Fit mountain and Qirkhotaq fortress: a trek that walks alongside history

Some routes are about more than scenery. Fit mountain (1810 m) is one of them: along the way lie the remains of the Qirkhotaq fortress and an ice house.

The route

The start is the old village of Sulut in Ismayilli. The total distance is 12 km and the difficulty is moderate. Part of the way is a forest trail, part an open slope.

Programme: Sulut summit trek (Fit mountain).

What Qirkhotaq is

The ruins of the fortress on top of Fit mountain served for a long time as the region's defensive point. Today only part of the walls remains, but the choice of site explains everything: from here every side of the valley is visible. You need no information board to understand why the fortress was built exactly there — one look around is enough.

The ice house

An underground structure dug out to keep snow through the summer in the days before refrigerators. Step inside and you feel the temperature difference immediately. A handful of these buildings survive in Azerbaijan's mountain villages and most of them are unrecorded.

When to go

• Spring (April–May): the greenest season, though the trail can be muddy
• Autumn (September–October): the most stable weather and the clearest views
• Summer: possible, but there is little shade on the open section — a hat and water matter

Can you go with children?

12 km is long for a child, but manageable for a child over 10 with some walking experience. A lighter alternative: Aghsu, Dilman waterfall or Lerik, Tokiakhil waterfall.