Lahich

Lahich (Lahıc, Lahij) is a remote and scenic mountain village of fewer than a thousand people in the Sheki Region. It is famous for traditional copper work.

There are only a few guesthouses in the village, and people go after the traditional lives. The village centre is plastered with large and beautiful cobble stones, which only allow for a slow pace. Along this main road, merchants sell traditional copper work, for which it is famous, and some souvenirs.

Minivan buses, which are often packed like sardines, depart at 08:30 and 11:00 in the morning from Ismailli (Aug 2019). To catch the bus, wait at the intersection near the bus station, diagonal from the Lukoil petrol station in Ismailli.

The timetable is not very clear, and you might end up waiting a while, if the bus shows up at all. You may be harassed by taxi drivers who tell you the bus is not coming, and they may or may not be correct.

If arriving from Baku, take the bus from the Baku bus station towards Ismailli for 6.19 manat (June 2026). Ask the driver to drop you off before Ismailli, at the intersection of the road leading to Lahic, near the Sərhəd Market. There, you will find taxi drivers who can take you the rest of the way - a good price is 15 manat.

For budget travelers willing to wait, if you walk past the markets and up the road a bit, you will see a small bus shelter. Here, locals pick up passengers and take them to Lahic for around 2-3 manat (June 2026). As a tourist, expect to pay 5 manat, but locals say do not pay more than that. You may have to wait an hour in order to find a ride, and be prepared to wave to each passing car to indicate that you want a ride. This seems to be the most economical way to get to Lahic.

Taxis from Ismailli cost as little as 12 manat for the 40-min one way trip or 35 manat for a round trip (Aug 2019).

There is only one road into and out of Lahich. The last 7 km of the road are unsealed and sometimes even impassable, when there was a landslide. However, people are quite fast cleaning up. The dirt road is possible with a regular car, just very slowly.

The road from Ismayilli to Lahic is fully paved.

The main road in Lahic, which is made of large stones, is a little over a kilometer in length and walking the entire length of the street can be completed in thirty minutes. Cars and bikes are not allowed in the historic section of Lahic during daylight hours.

• 40.8461148.382451 Village Centre. Daily 09:00-18:00. Beautiful cobblestone road and copper work shops.  

• Hiking in the area around Lahich or even towards Quba – see OpenStreetMap, which many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz use, for trails.
• 41.01998248.304671 Mt. Babadağ (along the trail towards Quba, about 32 km from Lahich). 3629 m  

• Copper work
• There is a small 40.84830948.3855031 supermarket (Agami market) in the centre near the small bridge along the main road.

A handful of restaurants and teashops are hidden away in lanes off the main street in Lahich, and most of these close once the sun goes down. Several small supermarkets are located in Lahich, where you can find most basic food stuff.

• 40.85020148.393911 Ancient Lahij Guest House, N. Huseynov Street 57, ☏ +994 506777517. Check-in: until 23:00, check-out: from 07:00. Dadash is the friendly owner of this guesthouse, which offers up to 4 beds. He also has a camp ground (his lawn) with allowed usage of bath and toilet. From 35 manat (for 3), 5 manat for tent.  

• There exists an 40.8461148.3823882 ATM in the village, along the main road at the beginning.
• The 40.84814648.3855123 post office can be found near the small bridge in the centre.

Lahich is probably just a stop over on your regular route. However, next stops could include:

• Sheki – A beautiful city in the Caucasus mountains with lots to see and do. It has one of the largest densities of cultural resources and monuments that span 2,700 years of Azerbaijani history.
• Qabala – New resort town deep in Caucasian Mountains, which has taken its name from the archaeological site about 20 km southwest.
• Shamakhi – A town that used to be the capital of the Medieval state of Shirvan. Famous for its traditional dancers, Şamaxı dancers, and its impressive mosque. An ancient history and once one of the key cities along the Silk Road.
• Baku

or even Quba by foot.