Gabala Tour Guide
About Gabala
Gabala has always played a vital role in the history of Azerbaijan and the same is today. It was the city of Gabala that becane the first capital of Caucasian Albania. The city used to have the residence of the Albainian King located in it. The fortress and walls of ancient Gabala, the remains of buildings of the ancient period and other cultural monuments have been well preserved now and tells the whole story about the fame of the city of Gabala had in the past. Today, Gabala is a developed city and is one of the top tourist attractions of Azerbaijan and center of culture and history reserves. It has also an international airport and the large ski resort with the name of Tufan Ski Resort that is source of promotion winter tourism of Azerbaijan. Tourism Authorities regularly hold meetings in Gabala to chalk out future development strategies and events of international importance. It is not surprising that Gabala is extremely attractive for amateurs of quality leisure and entertainment thanks to its incredible nature, diversity of historical and cultural heritage, as well as developed tourist infrastructure.
Chukhur Gabala
The Gabala State Historical and Cultural Reserve were established in 1985 that plays pivotal role to develop Gabala as tourist destination. Covering the territory of 480 hectares it is located 25-30 km south west of the administrative center of Gabala, near the village of Chukhur Gabala and the project is named after this village. The archeological excavations in 1960 provide evidence that Gabala was one of the major cities with developed trade and crafts from 4th-3rd centuries BC to 18th century AD. Currently, the remains of the ancient city of of Gabala are located on three sites that are Antique Selbir and Gala. As a result of the excavations, scientists discovered that since the moment of its establishment the city was located on a site of 50 hectares in the place of an ancient settlement on the left bank of the Gochalanchay River. The Archeologists found here monumental buildings with stone columns and tiles. It is interesting to note that the site has the remains of a large food barn, discovered recently and belonging to the 4th – 3rd century’s layers of the ancient settlement. In large household jugs (more than 1000 jugs were found) wine, nuts, grain, etc. were stored. Numerous finds of ceramic slags and molds testify to the high level of development of ceramic production, metallurgy, jewelry and other handicrafts of ancient Gabala. The bullas (pieces of clay with stamps), coins minted in different countries and other imported products brought from the countries of the east and the Mediterranean, which were found during excavations, speak about the extensive trade relations ancient Gabala both within the country and abroad. Now all these ancient artifacts are saved and kept in the Gabala local history Museum.
Gabaland
Gabaland is one of the top tourist attractions of the Gabala region. It is a great entertainment park located on the territory of 16 hectares and having more than 40 entertainment facilities: attraction, carousels, and artificial lakes with catamarans, a swimming pool, water park, football, basketball, volleyball courts, karting and lot of food options for the holiday makers who are fond of food, especially to enjoy trout fish. Visitors will also find facilities for climbing and extreme sports, an indoor ice rink, height, and others. The center is open in all seasons and all day long throughout the year.
Nij Village
Nij is the largest village around in Gabala region, with the population of about 4000 people belonging to the Udine (uchii) Christian ethnic community. The village is located 40 km south-west of the administrative center of Gabala. The village is decorated with beautiful houses and a large garden, the village of Nij is famous for its fruit gardens that fulfill the most needs of fruit of the region. Fruit and nut growing is quite popular here and are harvested for sale. The village of Nij does not have any hotels, although there are shops, a health center, cafes, and a 300 year old spring. Guests and holiday makers may stay in local houses as paying guest. The locals of Nij are quite hospitable and will be happy to offer you a guided visit to the village, introduce the local sights and the cuisine. You can try the dishes of the Udin cuisine in local cafes. Do not forget to visit the bazaar, where you will find the local products, fruits etc. There are also some old churches and the one (Chota Udi Church) was restored in 2006.
Nohurgol Lake
The lake is one of the popular tourist attractions of Gabala region. Surrounded by wooded hills, the artificial Nokhurgol Lake is a popular recreation area in Gabala. The lake is famous for its clean water and magnificent views. Tourist infrastructure is well developed around the lake and one can find accommodation close the lake. Here you can rent boats and catamarans to ride on the lake or take a walk along the shore while riding a horse. Around the lake, one can find many cafes and restaurants offering dishes of national cuisine. While leaving, do not forget to buy local marinated fruits, vegetables, honey and jams that are sold everywhere here.
Piano Factory
The Gilan Company has an enterprise in Gabala, which produces pianos of the famous brand of the world with the name of Beltmann. There are varieties of Piano products produced in the factory and with a rough estimate; about 1200-1500 instruments are produced here per annum. The factory’s general designer is Hans Leifering, one of the best craftsmen in the world, a descendant of Jan Balle Beltman, who was the founder of a piano business empire that has flourished since 1901. For the manufacturing of musical instruments, craftsmen use European spruce which is grown on the border of Austria and Germany, whose age is at least 150 years. All the mechanics are produced by the Renner factory in Stuttgart, which also supplies these mechanisms for Steinway; the wool that is used for hammers comes from England, and strings – from Austria. The cast-iron fames are made in Azerbaijan and their composition is kept secret as much as possible.
Tufan Ski Complex
The Tufan Ski Complex is located in a picturesque mountain area, about 4km from the city of Gabala. The resort is equally popular as summer tourist resort of Gabala region. Currently the Complex has 4 cableways and 5 ski slopes, which are equipped with a system of artificial snow. The Tufan Ski Resort is capable to receive 3000 people during one day. The complex has various cafes and restaurants, as well as hotels where tourists can stay. The main hotel is the 5 – star Qafqaz riverside resort hotel, which is located near the lower cableway station. The ski resort is constantly being equipped and upgraded and has a place for sale and rental of sports uniforms, as well as a ski school, a sports store and catering facilities. There is also facility of ride a chairlift to view the magnificent of nature around and the mountains of Gabala.