Discover the Candy Cane mountains, swirling layers of white and red rock that earned them their festive nickname
2 min read
We are on the highway between Baku and Quba in Azerbaijan, where a series of red-and-white striped peaks emerge suddenly from the surrounding landscape.
As a part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, the so-called Candy Cane Mountains earned their nickname thanks to their striking resemblance to the classic Christmas treat.
A fascinating region of Khizi, is located in the northeast of Azerbaijan, and it is the closest mountainous area to the capital city Baku, and the distance between the two is about 70 km, popular for its unusual nature, especially the mountains, and sometimes it is also called “the edge of the red mountains”.
The color of these rocks is a product of the area’s unique geology, and they are made of shale, a type of sedimentary rock made up of many thin layers stacked on top of each other.
Long ago, before the rock was formed, changes in the environment led to differing mineral composition as the layers of sediment were deposited and, as the shale came in contact with water, layers that contained iron oxidized and turned red, while layers without iron remained shades of white and gray.
Over time, tectonic movement and erosion have exposed these sedimentary layers into a visual representation of geologic history.
The Candy Cane Mountains also contain many belemnites, fossils of an extinct order of squid-like creatures from the Cretaceous period.
But the Candy Cane Mountains are popular not only for their multi-coloured mountains but also because of its nice places such as the Altiagac National Park and the Cannet Baghi recreation complex.
The Altiagac National Park was established in 2004 in the administrative areas of Khizi and Siyazan districts, with its total area of 11,035 hectares.
Most of the National Park’s territory is covered by forests, and the biggest river in the area is the Atacha, originates from the 1870-meter-height Dugar Mountains, and it poures into the Caspian Sea.
Images from web – Google Research
