Katex

Katex
Municipality
Katex
Coordinates:
Country	Azerbaijan
Rayon	Balakan
Population
• Total	7,432
Time zone	AZT (UTC+4)
• Summer (DST)	AZT (UTC+5)

Katex [Katekh] (also, Gədıx [gyadıkh], Katekh, and Katekhi; Avar: КIатIихъ) is a village at the foot of the Caucasian Mountains and the most populous municipality, except for the capital Balakən, in the Balakan Rayon of Azerbaijan. The village takes its name from Turkic gədik (which in local dialect sounds like gədıx) for nearby mountain passageway, which has been used for centuries to cross the Caucasian mountains from its northern side to Southern. The name Gədıx is still used by older generation of the local population, whereas the new and/or unfamiliar with local custom people use the "modernised" name. The name was changed to Katekh (formerly Katekhi) probably during short period in 1918-1921 when Katex was the part of the Georgian Democratic Republic.

Zagatala State Reserve at the north of the village is a popular tourist destination, and has the picturesque waterfall Katex, a local favourite spot.

Street Geybulla (in local dialect Gayvalı) is a 17th-century mosque, which served as a warehouse in Soviet times for storing various agricultural products such as tobacco leaves and grain.

Katekh also is a home to Sofu Baba Pir, a sacred destination situated at the entrance to the village, which is said to be a burial place of a Sufi sheikh. The local population still practices modified zikr (dhikr) of Naqshbandi order during local and family festivities.

The village has a population of 7,432. The municipality consists of the villages of Katex and Beretbinə.

Gallery

• Katex river e-citizen.JPG

  The Katex river in Katex

References

• Katex at GEOnet Names Server