On the Northern Highlands & Mountain Route, we head to cool mountain peaks, stone paths, and a clear sky. Our first stop is Shahbuz, where we breathe in the scent of juniper and feel the silence of higher ground. Step by step, we walk along the ridges of Ağbulaq, taking gentle hikes that follow the rhythm of our breath and open up wide panoramas.
In the village, we knock on the doors of small workshops and meet local craftsmen. We see how felt, stone, and copper become handmade items, and short conversations with the masters bring these materials to life. Every surface we touch – wool, wood, stone, metal – adds a new layer to the memory of the journey.
We will stay overnight in a mountain hotel in Ağbulaq/Şahbuz, with large wooden interiors and windows framing the night sky full of stars. We will gradually fall asleep, lulled by the soft sound of the stove, and in the morning we are going to wake up with mountain light streaming through the window.
Flowers in the meadow guide our walk in Batabat. In this short, photography and nature mini-workshop, we capture light on the lake and clouds drifting over its surface. Colors of the landscape seem deeper and clearer as our steps slow.
Our breaks turn into small plateau picnics: fresh cottage cheese, local cheeses, kaymak, ayran, warm tandır bread, and mountain honey. Such simple tastes bring freshness and comfort to the day. We note down in our notebooks the names and scents of meadow herbs.
On the panoramic drive to Sharur, the sharp silhouette of Ilandag fills the horizon. At a scenic viewpoint, legends give the rocks all new meaning as our gaze rests on the distant ridgelines. The purple-tinged outlines of the mountains continue to be at the back of our minds long after the ride to the city center ends.
