Azerbaijan’s national motto is “Land of Fire,” refers to its ancient Zoroastrian fire rituals and its modern oil and gas production. Over the centuries, the culture evolved with strong Turkish and Persian influences, making this a country like no other.
In a moderately sized country, similar to Portugal or Maine, there are an amazing number of historical, geological and architectural attractions. They range from cutting edge architecture in the capital of Baku to Zoroastrian temples; from mountain villages known for its coppersmiths to an area with thousands of petroglyphs and fields of percolating mudholes. Every day of traveling through the country is uncovering something new and engrossing.
Azerbaijan is a new country, a former Soviet Republic, which became independent in 1991. People have lived on the land for hundreds of thousands of years and through the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. Azerbaijan has phenomenal hydrocarbon reserves, both oil and gas, which provides enviable wealth and funds over half of the government’s budget.
While planning our trip I had read about the amazing Post Modernism buildings in the capital Baku. As architecture is one of my passions, I was looking forward to exploring the country’s spectacular skyscrapers, monuments, forts, mausoleums and palaces built over a millennium.
Who are the Azeris?
Azeris are a Turkish ethnic group, predominantly Shia Muslims, living mainly in the Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azeris make up about 20% of Iran’s population, making them the second largest ethnic group in that country after Persians. This is about three times the population of Azerbaijan which borders Iran. Interestingly, even with common culture and ancestry, there is constant confrontation and tensions between the countries which waxes and wanes every few years.
We were fortunate to take a tour of Old Town Baku when we first arrived in the country. Our guide, Zia, gave us a broad overview of the evolution of the Azeris, which helped put the rest of our destinations in historical context.
Where is Azerbaijan?
Azerbaijan can be considered a part of Eastern Europe, Western Asia and the Middle East, because it lies at the borders of these areas. It’s in the South Caucasus, along with Armenia and Georgia. The country is on the west side of the Caspian Sea (which is actually a lake), south of Russia and Georgia, east of Armenia and north of Iran. Baku, the capital, is a southwest port on a peninsula into the Caspian.
If you look closely, Turkey has a very short border with the exclave of Nakhchivan. For advocates of some forms of pan-Turkism, it has been a dream of connecting Turkish speaking peoples from Istanbul to Baku. Only Armenia separates this from becoming a reality and one of the causes of the wars and skirmishes between the countries.
In 1923, the Soviet Union established the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. This region was home to a population that was 95% ethnically Armenian. In 1988, the region’s legislature declared its intention to join Armenia, which led to armed conflict between the two republics.
Except for its eastern Caspian shoreline and some areas bordering Georgia and Iran, Azerbaijan is ringed by mountains surrounding extensive flatlands in the country’s center.
Why We Went to Azerbaijan?
My wife Khadija and I attended the first Extraordinary Travel Festival in Yerevan, Armenia and toured the country in mid-October 2022. Azerbaijan is right next door, so we went there after visiting Georgia. The borders and flights are closed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, so we flew in from Tbilisi, Georgia and flew out to Istanbul, Turkey.
How Long to Spend in Azerbaijan?
We spent the equivalent of three full days in Baku and five days in Nakhchivan, Gobustan, Shaki and Lahich (roughly halfway between Shaki and Baku).
Every day we toured from morning to night as there was so much to see. To properly explore the whole country would take at least two weeks.
When we were there, the Nagorno-Karabakh region, governed as the breakaway state of Artsakh, was closed for independent travel. Azerbaijan began blockading Nagorno-Karabakh in December 2022 and launched a large-scale military offensive in September 2023 (with advanced weaponry financed by its oil and gas wealth), resulting in a ceasefire agreement. Most ethnic Armenians fled, and Artsakh was officially dissolved in January 2024.
What to Eat in Azerbaijan?
Azerbaijan dishes are a category of Middle Eastern cuisines. Most are made with lamb, beef, poultry and to some extent fish, but never pork as it’s a Muslim country. Azerbaijani dishes have traditionally been cooked with copper utensils and cookware which are still used today. Azerbaijani cuisine incorporates many fruits and vegetables, often grown domestically, such as eggplant, tomato, sweet pepper, spinach, pepper, cabbage, onion and cucumber. Rice and pastas are usually present. Fresh spices include mint, coriander, dill, basil and tarragon.
In Old Town Baku, we ate at Dolma whose name refers to grape leaves stuffed with herb-flavored rice. To my delight, I was able to order homemade ayran, a yogurt drink with water, salt and mint. This and other restaurants in the Fountain Square / Old Town area occupy the basement, such as this vault-ceiling one. We were surrounded by mainly Russian speakers, who were possibly fleeing the military draft from the invasion of Ukraine.
Flat bread, or lavash, is a prominent feature of many meals. We visited a one-room, bread factory in Nakhchivan and saw hard-working women putting flour into ovens and removing huge pieces of circular flatbread.
Is Azerbaijan Safe?
Azerbaijan is a safe country to travel but as everywhere, be sure to exercise caution, especially in deserted places and late at night. Do not wander into Nagorno-Karabakh unless it’s allowed, as there were many mines planted there.
Is Azerbaijan Expensive?
Azerbaijan is relatively inexpensive with prices about half of what you find in Europe and the US.
The manat (AZN) is the official currency.
Where to Stay in Azerbaijan?
We stayed in a combination of hotels and guesthouses, which were easily available in the places we visited. In Baku, there are luxury hotels, as well as hostels. Islam Safarli Street is in a chic neighborhood with boutique hotels and walking distance to the Old Town.
This stretch has many cafes for cappuccinos and venues for nighttime music. In Cafein, a delightful Italian cafe and restaurant, we met Irana who works in Baku for Grant Thorton, a U.S. accounting and consulting firm, and was relaxing on her day off.
How to Get Around How to get around Azerbaijan?
In Baku, car sharing services, such as Uber and Bolt, are inexpensive and the 3-line, 27-station metro is an alternative for some locations. A one-ride ticket was 0.40 AZN about 20 cents USD at the time.
Guided bus tours are available to many of the attractions outside of Baku and to Shaki.
We rented a car for four days, driving from Baku to Gobustan, Shaki and Lahich. As we drove, we saw some fabulous scenery, especially in the mountains, as on this road between Shaki and Kish.
While it gave us great flexibility, it was the worst experience I had with traffic police. They frequently stop drivers, especially if you are driving in the left lane. Then they take you to a place where they can review the thousands of traffic cameras in the country. As speed limits are always changing, it’s likely a driver has exceeded a speed limit somewhere. They ask you to pay them there and they will erase it from the cameras. Besides inadvertent speeding, they stop you for minor traffic violations, many a foreign driver would not be aware of. If you are in a rental car, it sometimes helps to call the rental company and have them talk to the police.
When returning a rental car, I had to pay four speeding violations caught by cameras even though we never went faster than the traffic and scrupulously tried to stay within the posted speed. The ticket amounts were subtracted from our deposit. Fortunately, they ranged from only $5 to $10.
Local folks detest the traffic policing but at least they know where the cameras are and where the police are usually situated. I still recommend driving there but be aware of the speed limits and drive as much as possible in the right (slow) lane.
What Languages Are Spoken in Azerbaijan?
Azeri, the national language, is in the Turkish language family, written in Roman script. Russian is spoken by many, as it used to be part of the Soviet Union. In areas with tourists, English is widely spoken.
Baku
It’s not clear how many people lived on the land of current-day Baku before 1191, when it became the royal residence for the Shirvanshahs realm after a devastating earthquake severely damaged their previous home in Shirvan (southwest of Baku). Being on a peninsula, it had the added benefit of more protection against invaders. For the next 300 years, they built an impressive walled city.
Starting in the mid-1800s, Baku became a boom town because of the discovery of extensive oil and gas reserves, on land and in the Caspian Sea. They were so significant that Hitler ordered Operation Edelweiss to capture the Caucasus, primarily to secure access to the oil fields, to hinder the Soviet war effort and fuel the German military.
After Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, Baku was dramatically restructured on a massive scale. Thousands of Soviet buildings were demolished and replaced with a green belt on its shores. Baku’s new business districts surround the Old Town, with many high-tech buildings, often with fanciful designs. Here’s a map of some of the places we visited.
Old Town
The Old Town is still partially surrounded by walls. In 2007, it became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Azerbaijan.
The Maiden Tower is Azerbaijan’s most well-known landmark, so much so it’s on the currency. There are many legends as to why it is so named. One is when the city was sieged, out of a fire in the tower came a beautiful girl who fought so bravely, the invaders decided they would never be able to capture the city.
Based on travelers’ illustrations and photos of the 19th century, the fortress had a double wall. However, the outer wall was destroyed during the Russian annexation but the inner one remains. There are two gates, one was on the Caspian Sea, now separated by added land, and the other faces the rest of the city.
The Old Town is not a museum as 3,000 people live there and mix with the visitors. It’s interesting walking the cobblestone streets, observing diverse architectural styles and stopping for coffee and desserts at a cafe.
Flame Towers
The three Flame Towers reference Azerbaijan’s nickname “The Land of Fire.” This region of the country is noted for natural gas fueling never-extinguishing fires in the ground.
The towers are completely covered with LED screens that at night display the movement of fire and a waving Azerbaijani flag. As the country’s most iconic symbol, the towers are visible throughout the city.
Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center
The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center sweeps balletically across the ground without a single right angle. Most routes from the airport pass by it, so most visitors can observe the creative design and extreme engineering.
The center is named after Heydar Aliyev (1923–2003), the first secretary of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1969 to 1982), president of the Azerbaijan Republic (1993 to 2003) and father to the current President, Ilham Aliyev.
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
This building is another imaginative architectural design in Baku, with the unmistakable look of a rolled carpet.
The country has a long tradition of weaving carpets of Azerbaijani folk art or patterns from certain regions. The museum has a sizable collection of flat-woven and pile carpets and other decorative pieces made of ceramics, glass, wood, paper and metal. The museum was closed while we were in Baku, so we must return to see the interior and the collection.
Baku Boulevard
Baku Boulevard (aka National Park) is a promenade which runs parallel to the city’s seafront. It’s popular with joggers, dog-walkers and strolling pedestrians and includes an amusement park, marinas, fountains, monuments and art displays. During an early morning walk, we saw a magnificent swath of the city’s skyline in the warm morning light.
Yashil Bazaar
Yashil Bazaar is Baku’s largest food bazaar packed with fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, and jams, often organically grown.
I bought the best walnuts, imported from Saudi Arabia, that I ever tasted, full of natural oil and not dry like the ones in New York.
Ateshgah (Fire Temple)
We took a taxi to the castle-like Zoroastrian temple outside of Baku. At the center is a pavilion with a continuously burning flame. It went out in 1969, after nearly a century of petroleum and gas drilling in the area but is now lit by a gas pipe.
Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest religions, based on the teachings of Zarathustra who lived around 500 BC. Zoroastrianism beliefs focus on the battle between good and bad in the world. It’s still practiced, mostly in India, by the Parsee (Persians), descendants of Zoroastrians who fled to India from Muslim persecution in Persia during the 7th–8th centuries. They are now perhaps most known for how they handle the remains of the deceased. They expose the corpse to the sun and it’s devoured by birds of prey, as burying or cremating the dead is seen as polluting nature.
I always thought of Zoroastrianism as from Iran, but from this visit I realized the current area of Azerbaijan was under Persian control over many centuries. So, it made sense this temple was there. It also explained why I heard Farsi (an Indo-European language)-like phonemes (sounds) in the Turkish Azeri language.
Yanar Dag
Yanar Dag is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously from a steady seep of gas on a hill near Baku. Some say it started when a shepherd accidentally lit it in the 1950s.
The idea of seeing continuous fire is appealing, but the display is underwhelming. It’s certainly no Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan.
Gobustan Petroglyphs and Mud Volcanoes
Gobustan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its prehistoric rock carvings which date back 5,000-20,000 years ago. It has striking rock formations which alone justify going there.
More than 6,000 petroglyphs include people, animals, boats, camel caravans and many other images. My favorite was the line of people, some apparently with hoods and hats, dancing in two lines, resembling modern Yally dancing of the country.
The admission to the park was 10 AZN, almost US$6, per person.
In the Gobustan Reserve, next to the park, is a barren area between low lying mountains and the Caspian Sea with huge earth mounds, known as mud volcanoes, spewing methane and mixing sludge.
Half of the world’s 700 mud-volcanoes are in Azerbaijan, mainly in this area. Unlike a hot lava-volcano (such as in Rotorua, New Zealand), here the thick, muddy content is cold. While they look benign, there have been cases where pressurized gas spewed mud for great distances accompanied by a jet of fire.
Lahich
Lahich is known for its handicrafts, particularly copperwork. Walking down the streets we heard banging as artisans made their soft-metal creations. I bought a wonderfully detailed, horse drawn wagon with operable wheels from this skilled coppersmith.
The locals are Tat people who are ethnic Iranians living in Azerbaijan and Southern Dagestan in Russia. They speak the Tat language, a southwestern Farsi somewhat different from the standard form spoken in Iran.
It’s a picturesque village with stone streets and squares. Over a thousand years ago, they developed sophisticated sewer and drainage systems to live comfortably on the side of the mountain.
The mountain drive south of Lahich was spectacular, a narrow road between a high, sheer cliff and a wide, dry riverbed. The drive is beset by frequent potholes, as it’s constantly catching falling rocks and occasional avalanches.
Shaki
The center of the city of Shaki was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019, because of its unique architecture and history as an important trading center along the Silk Road.
The Palace of Shaki Khans is not only a royal residence but also a complex of exceptional buildings. It was a summer residence for the Shaki Khans, who ruled the Shaki region from 1743 to 1819, first under Iranian suzerainty, then Russian.
The palace was built in 1797 and is renowned for the lavish exterior and interior decorations. The interior walls are painted with frescoes, mostly of flowers in vases and hunting and battle scenes.
As you can see from the following photo, there are four main architectural elements to the curved façade of the building. First, four iwans (the vaulted arches above the doorways). Second, muqarnas, a form of three-dimensional decoration, which embellish the iwans. Third, wooden latticework, called shebeke and containing colored glass, which are assembled without nails or glue. Finally, tiles forming geometrical patterns covering the rest of the facade.
In front of the palace, we are with an amazing couple we met in Azerbaijan, Phil and Izzy, from the UK, who live full time in their converted truck and post about their travels on @the_gap_decaders on Instagram and https://thegapdecaders.com/.
On the walls of another building in the complex are unique tiles and hilarious caricatures.
As we were there in October, the landscape was transforming into autumnal colors.
Church of Kish
The Church of Kish is of the Georgian Orthodox denomination, founded about nine centuries ago. The village of Kish is only 5 km / 3 mi north of Shaki. The Church has been inactive due to lack of parishioners since the 19th century, although mass was still regularly held as of 2000 by a Georgian priest.
It is located on a high hill and the road is quite steep for a good stretch.
Nakhchivan
Nakhchivan is an exclave of Azerbaijan, separated from the rest of the country and bordered by Armenia, Iran and Turkey. It’s 6% of the area of Azerbaijan and mostly mountainous except for a plain in the west and southwest. It has a recorded history of 3,500 years and was continuously controlled by foreign rulers and hegemons. The Aliyev family, which includes the current and past presidents, have roots in this region which has resulted in an interesting mix of government subsidies and political repression.
We spent two days there, including the flights to and from Baku. I highly recommend including Nakhchivan in a visit to Azerbaijan. Here’s a map of some of the attractions we visited.
I was surprised to see that many of the destinations are mausoleums and tombs. It’s no wonder the Azerbaijan government nominated the mausoleums of Nakhchivan to be included on the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1998.
As we had only two days, we hired the highly capable guide Emil Pashali (WhatsApp +994 70210 1020) to whisk us around the region. Here are Khadija and Emil, both dressed in black.
While we were there, we didn’t see another international tourist.
City of Nakhchivan
Nakhchivan City is the capital and largest city of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. It’s one of the oldest cities of Azerbaijan, 540 km / 335 mi from Baku with a population of almost 100,000.
These following three monuments are in the center of the city and walking distance to each other.
Shamseddin Eldeniz, the 12th century founder of a Turkish dynasty which controlled most of northwestern Persia, built a mausoleum for his wife Momine Khatun.
The ten-sided, 25 m / 80 ft brick tower is decorated with complex geometric patterns and quotes from the Koran written in Arabic in kufic style, including “We pass away, but only the wind is left behind us. We die, but only the work is left as a present.” The mausoleum has an underground vault and the burial place of Momine-Khatun is under the building without an entrance.
The Nakhchivan Khanate was one of many small independent city-states to emerge in the Caucasus and Iran following the death of Nadir Shah in 1747, one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history. They built a palace between the mid-18th to early 20th century and I particularly liked this room in it.
The Open Air Museum has various stone figures of different ages found in Nakhchivan. For some reason, there was a preponderance of ram sculptures. It was established in 2002.
Did you know Noah, or at least relics of him, are buried in Nakhchivan? This is probably just a legend but Mt Ararat, where Noah fled from the flood with his menagerie, is just across the Nakhchivan border in Turkey. The current octagonal mausoleum with a tall, pointed roof was built in 2006.
There are two other attractions within walking distance of Noah’s tomb.
Yezidabad Castle consists mainly of mud-brick walls and a single room-building, domed museum. It’s a reconstruction of a castle named after Yazdgerd III (reigned 632 to 651), the last king of the Sassanid Empire.
Visually, the place that caught my attention was the Heydar Mosque, named after the former president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev (there’s another mosque of this name in Baku). It was finished in 2014 and the surrounding grounds are still being developed.
Duzdag Salt Mountain Hospital
In Duzdag, there’s a mountain with a salt mine that was transformed into a treatment facility for individuals with pulmonary diseases. The damp and cool tunnels have sodium and chlorine ions which improves breathing. Also, in this environment there are few microbes, natural ventilation with no poisonous gas such as methane.
The entrance is the same as when it was a working salt mine which allows access by walking, thus no need for elevators. There are small rooms for the patients who typically stay a week or two. The temperature ranges between 18-20 C / 64-68 F.
Italy, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Romania and other countries have similar treatment facilities.
Garabaghlar Mausoleum
The Garabaghlar Mausoleum was built in the 14th century and is my favorite mausoleum in Nakhchivan, especially because of the cylindrical facade and how it’s balanced with two minarets. It’s thought that it has the remains of Qutui Khatun, possibly a wife of a Khan. I was fortunate to meet the director and chat about the architectural features.
Alinja Castle
The most visually striking historical site in Nakhchivan is Alinja Castle, the so-called Machu Picchu of Azerbaijan. It has been used as a fort for two millennia, but the current, three-level structure is from a single millennium ago. It was virtually impregnable but fell after a 14-year siege (1387-1401) by Timur and his son Miranshah. The fact that the water-springs dried up sometimes in the summer of the siege greatly assisted the invaders.
The fortress is surrounded by thick stone walls, barracks, warehouses, stables, kitchens, an arsenal, treasury and palace. Nakhichevan’s rotating ruling dynasties, including the Seljuks and Safavids, occupied it.
Emil and I were accompanied by a local white dog, who liked to more than nip at my heels, in the 1,500-step climb to the top. After a half-hour, slow walk, we made it to the top level.
Gulusan Mausoleum
Gulusan means “heavenly garden,” because the mausoleum is in a green valley, not far from the Aras River. The mausoleum was built over 900 years ago. The structure is believed to contain the tombs of Shamsaddin Eldeniz, the head of the Atabeyler state, his wife Mumine Khatun, and his son Muhammed Jahan Pahlavan.
My main interest in coming to this area was to stand close to the Iranian border and stare into the mountainous landscape of Nakhchivan’s neighbor. I explain a bit about it in a scratchy voice in this video.
Ordubad
The second biggest city in Nakhchivan has existed at least 800 years and is on the border of Iran. Like almost everywhere in the Caucasus, it has been ruled at different times by the Ottomans, Persians and Russians. Ordubad was once an important regional hub on the Silk Road. In the 17th century the city was rebuilt with many public squares. Ordubad is known for its fruits, including apricots, lemons and 40 varieties of grapes, and silk exported mainly to Venice, Marseille and Amsterdam.
Khadija is with Sevda, whose mother’s name is also Khadija.
Her family is slowly renovating their home in the old section of Ordubad.
We were in front of a typical, old door in the city with two knockers that produce different types of sounds, for males and females. Some have an additional one for children, affixed at a lower position. It reminded me of doors we saw in Tozeur, Tunisia.
The Juma (Friday) Mosque was demolished in the 20th century and is being restored based on drawings and photos from the 19th century.
Final Thoughts
Travel cannot escape serendipity, no matter how much one plans and organizes. This happened to us quite unexpectedly. When we were walking around the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Baku, Khadija spotted a pink taxi and asked me to take a picture of her with it.
When we later looked at the image, we immediately knew it was a signature portrait of her. Now I am obligated to take her picture whenever she sees a parked pink car she likes.
This experience was a metaphor for our visit to Azerbaijan. We knew relatively little about the country and every day we had surprises of seeing fascinating places and meeting captivating people. The country isn’t large but it has an incredible history and interesting culture that continues to evolve to this very day. Hopefully after reading this post, you are already mentally making reservations to go there!