Azerbaijan is a vast country and an important location on the ancient Silk Road. After thousands of years, Azerbaijan still shows a lot of diversity in culture and traditions, along with interesting destinations.
 |
| A view of the capital Baku, Azerbaijan. (Source: Getty Images) |
In Azerbaijan, many special cultural activities are being opened to invite tourists from all over the world to experience. In order to create maximum conditions for tourists, the Azerbaijani government has reduced the processing time for new visas to three days. Exploring Azerbaijan has never been easier.
Eternal Flame
In Azerbaijan, vast underground oil and gas deposits have created incredible natural fires, including the Yanardag hillside – which is considered an eternal flame.
In many indigenous cultures, fire is considered a sacred sign for humans to receive teachings from God, and Azerbaijan is no exception. For Zoroastrians, fire is a representative of light and goodness, and symbolizes Ahura Mazda, the religion's supreme god of wisdom. Therefore, believers consider fire to have a sacred meaning.
Since fire is central to Zoroastrian worship, visitors can hire a guide to take them to the Yanardag hillside and Ateshgah, the ancient fire temple that has been a place of worship for Ahura Mazda for millennia. To this day, visitors can still see religious inscriptions in Devanagari and Gurmukhi, originating from the North Indian subcontinent, carved above the doorways and a small bronze statue of Shiva in one of the temple's rooms.
Mud volcano eruption
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Icherisheher is famous for its maze of cobbled streets. Although initially difficult to navigate, Icherisheher was built to serve strategic purposes throughout its history and its streets lead visitors to important parts of the city such as the Maiden Tower, the ancient mosques and hammams, and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.
Near the capital Baku is the Gobustan Conservation Area, a UNESCO-listed site for ancient art. It contains more than 7,000 rock carvings, the oldest of which is 40,000 years old, as well as preserved burial sites and habitats.
Gobustan also has the world’s largest concentration of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are not typical volcanoes, but can range from bubbling lakes to eruptions reaching heights of up to 700m. Movements beneath the ground allow gases to escape from the volcano, which can ignite to create a brief but brilliant display.
City of history
Another culturally rich destination is the city of Ganja. It is famous for its magnificent ancient buildings, vibrant atmosphere and exquisite cuisine. In the city center, visitors will find architecture from the Safavid (Persian) empire, the Ganja Khanate (under Iranian control), and even the Tsarist and Soviet eras.
Here is the Imamzadeh Mausoleum, a 14th-century structure restored in 2016, featuring a blue-tiled dome with peacock motifs and intricate patterns.
Also worth exploring is Khan Park, a complex that includes the Shah Abbas Mosque complex and the Safavid baths. Here, visitors can see the mausoleum of the last Ganja king and Khan Garden, a 6-hectare oasis in the heart of the city.
In Ganja, visitors should take the time to experience the regional cuisine. Ganja pakhlava is prepared with a cream made from honey, cardamom, cloves, saffron and rose water, filled with shelled walnuts and covered with saffron syrup. Each cake will be decorated with nuts or almonds...
The “jewel” in the cultural crown
Azerbaijanis are always proud to introduce to visitors from all over the world that Sheki is one of the jewels in their country's cultural crown.
Nestled in the forested slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, it is steeped in Silk Road history and renowned for its architecture and hospitality. Wander the cobbled streets of ancient buildings in the city’s Historic Centre, which includes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sheki Khan Palace, to see the cultural gem of this beautiful West Asian country.
Sheki also still practices traditional crafts. Stop by and watch silk painters and stained glass artists before shopping at local workshops.
German mark
Shamkir is a place in Azerbaijan so famous for producing world-class fruits and vegetables that it is called the “Greenhouse of Azerbaijan”. Shamkir was historically a stop on the Silk Road, and the impressive ruins of the long-abandoned city are located 10km away, making it a day trip.
Modern Shamkir, which bears the strong imprint of the Germans who migrated to the western part of the city in 1819, has a distinctly German feel. The people here have brought their skills in winemaking, pickling and architecture to bear, leaving a legacy that can be experienced today as well as hundreds of years later.
Source
Comment (0)