Considered as a link between Eastern and Western cultures, the country is proud of its rich history. Through Azerbaijan, the sights of which reflect its past, the Great Silk Road ran. The territory of the ancient state keeps many national values that delight tourists.
Old city of Icheri Sheher
Not a single trip to an oriental fairy tale is complete without a visit to the historical part of Baku. The old city of Icheri Sheher, surrounded by fortified walls, is located in the very heart of the capital of Azerbaijan, the sights of which can take you back several centuries. This is a real treasure trove, hiding dozens of historical monuments.
The oldest residential quarter is exactly the place where the development of majestic Baku began. Protected by UNESCO, it attracts travelers from all over the world. Each guest, walking through the intricate labyrinth of narrow streets, feels the amazing atmosphere that reigns in the Old City. Icheri Sheher withwith open arms welcomes guests who dream of wandering around a corner where everything breathes history. Here they try to save every pebble, and the restored dwellings play with bright colors in a new way.
Stone houses, decorated with carved beams, wooden balconies-terraces, excite the imagination of impressionable tourists. Surprisingly, only cats live in the quarter - the full owners of the historical monument. Walking in a quiet place is a deep feeling, and guests feel that a completely different world opens up to them.
Maiden Tower
On its territory there are other sights of Azerbaijan, photos and descriptions of which can be found in any guide to the capital of the country. The Maiden's Tower, towering over the historical part, is recognized as a symbol of Baku. Shrouded in mysterious legends, it was a powerful citadel of the Baku fortress, and later was used as a lighthouse.
Representing a stone cylinder about 30 meters high, the structure is divided into tiers, between which a spiral staircase originally passed. In the 1960s, the tower was turned into a museum.
Former residence of the rulers
The Palace of the Shirvanshahs, which has become one of the main attractions of Baku, Azerbaijan (photo and description is presented in the article), is also located in the Old City. The pearl of ancient Baku is located on the highest point of the old quarter. The residence of the rulers, built in the 15th century, is an architectural ensemble consisting of several buildings:the palace itself, mosques, tombs, mausoleums, gates, baths.
The majestic complex, taken under state protection, has been declared a museum-reserve. The most popular tourist site was built by different architects, but despite this, it looks very harmonious.
Ateshgah - temple of fire
The Temple of Eternal Flame, which is a pentagonal structure, stands on the site of an ancient Zoroastrian sanctuary. Fire worshipers endowed the flame with mystical properties and worshiped the shrine. Ateshgah, located 30 kilometers from Baku, in the settlement of Surakhany, is the most visited attraction of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This area is famous for its unique natural phenomenon - gas comes to the surface of the earth and ignites spontaneously.
In the temple surrounded by battlements, consisting of 26 cells and one room, there is an altar-well with unquenchable fire. Back in the 19th century, due to shifts in the earth's crust, the flames stopped escaping from the bowels, which the believers perceived as the wrath of the gods. And now the fire is maintained artificially. In 1975, the sanctuary turns into a state museum, the expositions of which tell about the life of the Zoroastrians.
Gobustan Archaeological Reserve
The national version of the English Stonehenge is the Gobustan archaeological reserve, located south of Baku. The open-air museum houses rock paintings that are tens of thousands of years old. The unique landmark of Azerbaijan attracts not onlytourists, but also scientists studying ancient petroglyphs dating back to the Stone Age.
Visitors to the visiting card of the country make an unusual excursion into the distant past of ancient civilizations. Primitive people, who carved drawings on the rocks, thus broadcast their "I" to the whole world. The reserve, protected by UNESCO, is a kind of archive of human evolution on earth.
H. Aliyev Cultural Center
Many modern architectural monuments are located in Baku. The sights of Azerbaijan are remembered for a long time by vacationers in a hospitable country. The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center was opened in 2012. The stunning work of art was created by famed Zaha Hadid, who dreamed of breaking ties with the monumental architecture of the Soviet Union and creating a stunning complex.
The building seems to have a liquid surface, and this feeling is complemented by numerous waves and folds. Due to the unusual shape, a clear boundary between the landscape and the building itself is erased, which is perceived as part of the landscape. The interior is no less impressive than the outer appearance of the center. The architects hid the rigid frame of the room behind smooth curves.
There is a museum dedicated to the President of Azerbaijan, exhibition areas with galleries, a giant concert hall, and a media center. A masterpiece of world architecture must be seen with your own eyes, since it is rather difficult to describe its beauty in words.
Mud volcanoes
Natural attractions of Azerbaijan are diverse. Few people know that the country has a huge number of mud volcanoes erupting to a height of up to a thousand meters. They formed 25 million years ago and are considered the oldest on earth. Traces of their activity can also be found in Gobustan.
The fantastic landscape of natural cone-shaped volcanoes is very reminiscent of the surface of the Moon or Mars, and travelers who love to be photographed among gray sleeping monsters brag about having been to another planet.
Fire Mountain
Another amazing natural landmark of Azerbaijan, whose photos fascinate thousands of travelers, is located on the territory of the country. Mount Yanardag, located on the Absheron Peninsula, delights even experienced tourists. Engulfed in flames, it is considered a sacred place where people come to bow to the flaming hill and meditate on the hot slope.
The fantastic landscape is explained very simply: the natural gas released from the upper layers comes into contact with oxygen and immediately turns into a flame. According to an old legend, Yanardag, burning regardless of the weather, has the gift of curing the sick. And hundreds of thousands of pilgrims dreaming of he alth ask the mountain to help them recover. At night, the upland, engulfed in flames, is an unforgettable sight.
There are thousands in the sunny countryplaces that are definitely worth seeing. You want to return to hospitable Azerbaijan again and again. Everyone will discover something new for themselves, even walking in familiar places. And a fascinating journey into a real fairy tale leaves an indelible mark on the soul.
