Balakan: The Far Corner Before Georgia

Balakan is where the road through the north-west runs out of Azerbaijan. Past it lies Georgia. Above it, the Greater Caucasus climbs to the Russian border.

Few visitors get this far. Those who do find a green, quiet district with one tall minaret, some very old stones, and a table full of local food.

Where Balakan is

The district sits on the south slopes of the Greater Caucasus, in the Alazan valley. The district office says it borders Russia to the north and Georgia to the west and south-west. Zagatala lies to the east.

The north is mountain and forest. The south is flat farm land. The town of Balakan sits where the two meet.

The Juma Mosque

This is the reason most people stop. The mosque was built between 1867 and 1877, says the national tourism board. Its minaret is red brick and stands 45 metres high, one of the tallest in the country.

The minaret stands apart from the prayer hall. The hall is built of river stones, and the district gives its area as 1,025 square metres. Inside you will see slim columns, painted walls and arched doors.

The tourism board says that from the top of the minaret you can see the Alazan valley and the peaks. Ask on the day whether the climb is open. Dress modestly, as you would for any working mosque.

A house that became a museum

A short walk from the mosque is the home of Professor Akif Mammadli. He is a scholar at the national academy of sciences, and for years he has collected the story of his town.

The tourism board describes old papers and coins, clay jugs, farm tools and a tambur. The professor shows guests round himself. He also keeps bees and grows persimmons, apples and strawberries in the garden.

Guests can stay the night, the board says, and sometimes local players come to perform on the tambur. Ask us to check before you plan around it.

The wall at Katekh

In Katekh village, north of the Baku–Balakan road, stand the remains of a long wall. The district dates it to the sixth century, built on orders from the Sasanian shahs.

It was a barrier against raids from the mountains. The district says the base was about 1.5 metres thick and the wall stood 4 to 5 metres tall. Only parts of it remain today.

Other old stones

The district counts 26 listed monuments and 30 more found recently. Two are ranked as national monuments of architecture.

One is a small church in Talalar village, which the district dates to the 14th century. It is 15 metres long, with its entrance held up by two large columns. Many other sites are ruins on hills or in forest and need a local who knows the way.

The local museum

The district’s history museum opened in 1984. It closed for some years and opened again in 2003. The district says it now holds more than 5,000 objects.

Look for the clay pots from digs in the district, some from the fourth and third centuries BC. There are also copper pots from the 17th to 19th centuries. One corner remembers a local man who built a machine for cracking hazelnuts.

Many languages, one district

The district has about 101,000 people, and 84% of them live in villages. The 2019 census counted 74.4% Azerbaijanis and 23.5% Avars.

Ingiloys, Georgians, Tsakhurs, Lezgins and others live here too. The tourism board calls it one of the most mixed corners of the country, once ruled by Albanian kings, Georgian queens and Russian tsars.

Food to look for

The district lists dishes you will not find in Baku. Makhara is a round bread baked on a saj, a curved iron plate. It is shaped as a sign of the sun.

There is also chicken chygyrtma, and khangal made with meat, cheese or pumpkin. Local gutab is called khitab here and may come with nettle or pumpkin. After the meal, ask for tea brewed from mountain thyme or dried linden flowers.

Persimmons and hazelnuts

The tourism board says Balakan holds a Persimmon Festival every autumn. Hazelnuts grow everywhere too. Our page on what is in season helps you time a visit around the harvest.

Buy from farms and village stalls rather than shops. The fruit is riper and you meet the grower.

Music

The tambur here has two strings. The district says people play it at village work days, when neighbours gather to clean tobacco, wool, corn or nuts. Men and women sing short verses to it and dance local steps.

Forest, reserve and waterfall

Two thirds of the Zagatala State Reserve lies inside Balakan, the district says. The reserve climbs from 600 to 3,000 metres. Deer, bears, lynx and mountain goats live in it.

It is a protected area, so do not wander in on your own. Ask us to check what is allowed. Outside it, the Katekh waterfall drops 20 metres. The tourism board also lists several hiking trails into the mountains.

Read our hiking page first. Trails here are not marked, and the high peaks keep snow until August.

When to go

The district records 890 mm of rain a year. It gives July averages between 10.5 °C and 24.5 °C, depending on height. Hot days in July can reach 40 °C.

Late spring is green. Autumn brings persimmons, nuts and clear light. Winter is wet and cold in the hills.

Getting there

By road, at the end of the north-western route. The tourism board says daily buses run from Baku’s International Bus Station to each town on it. It also lists an international airport at Zagatala, next door.

We have no official road figure for Baku to Balakan, so we give none. Plan it as the last stop after Sheki and Zagatala, not as a drive from Baku.

Practical notes

Bring cash for village stalls and small cafés. Russian helps more than English, and a driver who can translate helps most.

If you plan to cross into Georgia, confirm the current border rules before you travel. They can change, and we check them at the time of booking.

Arranging it

Tell us your dates, and say whether Balakan is the end of your trip or the way into Georgia. We will plan the nights on the road around that answer.