Two beautiful high-altitude valleys meet at charming little Ä°lisu. Amazingly this diminutive village of photogenic old homes was once the capital of a short-lived 18th-century sultanate. Many houses retain box windows, arched doorways and red-tiled roofs, there's an antique mosque and several remnant fortifications. At the very southwestern end of the village, the square-plan, five-storey Summaqala Tower is rather over-restored but it commands a picture-perfect valley view towards distant snow-topped peaks.
At the northernmost end of Ä°lisu there are more fine views from the UludaÄŸ restaurant-resort. Turn right and hike 40 minutes uphill to find a locally famous waterfall (ÅŸÉ™±ôÉ™±ôÉ™). Walking up the main valley towards Russia isn't allowed (closed border zone). Reaching the curious hamlet of ³§²¹°ù¾±²ú²¹ÅŸ is possible by any 4WD that is capable of fording the river en route.
