We left Baku and headed north west towards and into the Caucasus Mountains. We stopped in the Shemakha region to see a few sights.
Juma (Friday) Mosque - This mosque was believed to be built over the remains of a Zoroastrian Fire Temple (743), and has been destroyed and rebuilt and added onto many times through the years. It is huge and beautiful!
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| Taking off our shoes before entering |
Butter and Yogurt Making - We visited a family who showed us how they make their own butter and yogurt from their own cows and then we had mid-day tea which always seems to involve cheese and bread and other yummy things to eat!
Seven Domes of Yeddi Gumbza - which are only three now. These are royal tombs in a cemetery from the 18th and 19th centuries for the family of the last khan of the Shemakhi Dynasty. A "khan" is a provincial ruler. Their location gave us a nice view of the countryside and the mosque.
Driving into the mountains...
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| That's a super sheer rock cliff with a thin road we drove on above a very dry river bed |
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| Right in the middle of this image are remains of the original Silk Road |
The Village of Lahij - The people of this isolated village speak an ancient dialect of Persian known as Tat, as well as Farsi, Azeri and also Russian. The village is also home to coppersmiths, weavers, and apple orchards.
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| The Library |
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| They run their gas-lines in pipes above ground. This is the case everywhere. |
Driving north to Sheki - Stopping for coffee with Jean Claude Van Damme! His son married a girl from this village en route to our next town, and so there is a carving of him at the roadside coffee shop.
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| How brilliant - the ramp for strollers! |
The end of a long day! Dinner and local vodka of course!
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