architectural monuments. In the 1970-1980's a number of objects belonging to the Middle Ages were found on the territory of the district.
These settlements once were advanced trade and industrial centers as evidenced by numerous findings of goods made of ceramics, glass and stone. Due to the increase in the Caspian Sea level the settlements became scuttled. Here, in the district, there are a number of archeological objects covering the period from the Bronze Age to the Early Middle Ages. Among them there is the Marimli necropolis, necropolis of pitcher burials in the village of Gursanga, ruins of ancient settlements in present villages of Nohudlu and Mahmudabad.
5 km away from the regional center is located one of numerous mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan, Babazanan which attracts local residents with healing properties of its mud.
BILASUVAR
Bilasuvar district is bordered by Iran on the west. It is located 182 km from Baku Local climate is of semi deserts and dry steppes;" the climate favors the development of cotton and cereals growing as well as cattle breeding. Like the whole territory of Azerbaijan, this area has been inhabited since the ancient times. This is supported by numerous archeological findings and remainders of architectural monuments. The monuments remind of the ancient history of the region: settlement sites like Chil Agdam, Toragay dated to the antiquity and early middle ages. Unfortunately, a majority of these archeological objects have not been studied yet.
JALILABAD
Jalilabad region is located on the border of Kura-Araz lowlands. It is located 208 km from Baku;" climate varies from temperate warm with almost uniform precipitation to semi deserts and dry steppes with dry summers. The climate and landscape favor the intensive development of winegrowing though in early times the region was a main supplier of various grains for the country. Almost 14700 hectares are occupied by forests and there are fine places for hunt. In a hunt estate Zavvar it is possible to hunt water birds. Fauna is represented by wolves, hares, badgers, foxes, wild boars, wild ducks, eagles, francolins etc.
Among other findings there were objects of material culture from the Late Stone Age. Specialists maintain that the place was inhabited by the famous tribe of Mages - one of Aryan tribes of early Zoroastrianism. There are numerous mounds, settlement sites and necropolises (from the Bronze Age to the early Middle Ages) found on the territory of the district.
MASALLI
Masalli district extends along the main transport line of the region;" a road from the capital to the south, to Iran. It is located 230 km from Baku. One of the borders of the region is formed by the Caspian coast, another - by Talysh Mountains. Diverse landscape of the area - mountains and plains (Lankaran lowlands) underlie the climate drops - from temperate warm with dry summer to subtropical. Rivers traversing the lands of the district - Vilash, Alvadichai, Tatyan etc. empty into the Caspian Sea.
Masalli region is rich in mineral springs - both thermal and cold, some are sulfurated and enriched with other trace elements.
Located in one of picturesque mountain spots of the region is a mineral spring Istisu with medicinal water. "Istisu" is a very popular medicinal mineral water bottles of which are available in drugstores of our country.
Historical and architectural monuments of the town include a mosque of the 19th century, an ancient bath, the Erkivan tower, Museum of Regional History. There are mosques of the 16th century and the mausoleum of Seid Sadig in the nearby villages of Digah and Boradigah. Wares of traditional folk crafts (mats, shawls, pottery and woodenware carpets and jorabs) are made in the villages of Musakudja, Turkoba, Kolatan, Sigdash etc.
Located on the road from Masalli to Lankaran, on the southwest coast of the Caspian Sea (bay of Gizilagach) is the Gizilagach reserve, whose territories include the whole water area of the bay and the bordering areas of the land. The reserve was established in 1929 year to protect and reproduce water birds, swamp and steppe birds as well as water and semidesert natural complexes which are the place of wintering of birds including those in the Red List (a total of 248 species of birds and 54 species of fish).
LANKARAN
Territories of Lankaran district occupy the east coast of the Caspian Sea and whole Lankaran lowlands up to Talysh Mountains. It is located 268 km from Baku. On the local shore of the Caspian Sea there are many fine sand beaches. Wet subtropical climate without harsh winters, dry and hot summer and rainy autumn underlie the richness of the local flora and fauna. Lankaran district is another important agricultural region of Azerbaijan, whose climate favors the growing of subtropical crops - tea, tangerines, persimmons, feijoa and lemons of various sorts. This is the main region of the country where grows the famous Lankaran tea, well compared by quality and taste with the classical Indian tea.
The reserve "Gizil Agach" is located on the southwest coast of the Caspian Sea, on the area of Gizil-Agach bay. The area of the reserve includes waters of the whole Greater Gizil-Agach bay and the north part of Smaller Gizil Agach bay, and also adjacent parts of the shore. The reserve was established in 1929 for protecting and reproducing wintering and migrant water birds, swamp and steppe birds. There are 248 species of birds and 54 species of fish.
Located on an area of 21435 hectares is the "Hyrcanian" reserve reorganized into the "Hyrcanian" National Park in 2004 (the park occupies a part of Astara and Lankaran regions).
The game reserve "Small Gizil Agach" was established in 1978 (on an area of 10700 hectares) on the Smaller Gizil-Agach bay to protect and restore the population of wintering and migrating swampy-water and coastal birds including rare and endangered species. It is bordered by the reserve "Gizil Agach".
Presently, among architectural-historical monuments remained here there are "Khan Evi" khan palace with an original ornament of the front, Kichik Gala mosque, Guldasta minaret, and the ancient bath of Gadzhi Mirza. One can learn about the history of the region in the Museum of History, the very building of which attracts special interest from the architectural standpoint. There are workshops of decorative and applied art in the town where craftsmen engrave on wood, stone and metal. There is also a theater, the first performance at which occurred in 1850 year;" the returns were donated to the poor
LERIK
Located high in Talysh Mountains, the district of Lerik is one of the most beautiful nature spots in Azerbaijan. It is located 325 km from Baku. A stunning landscape, clean mountain air with the balm of woods, springs, rivers, fertile soil…it is not a coincidence that this region is famous for its longest-livers.It is possible to hunt wild boars, foxes, hares and birds (ducks and partridges) The tallest peaks of Talysh Mountains are Kemur-Gey (2492 m) and Gizyurdu (2433 m).
The unique history of this region reflects the most interesting periods in the complex history of the whole country. There are plenty of cultural and historical monuments evidencing that these places were inhabited already in the Late Stone Age. E.G. cave stop dated to the Stone Age, ancient site "Giz Yurdy" near a mountain village at the level of about 2430 m.
Mausoleums include "Baba Hasan" near the village of Jonu, "Baba Isa" in the village of Mondigah, "Hodja Seid" in the village of Hanagah (14th century), "Pir Yusif" near the village of Kekonu, Dabira (12th-14th centuries) and "Khaliph Zakariya" on the road to the village of Djengemiran in which both ancient and simply old trees are protected and honored by the residents. This village was once visited by Alexander Dumas who later pictured a heroic fate of a woman from the village in one of works. Remained in the village of Lulukaran is an original mosque dated to the 19th century. Noteworthy are also numerous stone figures of rams remained in many villages.
We have already mentioned that the region is famous for its longest-livers. Shirali Muslumov, for instance, lived 163 years of active life (1812-1975) thus setting the world record. Mahmud Eyvazov lived 150 years (1808-1958). Even today dozens of longest-livers who turned 100 and yet have not lost the ability to work live in the regions.
ASTARA
Astara district is located on the border with Iran, in the southeast part of Azerbaijan. A part of its territory is occupied by Talysh Mountains and another part - plains which underlies the climatic diversity of the area. The forests occupy 37000 hectares. Flora is rich and diverse - wild quince, medlar, hawthorns, blackberry bushes, silk tree, evergreen butcher's broom, various lianas. The area features also famous lignum vitae (Damir Agach), a tree immersed into the water. In ancient times local residents used the tree for the production of looms and nowadays it is used for part of weaving machineries.
Fauna is none the less diverse than the flora - porcupines, roes, wolves, lynx, deer etc. The animals feel comfortable in local forests. There is an abundance of sand beaches with clean, transparent water on the shore of the Caspian Sea.
Located on the territory of the region is a part of Hyrcanian National Park, making the place attractive to ecotourists. In Astara region, near the border with Iran, in the place named Isti-Su there are medicinal springs. This is an area of tea, vegetables and citrus growing.
There is a great number of historical and architectural monuments (about 400) remained in the region. In nearly all villages there are traces of ancient dwellings. E.G., a tower in the village of Shindan (named The Tower of Babek by local residents);" another tower in the village of Nudis;" the Bath of Meshedi Abutalyb, the Mosques of Gadzhi Teimus and Gadzhi Jahan Bakhish in the village of Pensar;" a mausoleum in the village of Shakhagach;" the Bath of Kerbelai Gamid Abdulla in the village of Archivan (in the same village there is a famous sulfurated spring: its water takes fire if exposed to a lit match);" fortress ruins, a mausoleum, a caravanserai dated to the 7th century and stone sculptures dated to the Stone and Bronze ages in the villages Siniyapert, Lomin and Pileken. Astara town is the administrative center of the district. It is located 322 km from Baku. The town is an important transit point on the road Baku-Teheran. Astara is a border town bounded by the sea from one side and by mountains from another. There are rice fields around the town. Fishing is also developed which is reflected by the local cuisine.
In Astara there is a Museum of Regional History with quite rich collections. The main pride of the museum is not only old coins evidencing about the advanced level of trade in ancient times but also a stone human sculpture about 200- years old.
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