ACityIndependent states
Khinalig
One of the highest mountain villages in the Caucasus, home to an ancient community with its own language. Its cultural landscape and the Köç Yolu route have been a UNESCO site since 2023.
Khinalig is a mountain village in the Guba district, more than 2,000 metres above sea level. Its stone houses climb the slope like steps, so that one family's roof is another's yard.
The villagers have a language of their own: Khinalug holds a separate place among the Caucasian languages and is spoken only here. Sheep herding is the main livelihood, with flocks moving to mountain pastures in summer and lowland winter grounds in winter.
The "Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People and Köç Yolu Transhumance Route" was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. It includes the village, summer and winter pastures and a 200-kilometre ancient migration route.
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Updated: October 1, 2026