Masalli: beautiful corner of "magic water"
By Amina Nazarli
Masalli, a beautiful and unique city located in 240 km of Baku, is the southern region of Azerbaijan attracting many tourists every year.
The picture perfect, cozy and beautiful land is known for its
sub-tropical climate, azure beaches on the coast of the Caspian Sea
and a diversity of hot springs.
Favorable climate promotes growth of lush forests in the region,
which creates a perfect habitat for various rare animals and
valuable trees such as oak and ironwood, the wood so heavy that
sinks in water.
Majestic Talish Mountains never cease to amaze travelers with its unique beauty and freshness.
To enjoy the picture perfect nature of Talish woods with all its own beauty, it’s better to visit this beautiful city in autumn, winter, or spring.
Despite being located away from main thoroughfares, the southern region without a doubt is a potentially perfect area for tourism.
Masalli is a promising medical region for tourism, thanks to its beautiful Healing waters called “Istisu”, translated as “hot water”
The source does not dry for many hundreds of years, and no one knows the exact history of its occurrence.
The water, coming from the bowels of the earth at a depth of 90-250 meters, has been called magical water since ancient times. It’s rich with hydrogen sulphide, calcium, sodium, chloride, magnesium hydrocarbons, and iodine, which makes it a cure for thousands of diseases.
The waterfalls of Istisu add a special beauty to this region and are popular among tourists. Picnic lovers can fade in to the thick woods of the nature, and enjoy the cool, refreshing air of the waterfall in summer
Thanks to the mild subtropical climate, the average temperature
in the region stands at +29 degrees Celsius in summer and +7
degrees C in winter.
The abundance of sunlight, water and fresh air make Masalli a
paradise for subtropical plants including tangerine, oranges and
lemons.
Not surprisingly, with its pleasant climate, Masalli is blessed with many amateur gardeners. Even the residents sometimes joke that if to drop a seed to the ground it will surely germinate.
The region is full of picture perfect town and villages, where the residents honor the traditions and crafts such as pottery, weaving mats and baskets, as well as making and painting traditional chests.
At the time chests were considered an indispensable attribute of marriage. Brides took away their dowries in chests, leaving their father's house. Today, only 2-3 people in Masalli’s Erkivan village are engaged in this ancient craft.
Speaking of Masalli, it is impossible to avoid its rich and diverse cuisine, which has an ancient history.
The region is famous for 20 kinds of rice dishes.
The most popular dish that is made only in Masalli is “Lavangi” -- it is made from fish and chicken stuffed with nuts, onions and sumac, then prepared in a special firewood oven called “Tandir”. The dishes cooked in this oven are very delicious, juicy, and have an unusual taste.
Masalli is also very rich with its architectural sights that as the 19th century Mosque and old baths. It is also possible to see the mosques that were built back in 16th century in the nearby villages.
One can endlessly travel and study Masalli, every time discovering something new. Each day held in this generous region will be rich with unforgettable experiences and will be a bright page in the life of any tourists visiting Azerbaijan.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
Twitter: @amina_nazarli
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