Aghuls - Settlements

The typical Aghul mountain village was set along the mountain slope at the head of a river valley, with the buildings ranged more or less in rows going up the slope, giving the impression of a large amphitheater. The individual houses often shared walls and roofs with their neighbors. This sort of village was the easiest to defend from enemies; under the relatively more peaceful conditions of the past century the Aghuls have established settlements in the more accessible downriver regions of their valleys.

Each village had a central square, with a mosque and a place for village council meetings, community festivals, and the like. The villages were divided into three or four quarters, corresponding to clan ( tukhum ) groupings. Each Aghul village also had one or more defense towers.

The traditional Aghul dwelling was of the typical Daghestanian type. The hearth was placed at the center of the main room, and external light was admitted through small rectangular openings that could be boarded up from within if necessary for defense. One noteworthy feature of Aghul domestic layout is the division of the interior space into two halves, not for the two sexes (as is the case elsewhere in the Caucasus) but for family and guests. Upon arrival visitors traditionally went directly to their quarters, removed their traveling clothes and weapons, relaxed for a while, and only then came out to be greeted by their hosts. The Aghuls do not pronounce toasts at table, an omission almost unheard of in other Caucasian communities.