Euronews has published an article highlighting the Azerbaijani village of Lahic.
"Lahic, one of Azerbaijan`s oldest villages was once the country`s copper mining capital, producing copperware that was exported across the Middle East,” Euronews`s Aurora Velez says.
"It`s always been isolated by its mountainous setting, and hardly anyone visits in the harsh Caucasian winter when its rugged paths become impassable. In summer however it`s now drawing tourists attracted by a quality of craftsmanship that has almost died out in the rest of Europe. Centuries ago, the mountainous terrain around the village ruled out farming so, to eke out a living, the locals turned to the abundant copper deposits in the mountains. And as the generations passed many families became not only greatly accomplished coppersmiths, but also carpet weavers and leather workers.”
The Aliyev family has been beating and inscribing its copperware for seven generations with each craftsman inscribing their work with their name. "What I like most in my work is that my name is there. In 150 or 200 years later someone will look for me on the internet and see who I was," Kableyi Aliev told Velez before going back to his work fashioning intricate patterns into a copper plate.
Lahic's copperware is represented in Louvre and other world`s largest art museums. Lahic, as historical-cultural reserve, has been included in an international tourist route "Great Silk Way", says Velez.
