Western Route: Xanlar

Population of the district: 54,400; district center, the town of Xanlar: 17,600.

XANLAR DISTRICT lies at the foot of the Lesser Caucasus mountains, south of Ganja. It is an area with well-developed agriculture and is very picturesque. The climate is moderately hot, and there are many bird nesting sites here. The Gəncəçay and Quşqara rivers are excellent places for fishing and hunting. The highest point of the district, 3724 m above sea level, is a peak of the Murovdağ range. This district is very popular with tourists and ecotourists. They stay in local people's homes in the surrounding villages.

The town of XANLAR is the administrative center of Xanlar District. Distance from Baku: 384 km.

Xanlar was founded in the 19th century on the site of the ancient settlement of Xanıqlar by German settlers, who, with their characteristic neatness, laid out the town precisely and in 1819 named it Helenendorf. Their presence is still recalled by the straight streets, wooden houses with carved facades, and the kirche (Lutheran church). In Soviet times the local Germans were deported to Central Asia on Stalin's orders.

The town has its own history museum, a music school, a cinema, and many cafes and restaurants. It is a quiet, green town from which tourists set off on hikes along various tourist routes. The ancient history of the town is attested by archaeological finds dating from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Historical and architectural monuments preserved in Xanlar itself: the LUTHERAN CHURCH of 1854, and two bridges over the Gəncəçay river, "IKI GOZLU KORPU" (16th c.) and "UC GOZLU KORPU" (1896). Monuments in the vicinity of Xanlar include the 12th-century FORTRESS in the village of ZURNABAD, the 16th-century MAUSOLEUM in the village of SARI QAYA, the 12th-century "AG KORPU" bridge in the village of TOPALHƏSƏNLI, as well as a number of monuments in the village of ÇAYKƏND.