Azerbaijan/Lahic-Lahij (Greater Caucasian Village) Part 15

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Lahıc:
Lahij (Azerbaijani: Tat: Löhij) is a village and municipality on the southern slopes of Greater Caucasus within the Ismailli Rayon of Azerbaijan. Population is approximately 860 people who speak the Tat language.Lahij is a notable place in Azerbaijan, with its authentic handicrafts traditions, particularly related to copper. The village's carpet and rug crafts are also well known in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus. Lahij has an old sewage system (some experts claim that it was built 1000 – 1500 years ago). Due to frequent earthquakes local people have developed sophisticated and authentic construction techniques.
The majority of the population of Lahij speaks the Tati language The residents of the region are usually bilingual: as well as the Tati language, an Iranian language, the Azerbaijani language is also widely spoken.
Being situated on the left bank of the River Ghirdiman and the slopes of the Niyal Mountain Chain, the settlement of Lahij is a unique living district, with its unusual planning lay out, transport systems, and its public, private and religious buildings. Lahij is an example of early urbanization and architecture, as shown by its cobbled streets and squares, together with its developed sewerage systems and water pipelines. Subterranean kurabandis (‘sewerage system’), made from river stones, and dating back to almost one thousand years, are thought to be one of the most ancient sewerage systems used in the world.
The residents of Lahij are divided into three categories, based on their craftsmanship: Baadvan, Azavarro and Araghird.[9] Each of these categories has its own village square, mosque, hammam and graveyard. One of the most striking features of the urban look of Lahij, is the village square of each category, which, today, still has its specific role in the public life of the village.
Earthquakes frequently occur in the region, and, as a result, a specific style of building construction has developed – which include certain styles and techniques in crosscutting stone and installation of wood. The ancient dwelling houses in Lahij have remained unchanged, as, during the past centuries, there have not been any significant changes in the urban planning. The ground floors of houses built in the main trading street are used as workshops and trade rooms. The traditional interiors of these Lahij houses include decorative tableware and other items, placed in different sized holes in the walls (known in Azerbaijan as takhcha, chamakhatan) and on wall shelves.
Copper work is the most important of the skills developed by Lahij craftsmen. Lahij is renowned for its production of arms and copper items, decorated with carved ornaments. The development of copper production triggered the formation of such professions in Lahij as tinsmith, blacksmith and others, together with the creation of bituminous coal. The structure and supplies of copper workshops, as well as its traditional external look and its production processes remain preserved today, as they were in previous centuries. Written sources, as well as, the rich copperware collections that may be seen in the museums of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian and Europe, prove the existence of over 80 types of copperware equipment used in copperware manufacturing in Lahij.
Leather goods’ manufacture was the second biggest craft skill in Lahij, after that of coppersmith. The local leather goods’ master craftsmen were expert in using shagren, tumaj and yuft as raw materials for various products such as shoes, belts, leather quilted jackets, book covers and bridles. Leather production in Lahij created suitable conditions for the development of other craftsmen, with associated skills - such as saddle makers, bridle makers, cobblers, hat makers and sheepskin makers.
The development of international tourism, together with more knowledge about the people and cultures, has resulted in a gradual interest in the cultural diversity of the Region. Lahij, in recent years, has attracted the attention of many tourists visiting from countries worldwide and as a result Lahij is now included in the travel tours of several leading tourism agencies.Wikipedia