Shahbuz is a small mountain district in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, bordering Armenia to the north and east. The district takes its name from a medieval watchtower on a nearby peak — the Shahbuz Tower — which in turn was named for the mountain Shanbuztepe. The toponym is thought to derive from the Persian for "royal falcon."
The landscape is rugged and high: the Zangazur mountains to the east reach 3,160m at Salvarti peak, while the Daralayaz chain to the north rises to 3,120m. The rivers Kuku, Shahbuz, and Salvarti flow through the district's narrow valleys, and the Batabat Lake at over 2,000 metres serves as a water reservoir for the region. The district is known for its medicinal mineral springs at Badamli, Batabat, Bichenek, and Karvansara.
Shahbuz has been inhabited since antiquity. Bronze Age settlements have been excavated on the Kuku River basin, and ancient watchtowers and grave sites are scattered across the mountains. The Shahbuz Regional Museum in the district capital houses over 3,500 exhibits covering the full sweep of local history, from archaeological finds through the carpet-weaving traditions that continue in the villages today.
The district has a small population of around 21,000 spread across 25 settlements. Almost no visitors come here except those passing through from Nakhchivan City, which makes Shahbuz one of the least-explored corners of the Caucasus — and for travellers who enjoy genuine remoteness, genuinely interesting.