WELCOME, CAN…

The town of Qusar, called the "Northern Gateway" due to its geographic location, is the last major town in northern Azerbaijan. Going up the path behind a board announcing "Qusar" at the entrance to the town, you can reach the village of Qaraquc and have a cup of flavoured tea in woods situated high up. Incidentally, this is the only point to provide a beautiful view of the whole town.

The gorge below Qaraquc hosts a place called Qarabulaq. This wide gorge has long been a favourite holiday destination for local residents and visitors. This is why almost all of Qusar's hotels are located in Qarabulaq.

Qusar District has many places of outstanding beauty. It has peaks constantly covered in snow and glaciers, plateaus which are cool even on the hottest days and blossoming plains. Twenty per cent of the territory is forest-covered.

The place name Qusar

The word "Qusar" is believed to have originated from the name of a tribe or the name of its chief. Some people claim that it originates from the name of the Hissar tribe which used to populate this region. They say that this tribe was important in the ethnogenesis of the local population before it gradually disappeared from the historical scene.

The word "Qusar" is also interpreted as a "small detachment of horsemen". In the Hungarian language, this word means "a type of cavalry", and it is believed that the town was named after a Qusar regiment which was once stationed here.

The present-day town of Qusar was founded in 1810. From 1816-1870 there was a school in Qusar which trained officers of the Sirvan infantry division.

Initially, the town was called Qeysari - there is a legend that this was the name of a tribe which populated this area and then moved to another region. Some villages still preserve this name, though it changed into its current form later.

According to another legend, the hills around the town of Qusar contain four graves, and the name of the town comes from the Lezgin words "qud" - four and "srar" - grave, i.e. "four graves".

Before Christ, the Lezgins were followers of the Qutsar religion, thus it may be that the name of the town originated with the faith.

Another version is that the name's origins are from the word "kas" (man) or "sar" (men) which, combined, imply courage, bravery, stamina and other qualities typical of the Lezgin people.

Neighbouring tribes named the first town established here "Ksarhur" - "a settlement of men". In the course of time, "hur", which means "village", was dropped, while the remaining part of the word "Ksar" evolved later into Qusar.

Lezgins

Lezgins comprise 95 per cent of the district and occupy a special place among the other people living in Azerbaijan. Their habitat is the northern and north-western part of the country. Some authors interpret the word "Lezgin" as "inhabitants of the mountains". Their forefathers are Legs, one of the main peoples of Caucasian Albania. Historical research showed that the main ethnic habitat of the Legs was on the left bank of the Samur River, which is now in Dagestan. Over the centuries, some Lezgin tribes gradually moved to the foothills in the south. Strabo recorded that the Qarqar language and the dialect of the Legs who lived in the north contributed to the formation of the main Albanian language. The current Lezgin language belongs to the Sahdag group of languages. The Lezgins comprise 2.2 per cent of Azerbaijan's population and are Muslims.

"Can…"

The most popular form of address among Lezgins is "can…" This is how every sentence begins and ends in Qusar. Women use it more often, and this makes their speech more attractive and sincere: "Can, welcome, can", "Can, what can I do for you, can", "Can, be our guest, can"… Visiting the Lezgins, you will experience a true example of oriental hospitality and taste dishes which you will long remember.

Xarak

Xarak is bread baked in Qusar. It is baked in a special tandir (clay oven) - xarak - which is typical of the northern zone. Unlike tandirs in other regions, the xarak is rectangular. What is more, these ovens serve not only to bake bread, but also to cook other flour dishes of Lezgin cuisine.

At normal room temperature, bread baked in a xarak may be kept for seven days, even longer in a fridge - 15-20 days. The dough is divided into small lumps and rolled out. Then it is pierced with a special kind of turkey or rooster feather. This helps hot air to penetrate the dough, improves its cooking and allows it to take on a special shape. The bread is ready within five minutes. Sometimes, bread which is not completely baked is taken out of the xarak, basted with cheese and eggs (this mixture is called "Lezgin paste") and then baked for several minutes longer.

Local residents also cook "afar" - Lezgin qutabs: the dough is split into thin yuxas (lavas), filled with various types of chopped herbs picked in the mountains and mixed with dry cheese or sor (a kind of salty curd). Another layer of yuxa is put on top and all this is placed into the xarak. These qutabs have a unique taste.

Tsikan

This is the most famous dish in Lezgin cuisine. It is also cooked in the xarak. Round balls made of bread dough are mixed with oil, rolled out and placed on the bottom of a deep frying pan. Minced meat pre-fried on oil and finely sliced potatoes are also added. These are then covered with yuxa and inserted into the xarak for one hour. The ingredients can vary - it is also recommended to taste tsikan made from vegetables, cheese and chicken.

The Lezgin feast

There is a widespread expression - "Lezgin feast". This is when a guest who has eaten his fill hurries unceremoniously to leave the house which has offered him hospitality, immediately after the meal. Even Lezgins themselves laugh at this not exactly polite, but extremely openhearted behaviour of the mountain people, saying "can, you're very welcome, can".

Tourism

The main sights of Qusar are scattered around the villages. Information about tourist routes is available at Friendship Park. The town itself also has a tourist attraction - an old house where Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (1814-1841) once stayed. It is now the poet's house museum.

Qusar District has four of the nine climatic zones existing in the republic. Favourable natural conditions create great opportunities for establishing resorts, recreation zones and tourist complexes in the district. Qusar is one of the main holiday destinations in Azerbaijan. This region of outstanding beauty, with its rich flora and fauna, has everything required for ecotourism - the routes can be divided into the following three directions.

Qusar-Qazanbulaq

This route goes through the Alistan Baba beech forest, which covers an area of seven square kilometres. There are also many interesting things in villages situated along the route. You can buy local handicrafts here, including the famous Sumax carpets.

Qusar-Sudur

The route goes along the Samur River which divides Azerbaijan and Russia. In villages situated along this route, you can buy handicrafts, familiarize yourself with the traditions of the local population, the lifestyle and folklore of the Lezgin people and watch a performance by pahlavans (strong men).

The village of Sudur

This is the last stop along the route and the last village in Qusar District. It is located on the slopes of Mount Sahdag at a height of 1,800 metres. The beauty of this place is fascinating. It is a perfect place to establish a mountain-tourist recreation and health centre.

The village of Hil

This is situated 17 km from the town of Qusar and was the district centre until the 1960s. The famous local 19th century mosque has been included on the list of historical monuments of national importance. The local soil is rich in clay. This is where the name of the village comes from - Hil or Gil, which means clay.

 The village of Xazra

In the 15th century, Sirvan, in the north-eastern region, was a peaceful and quiet place which Sheikh Cuneyd and his son Heydar, of the Safavid dynasty, coveted. Planning to seize Sirvan, Sheikh Cuneyd crossed the Kura River under the false pretext of a "jihad against Circassian infidels" and invaded the state. He was opposed by the troops of Sirvansah Xalilulla I. In a battle near the village of Qipcag on the left bank of the Samur River in 1460, the Qizilbas army was defeated and Sheikh Cuneyd himself was killed. The murids (court) of the sheikh took his body to the right bank of the river and buried him in the village of Gulxan - this is the village of Xazra in Qusar District. This village, situated 53 km from the district centre, is one of the most important points on the Qusar-Sudur tourist route. The name of the village is interpreted in different ways. It most probably originates from the word "hazrat" (sir, respectable, saint). The population was moved here from Iran and settled near the grave of Sheikh Cuneyd under Shah Abbas I (1557-1628).

The Sheikh Cuneyd sepulchre

The sepulchre, built on the grave of Sheikh Cuneyd, is regarded as one of the most important historical-architectural monuments, not only in Qusar District, but also in the whole of Azerbaijan. It is also called the Sixcannat Mosque. Cuneyd's grandson - the great Safavid Shah Ismayil Xatai - moved his grandfather's remains to Ardabil, while the sepulchre was built on the order of another Safavid ruler - Shah Tahmasib I. The date - 1544 - still remains on the facade.

The village of Yuxari Tahircal

The road to this village of outstanding natural beauty is a very difficult one. The population here is engaged in bee-keeping, while a beehive is the village emblem. It is surrounded by forests in which fruit trees grow. There are quite a few wild apple trees here. Higher up the mountain there is an ancient settlement by the Tahircal River. After an earthquake in 1954, the population moved to the lower left bank, downriver. The opening of the Samur-Davaci canal provided employment for the population and resulted in an exodus from that location. In summer, the village is visited by more people.

There used to be three mosques and several shrines here, but they were destroyed under communist rule. The village has many large burial sites. They say that local residents sometimes find treasure here.

The largest historical monument in the village is a cemetery on three-levels. The size of the cemetery is just amazing. You get the impression that large battles took place here in the past, claiming thousands of lives. It is also amazing that every grave has a tombstone of astonishing shape. They say that relics found in the burial sites belong to the Bronze Age.

Qusar-Laza-Suvar

It is better to use an off-roader to travel along this stony road. The first stop is the village of Aniq.

Aniq

This village is situated in the mountains. People have lived here from ancient times. The village is on the crest of a hill which is protected by natural barriers.

The village of Aniq is 27 km southwest of the district centre, on the right bank of the Qusarcay River and near the Qusar-Zindanmuruq road. The valley of Qusarcay (the valley of Aniq), which contains nine villages, was also named after this village. As defence against Arab attacks a castle was built in this village of strategic importance on the slopes of Mount Sahdag. The remains of the castle walls are still intact. "The History of Abu Muslim" chronicle, which was written in Arabic, mentions several villages which existed in Azerbaijan in the 10th century, including in the village of Aniq. Aniq Castle has existed since the 9th century. Its walls were 9.3 metres high and two metres wide.

Local residents still believe that the castle was destroyed during a war between Christians and Muslims. Detachments of Christian Georgians who served in the troops of Argun Khan, ruler of the Hulaku state, were actively involved in fighting against the Golden Horde in 1288 to defend Aniq Castle.

Legend has it that the village was named after a local ruler Aniq Aga. According to another version, the place name Aniq is linked to the name of the Hun tribe. Initially, it sounded like "unuq" and then turned into "Aniq".

Qusar-style Taj Mahal

The Mahalin Taci mosque, in the centre of the village, is so named because of its similarity to the Taj Mahal in India. In Aniq, it has been customary since ancient times to build grandiose and eye-catching buildings. They say that the construction of this mosque was ordered by a man who visited India, saw the Taj Mahal and decided to build a replica at home. Although they say that the mosque, which was built from raw brick, is 300 years old, a plaque on the wall says that it was built in the 19th century. Inscriptions on the wall of the mosque attract attention. Although they have not been restored, they retain their bright colour. They were created with natural vegetable paints.

The Dervish Baba shrine

The village of Aniq has a cemetery which belongs to the 1st century AD. The Dervish Baba pir (shrine) is situated here. He was a deeply religious and virtuous man, which is why local residents still respect his memory and visit his grave. The dome of the shrine is so low that you have to bow down when you enter it - in this way, you show your respect for Dervish Baba, who was buried here.

The village of Laza

In Lezgin, this village is called Latsar. Situated in a valley among the mountains, it consists of two parts. The second part is on the other slopes of the mountain - on the bank of the Damircay River in Qabala District.

They say that residents of Laza moved to this area from there and gave the new village the same name. The village is in the foothills of the Great Caucasus Ridge, on the slopes of Mount Sahdag and the Sah Yaylagi Peak and on caravan routes passing through the Main Caucasus. Local residents call this place, situated at a height of 1,800 metres above sea level, "Kurva Pass". The most famous historical monument in the village of Laza is the 300-year-old mosque in the centre of the village.

Laza is one of the most visited villages in Azerbaijan. There are many tourists in the village, both in winter and summer. Foreigners love to visit here most of all. The tourists stay in local residents' homes - rooms specially built in the courtyards have every convenience.

The Haci Seyid Baba shrine

This is the most notable place in the village. There is a pointed rock that looks artificial here. The ground around the rock is covered with small white stones and shells. People who visit the shrine make a wish, after which they have to take off their shoes and go round the rock barefoot three times over the stones and shells, thinking only about the wish they have made. Then they have to repeat their wish and drink from a nearby spring. After that, it is necessary to donate some money to the shrine. The local population still visits the burial site inside the rock, which they think is holy. Usually, those whose wishes come true after they visit this place return here in order to sacrifice an animal and give it to the poor. The refusal of such a gift is regarded as disrespect, while tasting it is a good sign. Such a pilgrimage resembles a picnic, while the rituals are very interesting.

There are also other notable sites within 15-20 km of Laza. One of them is the Tsar's Cave - a deep cave in the rocky wall of Mount Sahdag - and the old bridge Qanci-Muix over the Qusarcay River.

At a nearby base, you can find guides for mounted or pedestrian excursions to the holy shrines high up in the mountains.

You can also ask local residents, who are considered to be the best guides to the mountains and know literally every inch of land here. They will guide you to the Sah Yaylagi and Sahnabat plateaus at a height of 3,000 metres, to the peak of Mount Sahdag at a height of 4,242 metres and the Heydar Aliyev peak (3,650 metres) on Mount Qizilqaya.

Turkic villages

In Qusar District, there are also villages with a purely Turkic-speaking Azerbaijani population. These villages are Badisqala, Gunduzqala, Babirqala and Hasanqala.

There is quite an interesting myth about these villages. They say that in the time of the Ottoman Empire, in the 16th and 17th centuries, four brothers - Badis, Gunduz, Hasan and Badir - moved to this area from the city of Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. Later, their descendants named these villages after their forefathers.

Winter holidays

In winter, nature at this highest point in the country is amazingly beautiful. The snow which starts falling in November lies until March. It is perfect for practising winter sports here. You can ski, ride a snowboard, climb a mountain etc. It is also planned to set up a winter Olympics base in Qusar District.

Twin waterfalls

Situated at a height of 2,000 metres, the twin waterfalls are another beautiful spot in this area. Local waterfalls have one typical feature - they freeze in winter. Professional mountain climbers hold contests to conquer such waterfalls.

The Lezginka dance

This is the most popular ethnic dance, performed to the accompaniment of the accordion and nagara drum. This is the common name for all the dances of Caucasian peoples. Only the Lezginka is danced here. Lezginka is a very energetic dance whose main peculiarity and difficulty is that you should dance it, not even on tiptoes, but standing on the tips of your toes. Although some say that this dance is dedicated to a Lezgin girl, most people do not agree with this. Lezgins also call this dance "Lezgi hangi". Folklore experts point out that this is a smooth dance which gives people food for thought, and dancers reveal their story with their gestures and motions. Every dance has its own story - bravery, herders' games and love. It is a special pleasure to watch women who seem to be gliding as gracefully as swans while dancing Lezginka. Scenes of brave men with knives and daggers contain stunts which are learned at the cost of numerous injuries. Even if you are just watching the dance, your blood begins to boil. After loud exclamations such as "upsa" or "assa", you can no longer hold back. Young dancers who perform solo sometimes jump and land on their knees with such force that you doubt their ability to stand up again. However, not only do they stand up, they also continue to dance with greater inspiration and tempo.