| Velvelechay | |
| Native Name: | Azerbaijani: Vəlvələçay |
| Length: | 90 km |
| Mouth: | Caspian Sea |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 41.3823°N 49.0599°W |
Velvelechay (Azerbaijani: Vəlvələçay; from Arabic velvele, 'big noise', 'shout', 'turmoil',[1] and Azerbaijani çay, 'river'[2]) is a river in Azerbaijan, flowing through the territories of the Guba and Khachmaz districts. It originates from the Mount Babadagh, at an altitude of about 3500 m above the sea level[3] and flows into the Caspian Sea near the village of Chaygaragashli. The river is full of water with an unstable regime.[3]
Velvelechay flows through such villages as Talysh, Yerfi, Nohurduzu, Afurja, Tengealty, Velvele, Chilegir. Within the upper part of the river basin is the Tengin gorge with its steep rocky shores.[3]
The locals call the river "Babachay", which is presumably related to the location of the source of the river, Mount Babadagh.[4] In the river basin, there are lakes of landslide origin, which include lakes like Atudzh, Yerfi, etc.[5]
In 1933, V. A. Dolitsky noted paleogene deposits near the Velvelechay river.[6] It is a source of replenishment of water reserves in the Takhtakorpu reservoir.[7]