YEREVAN. – Returning from Dadivank, we stopped near a village shop to buy water.

An elderly woman approached and asked where we were from and then said: “Have you been to Istisu?” Hearing a negative answer, the woman returned a verdict: “So you have not seen Kelbajar”. “Go and see. You will not regret it, for sure,” the woman said noting that Aliyev's wife liked to have a rest here.

After some discussion, we decided to go to Istisu in spite of the fact that it was getting darker and we were willing to return to Yerevan.

The road to the hot spring was quite dangerous: destroyed bridges, tunnels dug in the mountains, narrow footpaths, thickets. After 40 minutes we saw “natural a jacuzzi" on the river bank. The elderly woman from the village was right: this should be seen.

Coming back to Yerevan, I began studying hot spring.  It became clear that there were many hot springs in the territory of Kelbajar. The most famous were near the village of Jermajur (12 km from Kelbajar) and the village of Zulfuqarli (22 km from Dadivank). The first is known for its healing properties. The geyser near the village of Zulfuqarli is a limestone with a depth of a meter and 2.5 meters in the diameter, the stream of hot mineral water jets in the center of it. Water temperature is so high that even in the coldest weather it is possible to swim, without risking to freeze.

According to geologist Hakob Mkrtchyan, the highest temperature was registered on 9 September 1958, water temperature in a hot spring was 84 degrees.

The geologist said that this group of mineral springs is located on the bank of the Tartar River in Artsakh. Springs meet directly near sanatorium and go further two kilometers to the south. The chemical composition is similar to mineral water of Jermuk, Karlovy Vary, Zheleznovodsk.

According to the specialist, Istisu has good prospects to become a holiday resort.