Gusar Tour Guide
About Gusar
Gusar is one of the most important and interesting regions of Azerbaijan. The region is famous for its historical and natural monuments, as well as the culture and traditions of the local people, most of whom belong to the Lezghins. The people (Lezghins) are considered to be the descendants of the Leks who were among the 26 founding tribes of Caucasian Albania. The Lezghins have their own musical traditions such as the folk dance Lezginka is shared by many other communities of the Caucasus. The dishes of the Lezghin national cuisine are very popular among the people throughout Azerbaijan.
Laza Waterfall
Laza and Shaknabat waterfalls are further to Shahdag complex and can be easily reached the Suvar Tourist Center located at an altitude of 1,850 meters above sea level. From there in the mountain gorges close to the Center one can see quite impressive waterfalls, the most popular of which are Laza and Shaknabat located at an altitude of 2000 meters. In winter frozen waterfalls attract winter sports such as ice climbing for the mountain climbers.
Mahalyn Taji Mosque
The Mosque is located 27 km from the administrative center, the village of Anig that is considered to be particularly interesting for its history and local culture. In the center of the village, one can see the building of the old Mahalyn Taji Mosque with magnificent frescos. It was constructed in the 19th century, this mosque is considered an attempt to show the admiration for Taj Mahal by a rich merchant from Anig, who visited India that time.
Museum of Local History
The Museum houses 3000 unique exhibits and it is good to first start the visit of museum before visiting Gusar region. There are different artifacts lying in the museum such as pottery, tools and jewelry belonging to the Early Iron, Early and late Bronze ages, antiquity and the Middle Ages. The weapons and copper vessels related to the Middle Ages are also worth seeing. The museum is visited by quite high numbers of tourists around the world and local tourists as well in a year time.
Shahdag
Shahdag is one of the top tourist resorts of Azerbaijan and Gusar is often called the mother of Shahdag. It is located on the slopes of the Mountain at an altitude of 1,300 to 2,400 meters above sea level. The Shahdag tourist resort is rightly considered one of most popular tourist destinations in the country. The center has several luxury hotels and is open throughout the year. In winter, it is changed into Ski Resort with a lot of ski slopes of various levels of complexity and in summer it becomes an amazing recreation area with breathtaking entertainment facilities such as riding quad bikes, mountain bikes, segways, zip-line, hiking and horseback riding, climbing, etc.
Tomb of Sheikh Junayd
The Tomb of Sheikh Junayd located in the village of Khazra (Yargun) is considered one of the most important historical and architectural monuments of the Gusar region. It is known that Sheikh Junayd the grandfather of Shah Ismail I died in battle against the troops of Shirvanshah Khalilulah in 1456. His soldiers buried him nearby in the Khazra Village. The construction of the mausoleum over his grave was conducted apparently, much later as testified by an inscription on the north façade of the now existing structures. At the same time, there is evidence that the remains of Sheikh Junayd were taken to Ardabil in the 16th century. An ancient cemetery is also located nearby the tomb, where fallen warriors are buried, as the legend says.