Lahich: Copper Craft and Cobblestone Streets

Lahich brings together a strong copper tradition, cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and a hiking route to Girdiman Fortress. This offers a range of interests to consider when planning your trip: crafts, local history, and routes toward Mount Niyal. Other trades and herbal tea are also among the features that define the town. Copper craft involves materials, production, and the passing on of knowledge; the caravanserai, bathhouse, and underground canals each tell a different chapter of local history.

Copper Craft and Its Traditions

Copper craft in Lahich is organized around a master and apprentice. Knowledge is passed down within families from father to son. To make copperware, molten copper is hammered into thin sheets, which are then polished and engraved. Both shaping the material and working its surface are part of the process. Passing on this knowledge is as much a part of the tradition as the individual steps involved.

Nazar Aliyev’s copper workshop often organizes master classes for tourists. As the workshop program may change, it is advisable to check before visiting. Those interested in local craftsmanship can thus consider making and teaching as two closely connected aspects.

Caravan Route, Buildings, and Streets

Lahich developed along a Silk Road caravan route, where crafts and trade flourished in the Middle Ages. The ruins of a large caravanserai with 72 rooms can be found in Lahich; its construction is tentatively dated to the 18th century. The Haji Molla Hussein bathhouse dates from the 19th century and is still used by residents. The two buildings therefore differ both in their dates and in their present-day status: the caravanserai is described as a ruin, while the bathhouse remains in use.

The streets are also part of the townscape: they are paved with stone. Lahich also has old underground wastewater channels made of river stone. The street surfaces and canals illustrate two different aspects of local building history. Together with the caravanserai ruins and the bathhouse that is still in use, they form a picture in which historic trade routes, buildings, and infrastructure each have their own place.

Hiking Route to Girdiman Fortress

A hiking route leads to Girdiman Fortress and continues toward Mount Niyal. On the way back, visitors can see the cascades known as the “7 Waterfalls.” These landmarks play different roles: the fortress is a destination on the route, the mountain is where it continues, and the waterfalls are part of the return journey. This sequence helps put the route into context without combining its individual stops into a single destination.

Workshops and Local Specialties

Carpet weaving is also part of Lahich’s crafts. At Sulhiyya Aliyeva’s workshop, visitors can watch the weaving; access and activities may change. Family workshops offer master classes and handicrafts for sale, though programs and availability may vary. Agamashadi Huseynov makes whips and horse saddles. The availability of individual craftspeople may also change. The range therefore extends from carpet weaving to master classes and handicrafts, as well as work related to horse equipment.

Local flavors include tea with herbs, many of which are said to grow only in the area. The drinks on offer may vary. When planning your trip, you can weigh up different priorities: making and passing on copper craft, the town’s architectural history, other crafts, or the hiking route with its fortress, continuation toward the mountain, and waterfalls.

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