the village square of each category, which, today, still has its specific role in the public life of the village. This is an ancient practice of the Zoroastrian people. Earthquakes frequently occur in the region, and, as a result, a specific style of building construction has developed – which include certain styles and techniques in crosscutting stone and installation of wood. The ancient dwelling houses in Lahij have remained unchanged, as, during the past centuries, there have not been any significant changes in the urban planning. The ground floors of houses built in the main trading street are used as workshops and trade rooms. The traditional interiors of these Lahij houses include decorative tableware and other items, placed in different sized holes in the walls (known in Azerbaijan as takhcha, chamakhatan) and on wall shelves. Copper craftmanship Copper work is the most important of the skills developed by Lahij craftsmen. Lahij is renowned for its production of arms and copper items, decorated with carved ornaments. The development of copper production triggered the formation of such professions in Lahij as tinsmith, blacksmith and others, together with the creation of bituminous coal. The structure and supplies of copper workshops, as well as its traditional external look and its production processes remain preserved today, as they were in previous centuries. Written sources, as well as, the rich copperware collections that may be seen in the museums of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian and Europe, prove the existence of over 80 types of copperware equipment used in copperware manufacturing in Lahij. Leather goods’ manufacture was the second biggest craft skill in Lahij, after that of coppersmith. The local leather goods’ master craftsmen were expert in using shagren, tumaj and yuft as raw materials for various products such as shoes, belts, leather quilted jackets, book covers and bridles. Leather production in Lahij created suitable conditions for the development of other craftsmen, with associated skills – such as saddle makers, bridle makers, cobblers, hat makers and sheepskin makers. Cultural heritage There is a large collection of Lahij products in the Azerbaijan Museum of National History, which reflects the many different and richly made items produced by the Lahij craftsmen. Many similar items are also to be found in the Russian Museum of Ethnography (Saint-Petersburg) and the Museum of Eastern Peoples (Moscow). The Louvre Museum in France also has a collection of items from Azerbaijan, which include a copper