Tours From Baku
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Lahij from Baku: A Copper Village Above the Girdiman Gorge
A mountain village where copper is still hammered by hand on the street it has always been hammered on, and where the drains under the cobbles have outlasted almost everything built above them.
- 5.0 1 review
- About 9 hours
- Max 18
- English, Russian
- DurationAbout 9 hours
- Live tour guideEnglish, Russian
- GroupGroup of up to 18
Highlights
- Azerbaijan Avenue, by the car park
- Diri Baba, above Maraza
- Qutab, where the road turns for Ismayilli
- Zernava footbridge
- Lahij
- Lunch in the forest below the village
- Back down to Baku
Overview
Lahij stands at the head of a road running 180 kilometres north-west of Baku and then climbing into the Girdiman gorge. It is a village that still works rather than one kept for looking at: the copper shops along the main street are shops, the men inside them are making things to sell, and what you hear walking in is hammering.
The copper
UNESCO put the coppersmithing here on its intangible heritage register — a register for what is still being done, not for what is remembered. Walk Hunarmandlar and you will find metal being raised, lined with tin and cut with pattern by the same hands that take your money afterwards. Blades, saddlery and carpets came off this street for as long.
What is under the street
Beneath the paving runs a system of medieval channels, still carrying water away, and very few of that age are still managing it in this part of the world. They answer an obvious question — how a village stacked on a wet slope avoids becoming mud. No sign points them out. They have simply outlived nearly everything raised on top of them.
Diri Baba
An hour out of the city, above the road at Maraza, a fifteenth-century tomb sits inside a cliff: masonry where the rock ran out, rock where it did not, and a stair threading up through both into the hill behind. Tickets are bought at the entrance; they are not covered by what you pay us.
The road there
The driving is most of the day and it would be dishonest to describe it any other way. We pull out at nine. Where the highway turns for Ismayilli there is a roadside kitchen, and qutab comes off the hot plate in a couple of minutes — folded dough with greens, pumpkin or lamb inside it. Further along, the Zernava footbridge swings above the Girdimanchay with the gorge falling away beneath. Lunch is in the forest below the village.
What the day is like
Nine hours or so, eighteen people at the most. The walking is short and level enough, though the paving is old and rounded and catches people out. Tat is still spoken up here alongside Azerbaijani — an Iranian language the mountains kept — and guiding is in English or Russian.
Where else this road goes: Sheki from Baku: The Khan's Palace, the Caravanserai and the Silk Road, or Gabala and Shamakhi in One Day from Baku. Everything we run is on the day trips page.
Getting there on your own: 190 km from Baku by road. How to Get from Baku to Lahij compares a car with a driver, the intercity bus and a guided day.
- Duration
- About 9 hours
- Max Group Size
- Group of up to 18
- Language
- English, Russian
- Pickup
- Azerbaijan Avenue 1, Baku (parking)
More on this area: Lahij Day Trip from Baku · Day Trips from Baku
Itinerary
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09:00
Azerbaijan Avenue, by the car park
The group forms, and we leave through the northern suburbs onto the Shamakhi highway.
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Diri Baba, above Maraza
An hour from the city, a fifteenth-century tomb built sideways into a cliff. Tickets are sold at the entrance and are not covered by the tour.
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Qutab, where the road turns for Ismayilli
A roadside kitchen. Folded dough with greens, pumpkin or lamb, off the hot plate in about two minutes.
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Zernava footbridge
Ten minutes on a swaying span over the Girdimanchay, with the gorge dropping away on either side.
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Lahij
The long stop of the day. Hunarmandlar, the hammering, the shops, and the channels below the paving that keep the slope dry.
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Lunch in the forest below the village
Ordered from the menu and settled at the table. Vegetarian dishes are ready if the guide is told the day before.
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Back down to Baku
Out of the gorge before dusk and along the same highway, into the city in the evening.
What the price covers
Paid on the day
- Entrance tickets at Diri Baba, which are sold at the gate
Meeting point
Azerbaijan Avenue 1, Baku (parking)
Frequently asked questions
Why Lahij rather than another mountain village?
Because the trade there never stopped. Along Hunarmandlar the metal is still raised, lined with tin and cut with pattern, and UNESCO added the practice to its intangible heritage register precisely because people are still doing it. Blades, saddlery and carpets came off the same street for as long.
How much of the day is spent in the car?
Around five hours of the nine, split either side of the village. It is 180 km each way and the final climb through the gorge cannot be hurried — the surface is fine, the bends are not. If long drives wear you out, take one of our shorter days instead.
What will I be paying for on the day itself?
Three things sit outside the ticket: the entrance at Diri Baba, the meal in the forest, and whatever you carry home from the village. Copper is priced by weight and by the work in it, so bring more cash than you expect to need.
How steep is the village?
Barely. Lahij runs along its slope rather than up it, and the walking is measured in minutes. What catches people out is the paving — old, rounded and irregular. Leave the smooth soles in Baku.
Do you start from the hotel?
The shared group meets at nine at the car park on Azerbaijan Avenue 1, which is the only way a nine-hour day gets away on time. On a private trip a hotel pickup is often possible — agree it with us in advance.
What exactly is Diri Baba?
A burial place from the fifteenth century above the road at Maraza: masonry where the rock ran out, rock where it did not, and a stair threading up through both into the hillside. Half an hour is enough, and it breaks the drive at a sensible point.
Is the copper really made there?
It is, and that is why the time in the village is left unstructured rather than led. Buy from a workshop and the money reaches the hands that shaped the vessel, lined it and cut the pattern into it, with nobody standing in between.
Will anyone speak Russian to me?
Guiding is in English or Russian. In the village you will also hear Tat, an Iranian language carried here generations ago and kept alive by the mountains rather than by anybody's policy.
How long does the Lahij tour take?
The tour takes approximately 9 hours.
Where does the tour depart from?
The tour departs from Azerbaijan Avenue 1, Baku (parking).
What languages is the tour available in?
The tour is available in English, Russian.
How much does the tour cost?
Pricing starts at ₼ 75 per person. The final price depends on your group size and the date you choose.
How do I book this tour?
You can book directly on this page — choose your date and number of travellers and confirm. Our team will then reach out to confirm the details.
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Reviews
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· 1 review
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MMichael · London, United Kingdom
Beautiful day in Lahij
Another great experience with Tours from Baku. Lahij was beautiful, especially the old village and mountain scenery. Our guide was very friendly and shared interesting stories about the history and local traditions. A relaxing and enjoyable day away from Baku. Highly recommended!
