Photograph of Candy Cane Mountains — to be added
Candy Cane Mountains
Striped red-and-white hills on the road to Shahdag, coloured by iron-rich sedimentary banding.
Included in 3 tours
Quba
Museum of Mountain Jews
The history of the Mountain Jews community, in a restored synagogue in Red Village.
Photograph of Museum of Mountain Jews — to be added
The Museum of Mountain Jews opened in 2020 in a restored synagogue building in Red Village, across the river from Quba. It is one of very few museums anywhere dedicated to this community, and it is on the road north toward Shahdag — which makes it an easy and worthwhile addition to a mountain itinerary.
Red Village is widely described as the only remaining all-Jewish town outside Israel, and the museum exists to document a community whose continuous presence in the eastern Caucasus runs back many centuries.
Who the Mountain Jews are
The Mountain Jews, or Juhuro, are a distinct Jewish community of the eastern Caucasus, with traditions that developed largely separately from both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Judaism.
They speak Juhuri, a language descended from Middle Persian and historically written in Hebrew script — one of the more unusual linguistic survivals in the region, and now endangered. The museum treats the language seriously rather than as a footnote.
The community's settlement in Red Village in its current form dates to the eighteenth century, when Fatali Khan of Quba invited them to settle under his protection across the river from the town. That arrangement is the reason the community persisted here when others did not.
The museum and the village
The museum occupies a carefully restored synagogue and covers religious life, crafts, domestic tradition, and the community's twentieth-century experience including emigration.
Red Village itself is part of the visit. The scale of the houses is striking — large family compounds built by a prosperous community — and there are functioning synagogues in the town.
This is a place to behave as a guest rather than a sightseer. It is a living community, not a heritage exhibit.
Highlights
- A restored synagogue operating as a museum
- Material on Juhuri, an endangered Persian-descended language
- The history of Fatali Khan's eighteenth-century invitation
- Red Village itself — a living community with functioning synagogues
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Museum of Mountain Jews?
In Red Village (Qırmızı Qəsəbə), across the river from Quba town in northern Azerbaijan. It is on the main route toward Shahdag, so it fits easily into a mountain tour.
Can I visit Red Village on a tour?
Yes. Several of our itineraries pass Red Village on the way to Shahdag, and a museum visit can be added on request. Note the museum observes Shabbat and is closed on Saturdays.
What language do the Mountain Jews speak?
Juhuri, a language descended from Middle Persian and historically written in Hebrew script. It is now endangered, and the museum documents it in detail.
More to see in Quba
Photograph of Five Finger Mountain — to be added
Five Finger Mountain
A five-pronged limestone outcrop rising beside the northern highway, and a long-standing pilgrimage site.
Included in 3 tours
Photograph of Red Village (Qırmızı Qəsəbə) — to be added
Red Village (Qırmızı Qəsəbə)
One of the last all-Jewish settlements outside Israel, home to the Mountain Jews community for centuries.
Included in 1 tour
Want Museum of Mountain Jews on your itinerary?
We build private itineraries around the places you actually want to see. Tell us what interests you and we will price it per vehicle.
Or call +994 51 887 98 55 — 08:00 – 20:00, 7 days a week