Ilisu

Ilisu was the seat of a small sultanate until the nineteenth century and the village still has the Sumug Qala, a square stone defensive tower with its own wall, standing among the houses. Behind the village a track runs up a gorge to the Ram-Ram waterfall, past a stone arch bridge and through beech forest, and the whole valley is walking country. The stone architecture, the water everywhere and the beech woods make it noticeably different from the drier country south of the ridge.

History

Ilisu was the capital of the Elisu Sultanate, which grew out of the older Tsakhur Khanate, a feudal state on the northern slopes of the main Caucasus ridge since the 15th century or earlier, as the Tsakhurs moved south into the Kakh and Jar lands. The village lies on the Kurmukh river, its people were mainly Tsakhurs of the Sunni faith, with Azerbaijanis and Georgian Ingiloys among them, and the history of the sultanate was closely tied to the free communities of Jar and Belokan nearby (Wikipedia, İlisu).

What's there

• Sumug Qala - a square medieval defensive tower with its own wall, in the middle of the village.
• The gorge track - a walk up the valley behind the village through beech forest.
• The waterfall - Ram-Ram, at the head of the gorge, reached on foot or on horseback.
• The old bridges - stone arch bridges over the streams around the village.

When to go

May to October for the walking, and October for the beech colour. Spring brings high water through the gorge. Winter closes the upper valley and the mountain road can be difficult.

Practical notes

The walk to the waterfall is longer and rougher than it is usually described, and the last section crosses the stream repeatedly. Horses are offered and are the sensible option for many. Facilities in the village are limited to a few guesthouses and tea houses.

Nearby

Qakh is twenty minutes south, and Zaqatala is west along the foothill road.

Key facts