Invited once again by our host Mehraj Mahmudov, NomadMania put together a group for our third time visiting Karabakh. This time had many firsts:
- It was the first time visiting the region after it was fully (re)incorporated into the control of Azerbaijan
- It was the first time our group consisted of participants from all 6 inhabited continents
- It was the first time we visited Khankendi (formerly known as Stepanakert)
- It was the first time any international travel group visited the newly formed University of Qarabag and gave a presentation there
- It was the first time any foreign group on these tours was accommodated in Lachin
- It was the first time that our host could join our UN Masters photo which included 8 people, as he himself recently became a UN Master after travelling to his final country, Canada.
These trips, of which there have now been 13 installments accommodating different clubs, have previously met with much (understandable) controversy. The fact that the region is now fully incorporated into Azerbaijan – where it was always recognized as belonging according to the United Nations – implies that the visits are hopefully less contentious, though emotions by all sides still run high at any mention of the place. The increased pace of development also made this particular visit extremely educational and interesting, though the sadness implied in the multiple ruins and many uprooted lives obviously always leaves a bitter taste for any visitor.
Our participants were an extremely diverse group, ranging in age from 18 to 63. We very happily welcomed a number of our Envoys, including Obed Temba (Envoy for Eastern and Central Africa), Alusine Kamara (Envoy for Western Africa), Pablo Gutierrez (Envoy for Chile), Flor Vallejo (Messenger), Sevcan Akesi (Envoy for Turkiye), Wee Cheng Tan (Envoy for Singapore) and Vasilis Stamatelopoulos (Envoy for Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria) as well as the world’s Most Travelled Twins from the Netherlands, Rutger and Reinhout Prakke, while Spain was represented by a Catalan (Xavier Cortal) and a Basque (Ezra Gojenola Pertika), both of them UN Masters.
With almost 30 nationalities onboard, all travel styles were also well represented, from solo to budget to more demanding travel styles.
A convoy of more than 15 vehicles departed Baku initially heading southwest before then turning west near the border with Iran; the crossing into the formerly conflicted area was near Fuzuli. A stop at the impressive airport that has been built there gave a needed caffeine boost, followed by another near a new apartment complex where some of the former residents of the area have now returned after more than 30 years away. The visit then headed to Shusha, whose castle and famous mosque are interesting spots in a town at the top of a mountain that is also slowly being rebuilt after much devastation.
The visit to Khankendi was sadly too short due to severe time constraints, and a lot of the group wished they could have experienced more. An initial view of a rather imposing church was followed by some empty-looking blocks, but there was a lot of life around the new University building – 1200 first-year students have embarked on their studies starting last September, and there are plans for a considerable expansion as of next year with massive infrastructure investments.
So far 6 majors are being offered and the group was heartily welcomed by the Dean and other senior staff. Interactions were also possible with many of the enthusiastic local students. A presentation of Mehraj’ new book ‘First Steps in Peace’ was followed by a talk by NomadMania’s founder where the guiding principles of freedom, tolerance and love were underlined as guiding both our community’s being and what travellers, and all people, should aspire to.
The group then visited Aghdam, the ghost town which was destroyed during the first Karabakh war. The mosque has now been totally remodelled, and this won’t be a ghost town for very long anymore as the newly built structures testify. The new Imarat Historical and Architectural Museum Complex gives a perspective of the history and background of a place which is clearly also being rebuilt at a fast pace.
The second day focused more on natural sights – after a longish drive and a stop at the town of Kalbajar, the group had the chance for recreation at the hot springs of Istisu, while then off-roading through an impressive canyon under a remarkably bright sun. The potential of the region for eco-tourism and hiking activities is considerable, though the multiple mines which are scattered throughout the region are obviously one of the primary barriers to the opening of the place for the general public.
Lachin is an exceptionally pretty village that lies on the border with Armenia. Built on a hill with lots of pretty small houses, the town greeted the group in the evening. Multiple portable containers which have been converted into comfortable rooms are the accommodation option of choice here. A river runs through the town that is flanked by mountains on all sides.
The next day, after seeing the Armenian flags to the mountain on the right, as they came so close to the border, and then also took in areas belonging to Iran in the distance, the group attended what was arguably the most adrenalin-filled event of the trip, a detonation of a landmine. An explanation of the arduous de-mining process was accompanied by a physical demonstration by a member of the brave team of de-miners whose thankless and endless task it is to try to make the land safe again.
Filled with memories and lots of questions, some answered, some lingering, about both the past and the future of the Karabakh region, the group was quickly back in Baku with many new traveller friends as well as an appreciation of how quickly a region can be totally remodelled when there is a will to invest and develop it further. It remains to be seen where Karabakh will be in a few years’ time, when the reconstruction process has been completed.
NomadMania wishes to thank our generous host – winner of NomadMania’s Best NomadMania friend award in 2021 – as well as all the travellers who trusted us enough to be taken to a place few have the ability to visit, and who are certainly richer for the experience.
