Ilisu

Ilisu is in the Qakh district of northwestern Azerbaijan, at around 1,100 metres altitude, on a rocky platform overlooking the gorge of the Kurmukchay river. The access road climbs through hillsides covered in beech and oak forest; in the last few kilometres before the village the undergrowth closes in so tightly that light comes filtered through. When you arrive, the village seems suspended: wooden houses curled over the edge of the cliff and, below, the roar of water.

The Ilisu waterfall is about twenty minutes on foot down a path that starts in the centre of the village. The route descends over slippery stones through dense vegetation until it reaches a pool where the water falls from several metres. You hear it well before you see it. The damp, shaded atmosphere contrasts with the dry heat of the valley below.

The village itself is quiet and barely touristy outside summer weekends. There are a few rural guesthouses and a basic restaurant near the entrance. The inhabitants grow walnuts and raise livestock; there are beehives in the gardens. For those coming from Shaki or Qakh, Ilisu makes a half-day stop that requires no special preparation.

Ilisu was historically a village of the Ilisu principality, a semi-autonomous territory that served for centuries as a buffer zone between the Persian and Russian empires and the Georgian kingdom of Kakheti. The Ilisu sultanate was incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 19th century and the village gradually lost its strategic role. The forest surrounding the valley is part of the protected areas of northwestern Azerbaijan; some fauna species such as the brown bear and grey wolf still inhabit the region.

• Ilisu Waterfall The descent from the village takes about twenty minutes and ends at a pool at the base of the falls. The path is slippery in wet weather; suitable footwear recommended.
• Cliff edge The oldest houses in the village stand literally on the edge of the gorge; from here the views into the valley and across the mountains beyond are the best in the area.
• Beech and oak forest The immediate surroundings of Ilisu are covered by dense forest that turns yellow and orange in autumn. The paths through the trees are unsignposted but easy to follow.
• Traditional wooden houses The vernacular architecture of the village with carved wooden balconies is representative of northwestern Azerbaijan; some houses still have original slate roofs.
• Kurmukchay river At the bottom of the gorge the river runs between moss-covered stones; there are cool pools suitable for resting in summer.

Ilisu is about 25 km from Qakh and around 80 km from Shaki. From Shaki there are taxis that reach Qakh, and from there it is possible to arrange local transport to Ilisu. There is no regular public transport to the village. Many visitors organise the trip from Shaki, combining Ilisu with Qakh and the Caucasian Albanian monuments in the region.

May and June are the best months: the forest is green, the waterfall carries more water and temperatures are around 18–24 °C. July and August are hot and can be busy at weekends. Autumn (September–October) offers spectacular colours in the beech forests. In winter the access road may be closed by snow.