Despite its location in a somewhat turbulent part of the world, there are many places to visit in Azerbaijan that are a surprisingly welcoming destination for tourists. Its capital, Baku, is home to many fascinating historical sites and modern buildings. At the same time, its pristine mountain scenery and charming villages make for great trekking destinations.
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Places to visit in Azerbaijan: Baku
The Palace of Shirvanshahs
The Palace of the Shirvanshahs, found in Baku, is a UNESCO World Heritage Website integrated in the 15th century by the Shirvanshah dynasty. This monolith is the greatest piece of architecture under the Shirvan-Absheron branch. It consists of the significant structure, Diwan Khana, The Mausoleum, The Palace Mosque and The Palace Bath-house. The Palace is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Atashgah Fire Temple
The Atashgah Fire Temple is located at Surakhani. This castle-style temple was chosen for World Heritage Website condition in 1998 and proclaimed a historical-architectural reserve in 2007. The engravings in either Sanskrit or Punjabi state that the location was a Hindu church, unlike claims suggesting it was a Zoroastrian Fire Temple. Today, it houses a gallery and is no more utilised as a temple.
Yanar Dag
Yanar Dag, equated as the “burning mountain” near Baku, is a hillside that constantly vents flames of fire throughout the year. This procedure has actually been walking around for 1000 years.
Oil Rocks
Azerbaijan made innovations in its economy due to its oil reserves. The intricate oil rocks near Baku have actually become a destination for many. Prior authorisation from the State Oil Business of Azerbaijan is required to see the complex.
Maiden Tower (Qiz Qalasi)
The Maiden Tower is among the most dominant architectural pieces due to its unclear design and the stories that surround it. Said to be set up in the 12th century initially on the coast of the Caspian Sea, it was expected to act as a watchtower. Instead, the building and architecture point the needle to almost 2,500 years back. Nevertheless, it’s a vital part of the Azerbaijani history in the nation’s currency notes and other files.
Icheri Sheher
Icheri Sheher, or the Old Inner City, is the earliest part of Baku. It is surrounded by stronghold walls going back to the 9th century. The streets inside the city’s historic core have actually been made to obstruct the strong winds originating from the Caspian Sea.
Public Baths (Hammam)
A hammam or public bath is a kind of sauna from the Middle East. In Baku, the primary “Hammam” lies near the Baku Soviet Metro railway station. It is the earliest public bath in the city. Called Hamam Mahallesi, various days are allocated for males and females, with Mondays and Fridays for females and the rest of the week for guys. Another public bath, just for guys, is found in the old town and is known by the name of Teze Bey Hamami. This Hamam is a little costly as they provide a range of baths like Turkish, Finnish, etc.
Places to visit in Azerbaijan: Ganja
Bottle House
Here lies a 2 storied structure, appropriately called “Bottle House“. It is embellished with almost 50,000 glass bottles. A personal household home, the decors consist of a picture of a family member who went missing out throughout WWII.
Nizami’s mausoleum
Nizami’s mausoleum (Burial place of Nizami) located simply outside the city of Hashish, the burial place was integrated with the honour of poet and author Nizami Ganjavi. The monolith was reconstructed in 1991 on the existing old structure, which went back to the 1940s. The mausoleum is 20m tall, and the location surrounding it shows the poet’s books engraved on metal.
Juma Mosque of Ganja (Shah Abbas)
The Shah Abbas or Juma Mosque consists of two 17th-century turrets constructed as a homage to the self-reliance of Hashish from the Osman Empire. The red-bricked structure has actually been made by Sheykh Baga-ud-din. It has actually been embellished by “Shebke” stained glass paintings.
Places to visit in Azerbaijan: Lankaran / Lenkoran
Burial place of Seyid Khalifa
The burial places of Seyid Khalifa are located in the town of Jil, close-by Lankaran. The location is popular because it is the tomb of many spiritual saints who pertained to Lankaran to spread Islam.
Old Jail & Lighthouse
This is rather a popular location in Lankaran, and the story goes that the jail held Joseph Stalin for a time. A historic monolith that became widely known when the then President of Azerbaijan assisted Stalin in escaping from the prison with an underground tunnel.
Yanar Bulag
Yanar Bulag, indicating “burning spring”, is a warm water spring that sends out water and fire all at once. The water is stated to have restorative homes. It is found on the freeway that signs up with Lankaran and Astara.
Ballabur Castle
Neighbouring Lankaran is the Ballabur town where as soon as stood the old Bazz castle was made by Khuramid chief, Babek to safeguard his kingdom versus Arab intrusion. Unfortunately, Babek lost, and the castle was likewise destroyed; however, its remains can still be seen.
Places to visit in Azerbaijan: Sheki
Caravanserai (Caravan Palace)
Found on the M.F. Akhundov Opportunity, Caravan Sarai or Caravan Palace is a traditionally valued monolith developed by the Sheki Khans. The Caravan Palace was designed as a resting location for the caravans that passed along the Silk Roadway with Azerbaijan. The site on which Caravan Sarai is developed is among the greatest stopovers for caravans in the Caucasus area. The Caravan Sarai has been embellished with conventional stained “Shebke” glass and frescoes and discovers its notation amongst numerous poems of Azerbaijan.
Juma Mosque
Like any mosque, it consists of all routine functions like the location where the Imam offers his lecture, mihrab pointing in the direction of the capital, and turrets. However, the attraction of this mosque is the 40m tall spire from where one can hear the echo of a prayer.
Khansarai (The Palace of the Sheki Khans)
Khansarai has been the summer home of Sheki Khans. The Palace, yards and stronghold walls have actually been built by Khan Hussein. You can explore the tea home, parks and galleries close by the Palace.
Silk Manufacturing plant
Sheki has been a crucial city along the Silk Roadway and a significant producer of silk items for the last 4 centuries. It’s hard to see the working of the Silk Manufacturing plant, which is located close by the town; however, one can get silk products from the nearby shop.
Places to visit in Azerbaijan: Khachmaz
Mosque of Sheikh Yusuf (XV)
The monolith is among the earliest buildings that integrated the mausoleum design and were thoroughly used in the 16th and 17th centuries. Sheikh Yusuf, a distinguished theorist and author, has been buried together with his wife and 4 children in this mosque.
Heydar Aliyev Park
A stunning, well developed landscaped park with various sites that includes a park, coffee shop, the Heydar Aliyev Gallery, tea residences, a chess school and the Khazar Movie theatre Club.
