The Gryzs, who live in Azerbaijan and belong to the Shahdag group, are the descendants of the ancient Albanian tribes.Gryz village of Guba is considered to be their ancient and main village. The Gryz toponym is first mentioned in a source dating back to the 10th century.
The Gryzs say that their ancestors came from the ancient city of Harna. Anthropological materials also confirm that the Gryzs are one of the ancient indigenous tribes of Azerbaijan. Gryz village was a temporary residence of Guba khanate. Abbasgulu aga Bakikhanov once wrote about the village of Gryz: “Sheikh Ali khan, who stayed in Tabasaran in 1810, allied most of the population of Guba with himself, occupied the country and besieged the fortressfor four months. He relocated part of the population to the village of Gryz and built a new city. ” At the beginning of the 19th century, when Russia invaded Azerbaijan, a revolt against the Russian invasion broke out in the Gryz district, as in many regions of Azerbaijan.
At present, the people of Gryz have settled in Chek, Alik, Hapit, as well as Gryz-Dahna villages of Guba region. In these villages, handicrafts, especially weaving, wool and leather processing, are widely developed.
The main agricultural activity of Gryz peasants is sheep breeding. Every year in October-November, they take their cattle and move with their families to the lowlands of Azerbaijan. During the winter months, these villages are almost empty. Only the non-migrant population stay here.
The Gryz have their own language and culture.
