Hiking along the Amirvar – Mahrasa Temple trail

Hiking alongthe Amirvar – Mahrasa Temple trail

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Amirvar – Mahrasa Temple trail

Mahrasa served as a magnificent temple of fire worship and was originally known as a sacred place for the worship of celestial bodies. This ancient temple was one of the central temples in the Albanian province of Girdiman.

DISTANCE - 10.4 KM

ELEVATION GAIN - 545 M

ELEVATION LOSS - 909 M

MAX. ALTITUDE - 1443 M

MIN. ALTITUDE - 1001 M

DURATION - 3 H 5 MIN

The entire trail has been marked and the paths are mostly clearly visible everywhere. Follow the directional signs along your way. The dirt road comes to an end 1.8km from the start point at the end of the village and two paths separate from it. The path to the right leads to the Amirvar waterfall in 350m, while the left path takes you all the way to Mahrasa Temple.

After walking 3.9km through the forest, you will reach the bank of the Shamkir river. You need to cross the river and continue along the right bank. There are no trails in some parts of this section, so just follow the signs carefully and continue. After 2.15km, on the right you will come to the crossroads leading to the Maiden Tower (550m); alternatively, if you continue you will reach the temple of Mahrasa in 2km. The path to the Maiden Tower is quite steep and might be slippery, so be careful when both ascending and descending.

Mahrasa Temple is only accessible by off-road vehicle from Gadabay. There are currently no places to stay overnight near the temple. However, if you intend to spend the night, you can bring your own camping equipment. Overall, the route is downhill until the Shamkir river, followed by small ascents and descents.

It is also possible to hike this route the opposite way.

Nearby trails

You can connect this route with the Mahrasa – Soyugbulag trail.

Seasonality

It might be difficult to cross the Shamkir river in rainy seasons (autumn and spring).

Food and accommodation

There is a small shop in Amirvar village. There are small cafes at the exit of the village, where the road separates off towards the Amirvar waterfall.

Stay: Ismikhan’s Guesthouse (+99455 482 8691) - Amirvar

Water

There are no springs along this route other than in Amirvar village.

Transportation

You can take a taxi to Amirvar village from the centre of Dashkasan. The fare will be about 15-20 manats (AZN). The road to the entrance of Amirvar village is paved. The roads in the village are unpaved and are also suitable for ordinary cars during drier seasons.

Permits & Specially Protected Areas

No special permissions are required to hike this route.

Warning

There is no bridge to cross the Shamkir river. As the river is fairly wide you will need to enter the river in order to cross to the other side. It is not recommended to do so in rainy seasons, when the river level rises.

The path to the Maiden Tower is quite steep and might be slippery, so be careful when both ascending and descending.

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