Having historically practised transhumance, every year when the season changes, the majority of  Khinalig families still migrate between the mountainous and lowland Aran regions of Azerbaijan along the so-called ‘Köç Yolu’ seasonal movement path. The Köç Yolu is 200 km long and passes through seven of Azerbaijan’s nine climatic zones and vastly varying natural landscapes.

The process of movement, which happens twice a year, in spring and autumn, lasts around two weeks each time. The people of Khinalig spend only four months in the village and the pastures around it. In general, around 10,000 people from several villages and 300,000 sheep move along this transhumance route, which passes through six administrative districts. These people are bearers of the intangible cultural heritage of Azerbaijan, transmitting the customs and traditions of their semi-nomadic culture from generation to generation.