Located in northern Azerbaijan, this mountain town has red-tiled houses, ancient synagogues, and apple orchards. The nearby Red Village is home to one of Europe's largest Mountain Jewish communities.
Quba lies in northeastern Azerbaijan, at the foot of the Greater Caucasus Mountains beside the Kudyal River. In this city, you can explore the octagonal Juma Mosque with its 16-meter dome, walk through apple orchards, watch carpet weavers create intricate patterns, and visit the Mountain Jewish community in Red Village. The surrounding mountain roads lead to remote villages like Khinalig, where houses stack upon each other up the mountainside.
Getting to Quba
You can reach Quba from Baku by taking a bus from the Baku International Bus Terminal, with the journey taking about three hours. The road winds through the mountains, passing small villages and orchards along the way. If you prefer more flexibility, you can hire a taxi in Baku or rent a car, though mountain roads require careful driving especially during winter months.
Red Village Jewish Community
Cross the Kudyal River from Quba to reach Red Village (Qırmızı Qəsəbə), where Mountain Jews have lived since the 1700s. Walk through nine distinct neighborhoods, each with its own synagogue. Visit the central synagogue and the Museum of Mountain Jews to learn about the community's traditions. Local residents speak Juhuri, their own distinct language, and maintain kosher dietary practices.
Religious and Cultural Buildings
Walk around the 19th-century Juma Mosque and look up at its 16-meter dome. The octagonal structure uses advanced engineering techniques that eliminate the need for supporting columns inside. Visit the Chukhur Hamam, where beehive-shaped domes made from red brick once maintained warm temperatures for bathers.
Mountain Villages
Drive up to Khinalig, a village 2,000 meters above sea level. Here, 360 houses create a unique stepped pattern - each building's roof functions as the yard for the house above it. Winter temperatures drop to -30°C, so residents make insulating bricks from straw and dung. The village maintains its own language and distinct cultural practices.
Apple Growing and Local Food
Visit the apple orchards in the surrounding valleys, which supply fruit for the annual Apple Festival each autumn since 2012. Try local dishes like Quba tıxması (stuffed meat), tandir kebab cooked in clay ovens, and the regional version of baklava.
Traditional Carpet Weaving
Visit the "Qadim Quba" carpet workshop to see weavers creating patterns like "Golu Chichi." The Metropolitan Museum in New York displays a Quba carpet from 1712. Watch how weavers use wool from local sheep and natural dyes to create these carpets using centuries-old techniques.
Mountains and Waterfalls
Take a trip to the 50-meter Afurdja waterfall, Azerbaijan's highest. Stop at the nearby cafes for tea and local sweets. Walk along parts of the 50-kilometer Gigilchay fortress wall to the Chirag-Kala Tower. On clear days, you can see all the way to Derbent from the tower's viewpoint.
