Quba

Quba is a historic mountain city 180 km northwest of Baku, famous for producing over 1000 varieties of high-quality apples. In late summer, trucks loaded with apples are a common sight on roads leading to the city's cannery. The town attracts summer visitors seeking cooler temperatures and mountain scenery away from Baku's heat. The nearby Red Settlement (Qırmızı Qesebe) houses the world's largest Mountain Jewish community with about 3,500 residents, making it the only all-Jewish town outside Israel.

Quba has a bus station located at the beginning of Heydar Aliyev Avenue, east of the central square. Buses connect Quba to Baku and surrounding regions. The city sits on the northern slope of the Caucasus mountains.

Quba is a walkable city. The main sights are concentrated around the central square and can easily be explored on foot.

Quba's central square is flanked by historic mosques: the Juma-Mosque (Ardabil Mosque) built in 1802 as an octagonal prism with a huge dome; the Haji Jeffer Mosque, the largest in Quba, built in the early 19th century; and the Sakina Khanum Mosque with nine domes, built in the 1850s by the widow of historian Abbas-Kuliaga Bakikhanov. The 18th-century Turkish Bath House (Çuxur Hamam) on Ardebil 43 features a distinctive brick dome. The Carpet Factory offers demonstrations of Azerbaijani carpet weaving. Across the Qudailchay River, the Jewish quarter Krasnaya Sloboda (Red Settlement) is the world's largest Mountain Jewish settlement.

Visit Balbulaq and Tengealtı for outdoor recreation. Explore the Carpet Factory where friendly staff demonstrate traditional Azerbaijani carpet production. The bazaar near Hotel Xınalıq offers local handicrafts, especially carpets and apples from the region's famous orchards.

Quba is famous for apples—over 1000 varieties grown in the region. The bazaar sells fresh produce including apples, other fruits, and local specialties. Traditional Azerbaijani carpets and rugs are available at the Carpet Factory and local markets.

Try local apples from the markets and bazaar—the city's signature product with over 1000 varieties. Mahir restaurant, five minutes north of the bus station, serves doner with extra sauce. Kafe Dalğa at the bazaar opposite Hotel Xınalıq offers delicious food served with lemon. Ruslan Restoranı on the Jewish side serves inexpensive soups (lentils, rice, lagman) and skewers near the bridge. On the road to Khinalig, Qəçrəş Village has many tree-shaded spots serving shish kebab.

Hotel Xınalıq at the bazaar is a practical base, with many SUV drivers nearby offering trips to Khinalig. The Olympic Center near the city entrance provides another accommodation option.

Qusar lies just north in the Grand Caucasus mountains, close to the Russian border. Khinalig (Xinaliq) is a remote mountain village and Zoroastrian center, accessible via winding mountain roads—SUV drivers in Quba offer day trips. Khachmaz on the coast offers warm summer weather, forests, and clean golden beaches.