Masalli

Masalli is a small city in the far south-east of Azerbaijan, nestled between the foothills of the Talysh mountains and the coastal plain of the Caspian Sea. The first scent on arrival is of damp vegetation: the area receives more rainfall than almost anywhere else in the country, and the difference is immediately apparent in the deep green of the fields and the trees lining the roads. It is not a typical tourist destination, which is evident in the absence of signage in any language other than Azerbaijani or Russian.

The town centre has a main square with a shaded park, some shops and a bazaar selling locally grown fruit: pomegranates, figs, quinces and varieties of citrus that do not exist further north. The morning markets have the noise and smell typical of regional bazaars: piled vegetables, caged chickens, older men sitting in groups. Talysh cuisine differs from standard Azerbaijani cooking through greater use of fresh herbs, herb-spiced rice and mountain stews.

The surroundings are the real reason to make a detour here: the tea plantations on the hills to the west, the Talysh villages with wooden architecture and the patches of Hyrcanian forest that reach the outskirts of town. Tourist infrastructure is almost non-existent; there are some basic guesthouses and one or two restaurants with local cooking. Those who come seeking comfort will find little; those who come with curiosity, quite a lot.

The Masalli region has been inhabited since antiquity by the Talysh, a people of Iranian origin who have preserved their language and customs despite centuries of successive rule: the Safavid Empire, the Talysh Khanate and, from the early nineteenth century, the Russian Empire. During the tsarist period, the area was administratively integrated into the Russian Caucasus and lost much of its political autonomy, though the Talysh identity survived in the mountain villages. During the Soviet era, Masalli was developed as one of the centres of tea cultivation in the southern Caucasus, as a substitute for Georgian imports. The remaining plantations are a direct legacy of that planned agricultural policy, and some local families still produce tea by hand.

• Masalli tea plantations The cultivated terraces on the hills west of the city form a landscape unusual in the Caucasus. You can visit a farm and see the drying process in small, basic facilities; the smell of fermenting leaf in the drying sheds is hard to forget.
• Hyrcanian forest Patches of the relict subtropical forest covering the Caspian flank of the Talysh: oriental oaks, mastic trees and plants found nowhere else in the country. There are no marked trails; it is best to go with a local guide.
• Masalli central bazaar On Thursdays and Fridays it draws vendors from the whole district. It is the best place to observe daily life and buy spices, dried fruit and bulk Talysh tea at very low prices.
• Talysh mountain villages 10-15 km from the city there are villages where Talysh rather than Azerbaijani is spoken, with wooden architecture and customs visibly different from the rest of the country.
• Viləşçay river The river runs down from the mountains with clear, cold water. On its banks there are shaded spots where locals spend summer evenings; a good stopping point when travelling towards the interior villages.

Photo gallery

Masalli is about 200 km south of Baku on the M3 motorway. Buses from the southern bus station in Baku run several times a day and take between 3 and 4 hours; the fare is around 5-7 manat. There are also less frequent train services. From Lankaran, a coastal town 30 km to the south, there are frequent marshrutkas. There is no airport in the area.

Spring, from March to May, is the best time: temperatures of 15-22 °C, the Hyrcanian forest and hills in full greenery and early fruit harvest. Summer is humid and warm, with highs of 30-33 °C and considerable mugginess from the influence of the Caspian. Autumn offers dry, mild days. Winter is mild —temperatures rarely drop below zero in Masalli— but with frequent rain.