Eltyubyu can be explored through the ancestral tower of the Balkarukov family, the memorial to the poet Kaysyn Kuliev, and a narrow hiking trail in the Dzhylgysu Gorge. There is also a mosque with its own history of construction and a crypt complex nearby. Architecture, literary memorials, and landscape offer different points of interest. The name El’tyubyu also means “at the bottom of the valley” in Balkar. If you are looking for a holiday apartment for a stay in Eltyubyu, you can choose the focus of your trip based on the topics that interest you most.

The Ancestral Tower and Its History

The ancestral tower of the Balkarukov family rises above the village. It is considered the only example of Svan architecture in the Balkar Mountains. According to tradition, the tower was built in the 18th century by craftsmen from the Georgian region of Svaneti, invited by the Chegem leader Akhtugan. The building thus combines an architectural classification with a story about its patron and builders.

Kaysyn Kuliev and Places of Remembrance

Eltyubyu is the birthplace of the Balkar poet Kaysyn Kuliev, and his memory is honored in the village. A museum has been established in the saklya where Kuliev was born. The memorial commemorates him in a different way: it consists of a stone wall with 100 granite plaques engraved with lines from Kuliev’s poems in Russian and Karachay-Balkar. A memorial trail to his home is also part of the village’s history. It was officially opened on Kuliev’s 98th birthday; the house is in the village of Verkhny Chegem, formerly known as Eltyubyu. The museum, memorial, and trail thus represent different ways of remembering the poet.

The Mosque and Its History

In the village center, the mosque stands on the right bank of the mountain river Dzhylgysu, next to the “Book in the Stone” and the Tower of Love. A new mosque was built at the same location in 2012: a modern stone building with two domes, one large and one small. The former Ak-Mejid Mosque in Eltyubyu was a wooden structure built in the 19th century, with a single dome and a sloping hipped roof. The different designs contrast the wooden mosque with one dome and the stone mosque with its two domes of different sizes.

Hiking Trail and Crypt Complex

The “Greek Staircase” is a narrow hiking trail in the picturesque gorge of the Dzhylgysu River, accessible on foot. The crypt complex known as the “City of the Dead,” dating from the 14th to the 18th century, is also located near Eltyubyu. The crypts are empty. A hiking route through a river gorge and a historic site with empty crypts thus offer two different ways to explore the surrounding area.

Discover more destinations: Verkhniy Baksan, Terskol, Tyrnyauz, Chegem Vtoroy, Chegem Pervyy, Prochladny, Nalchik, El'brus.

For the broader travel overview: Kabardino-Balkaria Republic.