Baku, February 21, AZERTAC

Guba district has long gained popularity among tourists due to its proximity to the capital of Azerbaijan. In Guba, the symbol of which is the ruddy apple, beautiful nature, a large number of historical sights and a carefully protected cultural heritage. Guba carpet weaving school is known all over the world, and the hospitality of the locals is famous throughout the country.

The region, which was visited by French writer Alexandre Dumas and Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl, is ready to share his secrets with curious travelers.

Enjoy the nature

Guba is one of the most beautiful regions of Azerbaijan. This land is especially attractive in spring, when numerous orchards blossom. The richest flora of the Guba region is also represented by a wide range of medicinal plants: hawthorn, juniper, nightshade, valerian and others.

Despite the fact that many types of various fruits and vegetables are grown in the region, for every Azerbaijani, Guba is associated primarily with apples. Guba people claim that over 40 different apple varieties grow on their land. Every year during the ripening season of apples, a festival is held in Guba, where farms present their best products and compete in various disciplines.

The region is rich in thermal springs and is of great importance as a recreational and balneological zone. More than 100 rivers and rivulets flow here. The Afurja waterfall located in Guba is included in the list of “Monuments of nature of Azerbaijan”, and the colony of white-headed vultures inhabiting the region is listed in the Red Book.

Visit Tangalti

At 33 km from the administrative center of Guba in the area of Tangalti, at an altitude of 725 m, the village of the same name is located, which means "between mountains". Here between the two peaks on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus flows the river Valvalachay. The depth of the gorge, along the bottom of which the river flows, is 400-600 m, and the steep slopes consist of white, black and pink marble - a rare natural phenomenon.

... and Gachresh

This is the most popular recreation area in the Guba district, located 25 km from the district center. Gachrash means come and sit down. This toponym is also interpreted as “a place where sunlight does not fall”. In this vast area, trees grow so densely that indeed the sun's rays do not reach the ground and in summer it is pretty cool here. In winter, these places are covered with a thick layer of snow.

Once the center of attraction for tourists was the suspension bridge located here - Asma Korpu, across the Gudyalchay River, now destroyed, but there is hope for its speedy restoration.

On the very outskirts of the territory of Gachrash there is a natural formation called the Minara - in the form of natural minaret. The length of this natural monument is 30-35 m, width - 4-5 m, and height - 3-4 m. It is assumed that it was formed in the IV century as a result of tectonic movements and river erosion. The Minara also plays the role of a natural bridge at a height of 10-15 m. The small cave between the rocks is called the “fridge”. Indeed, it is so cold here that the owners of a nearby restaurant attached doors to the entrance, hung the lock and used the resulting room as a refrigerator.

Cool off at Afurja Falls

There are many waterfalls in Guba, but the most famous one is formed by the waters of the Valvalachay River a few kilometers from the Tyangya gorge in the village of Afurja (42 km from the district center). The height of the waterfall rushing down from the cliffs is 70 m. Under the overhanging cliff there is a narrow, only 3-4 meters wide road along which you can walk and descend to the waterfall bowl.

Especially nice to freshen up in his spray in the summer. The water in the waterfall is clean, the locals even built a water supply system. It is said that about ten kilometers from the waterfall, many springs are beating out of the ground.

In the teahouse located near the waterfall you can drink tea and relax.

Stroll through the old park

It is said that the oldest park in the city, Nizami Park, named after the poet Nizami Ganjavi, was built by German prisoners in 1946. The territory of the park is surrounded by greenery, in the shade of which fountains are murmuring. Visitors spend time in the cozy teahouse or playing billiards.

Having walked through the park, you can go down to the ancient arched bridge over the Gudyalchay River, which leads to the settlement of the Mountain Jews Krasnaya Sloboda.

Walk along the arched bridge

The only surviving bridge, called the Gudyalchay Bridge, is one of the seven that existed in the Guba district in the 17-19 centuries. This longest bridge was built in 1894 by the project of Alexander III in order to strengthen Russia's military presence in the Caucasus. Fourteen of its spans with a total length of 275 meters and a width of 8 m are made of baked bricks. The multi-span construction allows the bridge to remain intact even during heavy mudflows and floods that raise the water level in the river. A bridge of similar construction built in the 19th century is the only one in Azerbaijan.

Visiting Krasnaya Sloboda village

This village is a place of compact residence of Jews in Azerbaijan. The inhabitants of the Krasnaya Sloboda (Red Sloboda) village are mountain Jews, who call themselves “Dzhugur”. They speak Hebrew, but also knows Azerbaijani and Russian. Currently, about 4-5 thousand people live here.

The inhabitants of the Red Sloboda are engaged mainly in trade. The local population loves pomp and in this wealthy settlement you can see a lot of fashionable mansions.

Admire the Juma Mosque

In the very center of the city, near the central park, there is one of the oldest mosques in the city - the Juma Mosque (Friday Mosque), built at the very beginning of the 19th century. Featuring a rich architectural style, the mosque was built of red brick in 1802 with the financial support of Haji Ismail Efendi. The architecture of this religious building is typical only for the mosques of the Guba province.

Juma Mosque is one of the oldest religious centers not only in Guba, but also in all of northeastern Azerbaijan.

Get acquainted with the historic bath

The baths in Azerbaijan at all times occupied a special place in the life of people, being a favorite place for the enjoyment of body and spirit. The Guba bathhouse, built of red brick in the 18th century, is crowned by a large dome, which allowed the room to maintain the desired temperature and humidity. This quadrangular structure is also called Suhur (Chukhur) hamam, i.e. bath built of special rocks. The bath has 6 compartments, 2 doors and 6 windows.

At one time, the French writer Alexander Dumas bathed in this bath, and 150 years later his great-grandson visited these places. Until 1985, the bath was used for its intended purpose, but now this pearl of Oriental architecture is protected as a historical monument.

According to the stories of local residents, during the genocide committed by Armenians in Guba in 1918, people were also strangled with steam in this bath. Then they were thrown into dug pits.

Learn about the genocide of 1918

In 2007, during the construction of the stadium in Guba, a mass grave was discovered. According to experts, the mass grave is the burial place of local residents who were victims of a national massacre, organized in May 1918 by an armed detachment of the Armenian Dashnaktsutyun Party under the command of Amazasp.

A memorial was built at the burial site, and a monument to the victims of the genocide of Azerbaijani people committed by Armenians was unveiled on one of the Guba streets.

Visit the ancient Khynalyg village

On the territory of Guba, 65 km from the district center, at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level, is located the unique village of Khinalig. It has about 380 houses and 3,000 inhabitants. The population of the village is a separate ethnographic group and speaks its own language, which no one else in the world speaks. Together with the language, the Khinaligans also retained their ancient customs.

There are always a lot of foreigners here - travelers and scientists who study the unique way of life and traditions of the original nationality.

Buy national carpet

Guba is a famous center of weaving. In the local museum of local lore, in addition to various objects of material culture, you can see skillfully executed Guba carpets. The Guba zone is the largest carpet center in Azerbaijan. Guba carpets represent more than 30 different compositions, distinguished by a variety of solutions, complexity of geometric patterns, and restraint of color harmony. Their patterns consist of stylized vegetative and animalistic motifs. The Golu Chichi carpet woven in Guba in 1712 is kept in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Although the carpets are woven in most of the villages of Guba, all of them are made on pre-order. Therefore, those who wish to purchase a carpet should contact the carpet weaving centers operating in the district, such as Qedim Guba and Aygun.

The carpet weaving enterprise Qedim Guba, formed back in 1958, was privatized in 2000. Nowadays, about 50 weavers work in this private company, besides this, 25 weavers fulfill orders of the enterprise, working at home.

In the shops of the company handmade carpets are made for every taste and size. For weaving carpets, yarns are used, dyed with both artificial dyes and traditional natural ones derived from plant materials. Carpets of the company, in addition to bright colors, also differ in the density of the loops.

On all the carpets of the enterprise, the logos of the company Qedim Guba and the word "Azerbaijan" are woven.

Another company - Aygun, sewing-manufacturing company, established in 1988. In the same room with the company is located "The World of Carpets" Association, designed to preserve the ancient art of carpet weaving.

"The World of Carpets" Association is headed by a great enthusiast of his work, one of the first entrepreneurs of Guba Fatima Agamirzoyeva, who adheres to traditions not only in patterns, but also in carpet weaving technologies. Guba carpets always differed elasticity, density and lightness. Fatima Khanum personally goes to Tabriz to dye the threads for weaving carpets with natural pigments, because there they do it with the highest quality.

Visit the Olympic Sports Complex

The complex was built in 2003 in a picturesque corner of the Guba region and operates under the motto “We are open to all!”. Fully responding to the requirements of the International Sports Federation, the complex is considered an ideal place for recreation, as well as sports. On the territory of the Olympic complex there is an indoor sports ground with a capacity of 2000 spectators, an indoor swimming pool.

For accommodation of tourists there are 3-storey 4-star hotel with 24 rooms, 4 suites with all amenities for 2-3 people each. Five two-storey stone cottages for 2-4 people and 1 VIP apartment in a separate building for 4-5 people.

Emil Eyyubov