Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

With its numerous natural beauties, Zagatala boasts some of the most beautiful destinations. So, nature lovers safely add this Azerbaijani northern region to their bucket list.

The highest point is Guton mountain (3648 m). The climate on the plain is warm, in mountains – cold.

The mid temperature of January on the plain is -1 C, in mountains, it is -10 C, and the mid-temperature of July reaches +24 C and +5 C respectively.

Half of its territory is mountainous and covered with thick forests. The region is well-known for its hazelnuts and walnuts.

Zagatala has a heap of wonderful places to explore during a trip.

The Zagatala State Nature Reserve is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with nature.

Leafy forests extend to the foot of the mountains, mainly consisting of Oriental beeches (Fagus Orientalis). The Zagatala State Reserve is also famous for such plants as rhododendron, cherry-laurel, blackberry, maple, and fern. Glaciers and alpine meadows can be found at higher altitudes.

The Zagatala State Natural Reserve is home to the Syrian brown bear, Indian wolf, red fox, forest cat, Caucasian lynx, squirrel, and weasel. It also has a diverse range of birds, including the golden eagle, Egyptian vulture, griffon vulture, etc.

During the latest monitoring, the Biodiversity Protection Service has noticed an increase in the rare species of the Caucasian deer (red deer) in the Zagatala State Natural Reserve.

Biodiversity Protection Service representative said that the Zagatala Natural Reserve is currently home to 1,000 Caucasian deer, Azernews reports citing 1news.az.

"Around 1,000 Caucasian deer have been recorded in Zagatala Natural Reserve, which is the largest area of ​​the Caucasian deer listed in the Red Book of Azerbaijan," she said.

The Caspian red deer is one of the easternmost subspecies of red deer that is native to areas between the Black and Caspian seas. The Caspian red deer is sometimes referred to as maral, noble deer, or eastern red deer.

The Caspian red deer is around 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) tall and can weigh 500 to 700 pounds (230 to 320 kg). Their antlers are around 4 feet (1.2 m) in length, and 6 inches (150 mm) in girth. Its coat is dark gray, except for the summer, when it is a dark brown.

Along with the Caucasian deer, the stability of the population of other rare species was observed as well including brown bear and sable.

Numerous historical and cultural monuments can be also found in Zaqarala. The 18th-century mosques in Qalal and Gozbarakh villages, the Alban tower dating back to the 12th century, and the 18th-century mosque in Mazikh village, two monuments built in the 14th century in the village of Kebeloba, Perigala in Yukhari Chardakhlar village, the 13th century Albanian Tower in Pashan village, and the Chingozqala tower from the 14th century in Jar village, just to name a few.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lamiva993