Shepherds Near Xinaliq, Azerbaijan, A Remote Mountain Village In The Greater Caucasus Range Editorial Photo

Khinalug, Khinalugh, or Khinalig, is an ancient Caucasian village going back to the Caucasian Albanian period. It is located high up in the mountains of Quba Rayon, Azerbaijan. It is also a municipality in Quba Rayon, which consists of the villages of Khinalug and Qalayxudat. Khinalug is also the highest, most remote and isolated village in Azerbaijan and among the highest in the Caucasus. Khinalug has a population of about 2,000 people. This small group of people speaks the Khinalug language, which is an isolate within the Northeast Caucasian language family, although many speak Azerbaijani as well. Khinalug is among the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with a history spanning over 5,000 years. The livelihoods of many of its inhabitants rely directly or indirectly on livestock. They follow traditional patterns of seasonal translocation of their sheep, cattle and horses from the winter fields to the high summer pastures.