Xinaliq is Azerbaijan’s highest village nested in the Greater Causcasus. It is on a level of 2300 m, above the tree line, and the mountains are covered by a grass carpet that looks like green velvet draped around the mountains.
Xinaliq people are also known for their own language and legend tells that it is Noah’s language.
Xinaliq is rather isolated and it takes a four wheel drive to reach it through stunning landscape on a long and winding, unpaved road. And yet, boys are boys.
They are the ones who approach curiously the foreigners and serve as guide to the museum up the mountain. They are the ones who take charge to lead the horse carrying a lamb on its side. And despite the isolation of Xinaliq toy weapons have found their way to the mountains and as everywhere in the world boys love to aim and shoot. And yet they have the other, soft side and the one boy was cuddling with the lamb and they were just two kids who seem to contemplate about the difficulty of life. And life is certainly difficult in the rough nature of the Caucasus mountains – and yet it seems to be beautiful and full of joy.
Here you find more pictures of Xinaliq in the Greater Caucasus.
Life in Baku 
Beautiful. I hope to make it to Xinaliq this summer.
Thank you. It is certainly an experience to go.
hi A., congratulations for your courage to explore the Caucasus – coming back with such a nice story and photos of a little boy forgetting his toy weapons, cuddling a lamb – yes, these two sides are in us…
I love your beautiful photos.