The Ulu Bridge
A stone arch over the river.
Abkhazian1 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Murad Ahmadzada — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hasrat Heydaroff — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hazo hazo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hazo hazo — CC BY-SA 3.0
Ilisu is a mountain village in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, about 12 to 15 km from the town of Gakh in northwest Azerbaijan. It was once the centre of the Ilisu Sultanate and today attracts nature lovers and walkers with its stone houses, narrow lanes, river and surrounding mountains. One source says the sultanate lasted about 300 years, with lands on both sides of the main Caucasus ridge. From that time survives Sumug Castle, now a symbol of the Gakh region, though restoration changed its original look. It holds a branch of the Gakh History Museum with an exhibit on the sultanate. The great bridge and the village mosque are dated to the 17th and 18th centuries. The best known sights are the arched stone Ulu Bridge, crossing the river between rocks, and the Ramrama waterfall, described as one of the country's tallest, at about 25 m according to one source. Around the village lies the Ilisu reserve, set up in 1987 to protect old forests, with fine meadows in spring and summer. It is 39 km in a straight line from Zaqatala and 32 km from Shaki. The road to the waterfall is reported to be rough, so you may need a suitable car or a local guide. Sources say the valley towards the Russian border is a closed zone, so do not go beyond what residents advise. The river can run high in spring, and in winter the waterfall freezes and the road gets harder.
A stone arch over the river.
Freezing in winter.
With a branch of the Gakh museum.
About 15 km from Gakh, northwest Azerbaijan
The road is reported to be rough, so you may need a suitable car or a guide.
Sources say the valley towards the Russian border is closed, so ask residents and do not go beyond it.