Yevlakh

Yevlakh is a compact city in central Azerbaijan, set on the right bank of the Kura River about 265 km west of Baku. It is best known as one of the country's main transport junctions, where key railways and highways meet on routes between Baku, Tbilisi and the northern regions toward Sheki and the Greater Caucasus foothills.

The settlement grew around an old Silk Road crossing and received city status in 1939. Long a modest riverside village, it expanded after the Baku-Tbilisi railway arrived in the late 19th century and developed further as a road and rail hub during the Soviet period.

Today the city combines a practical regional centre with green riverside spaces such as Heydar Aliyev Park and the Sahil Bulvar along the Kura. The Yevlakh History and Local Lore Museum holds more than 3,700 items, while a drama theatre, the Heydar Aliyev Centre and sports facilities reflect local civic life. Bronze Age and early medieval archaeological sites lie nearby.

As a gateway, Yevlakh offers straightforward access to Sheki's historic old town, Ganja, the Mingachevir Reservoir and Goygol National Park. Hotels and services are modest but convenient, making the city a practical base for road trips across central and north-western Azerbaijan.

For business travellers, Yevlakh's position at a major road and rail crossroads and its small domestic airport make it a useful stop on regional journeys, while leisure visitors use it as a transit point toward better-known cultural destinations.