FIDAN NAZIMQIZI: Qrız is a village and in the Quba Rayon of Azerbaijan. Quba is a city and the centre of the Quba District of Azerbaijan. The city lies on the north-eastern slopes of Shahdag mountain. The city itself is home to a number of architectural and historic monuments, like the Juma Mosque, Gilgilchay Fortress, and a number of other mosques and mausoleums. Many people come to Quba as part of a trip to other parts around the city. Red Town is the world’s last surviving shtetl, a settlement of Mountain Jews with their own language and culture. Khinalug is the highest village in Azerbaijan, 2,350 m (7,710 ft) above sea level. Khinalug was isolated from the rest of the world for most of its history, leading to unique stone buildings and a language spoken nowhere else.

Quba is also popular just as a place to go to enjoy the beautiful nature of Azerbaijan. Quba carpets also make for an interesting trip. These carpets feature intricate designs that take inspiration from nature and geometric patterns, plus a variety of vivid colors. Each village had signature patterns, though many have been lost to time. However, more recently, carpet workshops have been opening in Quba with the aim of bringing back the art of carpet weaving and reviving the skills and knowledge needed to keep this ancient art alive.

The village of Qrız sits on a plateau over 2,000 metres up surrounded by dramatic landscapes. They speak their own local language. Qrız language is part of the Caucasus family, in the Dagestan group and the Shahdag sub-group. Their houses are made partly out of picked wooden sticks and stones in the near forests. It is not possible to get to the village by a personal car, only by foot or 4x4 Land Rover. Locals usually earn a living by keeping animals and grazing them. However, the village of Qrız is still the cradle of Qrız identity and culture. It’s history, relying on the little online information that exists, as well as interaction with several locals, is undoubtedly very rich.

The Qrız people are reportedly descendants of one of the 26 tribes that made up Caucasian Albania, the ancient state that existed between the 4th century BC and the 8th century AD and encompassed today’s Azerbaijan. Evidence of this is the abundance of old stones from crumbled houses and graves scattered across the plateau on which Qrız sits, which give some idea of the village’s scale in its prime. There is a ancient mosque located in the center of the village. Some Baku hike-tour companies use the village as a base to visit a local waterfall that is especially attractive when frozen in winter.