Beshbarmag Mountain

Beshbarmag means five fingers, and the rock stands directly over the coastal highway where the mountains come closest to the Caspian, split at the top into the pinnacles that give it the name. It is a pilgrimage site rather than a viewpoint: a stepped path with handrails climbs from the roadside past shrines, cloth tied to railings, and stalls selling candles and sweets, up to a shrine near the summit. The route through the narrow gap between the rock faces at the top is the part people remember.

What you actually see

• The five pinnacles - the split summit that gives the mountain its name, visible from far along the road.
• The pilgrim stair - a stepped and railed path from the highway up through the rock.
• The summit shrine - a small sanctuary near the top, with cloth and offerings around it.
• The view - the Caspian on one side and the Greater Caucasus foothills on the other.

When to go

April to June and September to November are the comfortable seasons. Fridays and religious holidays bring large numbers of pilgrims. Summer is very hot on bare rock and winter winds off the Caspian make the upper section unpleasant.

Honest expectations

This is a working pilgrimage site and visitors are guests at it; the atmosphere is devotional rather than recreational. The stair is steep and the last section passes through a narrow gap that is a squeeze. The roadside approach is lined with stalls and beggars and can be uncomfortable.

Nearby

The Candy Cane Mountains are inland from here, and Quba is further north up the highway.