PLACES TO VISIT IN AZERBAIJAN: THE PERFECT BAKU CITY TOUR

I recently had the opportunity to explore the wonderful places to visit in Azerbaijan including the unusual capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, also the biggest city in Azerbaijan. This enchanting city facing the Caspian Sea is a study in contrasts. 

Seventh century structures compete for attention with modern skyscrapers. Ancient caravanserai, rest-stops on the old Silk Route, sit next to world-renown architectural landmarks.

There is so many sights to see in Azerbaijan, especially Baku, that you’ll need a well-planned Baku itinerary to help you maximize your time.  Here is what just might be the perfect Baku city tour.  Join me on this unforgettable adventure in beautiful Azerbaijan.

When I was a kid in high school, I frequented a candy store outside my subway stop that sold paperbacks.

One day I found a book called Ali and Nino, by Kurban Said, about a Muslim Azerbaijani boy and a Christian Georgian girl that fall in love in Baku around the time of WW I, an especially turbulent time in Azerbaijani history just before Soviet rule.

The book did such am amazing job describing Baku that I fell in love with this exotic city so outside my cultural frame of reference.  I read up on the fascinating things to see and do in Baku. I wondered what Azerbaijan cuisine was like. 

I knew I’d visit one day.  Although I have always loved travel, I believe that specific book kicked my wanderlust into high gear and influenced my life-long travel passion.

Many years later, I was reading one of travel guru, Paul Theroux’s many travel books.

He said that as a young man he came across the book Ali and Nino that caused him to fall in love with the city of Baku, a place he had never heard of, and that the book was instrumental in contributing to his passion for travel.

“This wonderful novel—beautifully constructed, vivid and persuasive, a love story at once exotic and familiar—is living proof that art is indestructible and transcendent” said Theroux.

When I read Theroux’s comments I thought it interesting that this book had the identical effect on two different people. It seems the book is a great travel endorsement for Baku. How appropriate Theroux’s words were!

I finally made it to Baku and the city did not disappoint. Down to the lazy cats lounging in the sunny streets of Old Town, Baku was everything I imagined it would be.

Baku, Azerbaijan: Facts to help you get around

Azerbaijan has about 10 million people approximately 40% of which live in the capital city of Baku.

Azerbaijan is a secular Muslim country.  Only a small percentage of women wear veils, alcohol is easily obtained, and the sexes mix freely. There are no clothing restrictions, but women must cover themselves when entering mosques. Veils are available for free at mosque entrances.

About 80% of Azeri people are nominally Shia Muslims. The remainder are a combination of Sunni, Jews, Christian and other religions. The people pride themselves on their religious tolerance.

Azerbaijan’s ancient religion is Zoroastrianism which dates back over three thousand years. It was the dominant religion until Islam arrived in the 7th century CE.  Vestiges of Zoroastrianism are still visible in modern Azerbaijan today.

Historians believe that Zoroastrianism influenced many modern-day religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. It is believed the ancient Zoroastrians worshipped fire.

Most nationalities require visas to enter Azerbaijan. Visas are easily obtained online or by contacting a visa service such as iVisa.

The language in Azerbaijan is Azeri, a Turkic language closely related to Turkish. An Azeri speaking person and a person speaking modern Turkish will be able to understand each other.

Russian is widely spoken especially with the older generation.  Younger people prefer to study English. Many tourism workers will speak English.

Baku can be as inexpensive or as luxurious as you like. Accommodations range from the opulent Four Seasons and Fairmont Hotels to cozy, well-situated hostels and everything in between. Likewise, there are meals and transportation options for every budget.

Azerbaijani currency is the manat. One manat is about $0.59 of a U.S. dollar.  ATMs are readily and conveniently located throughout Baku. 

International credit cards are accepted in most hotels and restaurants in tourist locations, but less so in areas outside Baku.

Uber is available in Azerbaijan and much cheaper than standard taxis.

There are buses and subways with convenient routes, but you need to buy a BakiKart (Metrocard) at main subway station kiosks to use public transportation. The price is 2 manat.

An average subway ride is 0.30 of a manat so one BakiKart will get you several subway rides.  This is one of the cheapest rides I’ve encountered.

Places to visit in Baku, Azerbaijan: the perfect Baku city tour 

Old Town

One of the most remarkable Azerbaijan places to visit in Baku is Old Town, the historical core. It is the oldest part of the city with some historians dating the construction as far back as the 7th century.

This is the best place to start your Baku sightseeing.

The historical core of Old Town, a favorite Azerbaijani tourist spot, is about 50 acres of winding alleys lined with homes decorated with iron-wrought terraces opening to sunny plazas all surrounded by towering fortified walls.

Buildings through the city are constructed in the local white limestone. This makes the structures appear a creamy white color that dazzles in the sunlight.

The town itself, along with its major historical sights of Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs, were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000. These are two of the most important Azerbaijan points of interest and among the best places to visit in Azerbaijan.

The Maiden Tower in Old Town is considered a symbol of Baku. and one of the top Azerbaijan attractions. It is a circular tower, almost 100 feet high, believed to have been built in the 12th century over an already existing structure from the 5th to 6th centuries.

Legend has it the tower has never been breached, hence the name.

Inside the tower is a small museum displaying the history of the city.  Climb to the top for a great view of Baku, its winding alleys, hidden gardens, mosque minarets and the circular bay. It is definitely one of the best places to visit in Azerbaijan.

Palace of the Shirvanshahs is the former seat of the ruling Shirvanshahs who ruled in Azerbaijan in the 15th century.  No longer a palace, today it is more like a well-maintained museum, mausoleum and garden on the original palace site.

The architecture is typical of the time and place; graceful arches, delicate carvings and lush peaceful gardens with tinkling fountains.   It is also the burial site for past royalty, one of the more interesting rooms.

This is one of the top Baku tourist attractions.

There is a small area where an attendant will take a picture of you in period clothing, a tacky tourist tactic I’ve never been able to resist. If you’re looking for fun things to do in Azerbaijan, try this for a cool memory of your trip.

The Medieval Market Square is an archeological site right in front of the Maiden Tower so it is impossible to miss. What was once the square is today an exhibition center for interesting excavated stones representing animal figures.

This area is considered by many to be the spot where one of Jesus’ disciples, St. Bartholomew was martyred.

For me the most interesting aspect of this area is the caravanserai converted into restaurants.

A caravanserai is a place where the travelers on the ancient Silk Road would come to rest with their animals as they continued their journey across central Asia and Europe. 

The travelers would set up shop in little alcoves and stable their animals in an open central area. After a few days they moved on.

Azerbaijan was a major stop on that route. Many of the caravanserai remain and have been converted into restaurants which you see throughout Baku. This was one of the best historical places to visit in Azerbaijan.

Nearby is the Museum of Miniature Books. This is the private collection of Zarifa Salahova who, over a 30-year period, had the patience to accumulate this remarkable collection and share it with the public.

You’ll find miniatures of the classics as well as the Bible and Qur’an. The smallest book requires a microscope to see.

Donations of miniature books have joined the collection from all over the world making it one of the quirky places to visit in Baku. It is worth a visit if only for curiosity’s sake.

Right around the corner you’ll find the Coin Museum, a modest little museum housed in a one-room mosque displaying ancient coins.

There are a series of ancient public baths in Baku most of which are ruins, but really cool ruins. These baths were segregated, of course, and one interesting story involves the woman’s bath.

When a woman was being considered for marriage, the parents negotiated the deal while the couple were prohibited from meeting. 

Wanting the couple to be as well-matched as possible, the groom’s mother would evaluate the prospective bride in the nude while at the public baths and make a recommendation to her son based on the review.

The poor bride never knew she was being judged like a sow.  The legend does not say if the evaluation was ever reciprocated.

Old Town is the artistic center of Baku. One of the most pleasant things to do in Baku’s Old Town is to wander in and out of the little art studios. 

You can see the artist at work as well as view the artwork on display. You might end up taking home a beautiful artistic memento of your trip. It’s fun to wander around this neighborhood. It has less tourists and is one of the more sedate and authentic places to visit in Baku.

Some of the more prominent galleries include: Ali Samsir’s Studio and Q Gallery but there are several.

Highland Park Area

The area around Highland Park, one of the highest points in the city, is a good place to learn more about Azerbaijan’s more contemporary history. The various monuments commemorate Azerbaijan’s heroes. It is one of the most moving places to visit in Azerbaijan.

After the Zoroastrians, Muslims settled in the Caucasus area and firmly established Islam in the 700s CE. That’s how Azerbaijan became a Muslim country.

From 1806 to 1917 Azerbaijan was part of the Russian Empire. In 1917 the Russian Empire fell, an event that reverberated worldwide. 

Azerbaijan took advantage of this to declare their independence and formed the first secular Muslim republic in the world, a fact recognized by most major powers of the time.

The celebrations were short-lived however, because what became the Soviet Union subdued them in 1920.

From 1920 to 1991 Azerbaijan existed under Soviet rule but the desire for freedom was too strong and they again struck out on their own.

On the days of January 19 and 20, 1990, Soviet tanks and troops took to the streets of Baku killing and wounding demonstrators calling for independence.  Hundreds were killed on those days the Azeri refer to as Black January.

It is here in Upland Park where you see the utterly devastating memorial to the demonstrators. The images of 131 Azeri men, women, children and couples are etched in black stone, in perfect rows in a spot called Martyrs Alley.

It is a moving exhibit, one of the somber places to visit in Azerbaijan which cannot be missed.

Also in Upland Park is one of the best views of Baku from this high vantage point as well as the beautiful Highland Park Mosque.

The Carpet Museum

From Highland Park you can take the cable car down to the city to visit the famous Carpet Museum. If you are looking for totally unique places to visit in Azerbaijan, this is it!

Don’t think carpets can be THAT interesting?  Think again! You will be surprised when you leave and find yourself thinking that this is one of the marvelously unique places to visit in Baku…a perfect complement to your unique Baku city tour.

First of all, the museum is built in the design of a rolled-up carpet. The two first floors display the country’s most beautiful carpets representative of their respective regions.  There are also several examples of carpet design during the Soviet era, bizarre! 

Lastly there is an amazing collection of all the interesting things you can do with a carpet.  It’s so unusual you have to see it for yourself.

Fountain Square

The ideal spot for people watching, Fountain Square is a series of pedestrianized streets outside of Old Town starting at the Square and gradually cascading down to the sea where it connects to a shopping mall by a pedestrian bridge.  This is one of the very cosmopolitan and trendy places to visit in Azerbaijan.

It is an innovative, graceful piece of engineering and architecture.

The shops lean towards the high-end.  The restaurants are trendy. The leafy park is populated by African parrots. 

One of the main thoroughfares, Nizami Street, has outdoor chandeliers! The entire effect is magical and you feel you are in a cross between Dubai and Paris.

At night the area sparkles with twinkling lights. Find some of the best clubs and restaurants of Baku here or just hang out at one of the many street cafes and watch the world go by.

The Flame Towers

Azerbaijan, and Baku in particular, has been associated with fire throughout its history.  The country’s original practitioners of Zoroastrianism are said to have worshiped fire. 

Three flames have decorated the Azerbaijani coat of arms for centuries and the country’s natural gas cause areas of the country to sprout flames from the earth.

Due to this association with fire, these three dramatic and imposing skyscrapers have become a symbol of Azerbaijan. They are built in the shape of a flame, hence the name. Some refer to them as steel Azerbaijani mountains. Of all the fascinating places to visit in Azerbaijan, this is a top contender.

Completed in 2012, the tallest tower reaches 597 feet into the sky. One of the towers is a luxury apartment building, one is a 250 room Fairmont Hotel, and the last is an office complex.

The towers are visible from everywhere in Baku and one of the most interesting things to see in Azerbaijan.

Where to stay in Baku.

The Boulevard

Baku’s “Bulvar,” also known as seaside boulevard, corniche or seawall is the largest in Europe at over 3 km long. It fronts the Caspian Sea and is dotted by parks, an enormous Ferris wheel and bike rental stations (5 manat/hr). 

Throughout the day and evening the local residents stroll the Bulvar and enjoy the sea air.

Every evening from about 8 pm until midnight the Flame Towers put on a light show like no other.  Each one of the 3 buildings lights up alternately displaying the colors of the Azeri flag, burning flames or other designs.

This spectacle can be seen from all over the city but the view from the Bulvar is especially impressive because it appears the city is on fire.

Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center

Probably one of the most unexpected things to see in Baku, the Heyday Aliyev Cultural Center is a must-see cultural bonanza.

The iconic building itself is the star here.  Designed by world-renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and named for the president of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003, the complex was completed in 2012. 

It is said that an aerial view reveals the building to be Heydar Aliyev’s signature.

Inside there is an informative exhibit presenting the former president’s life and times. Also on show is a remarkable puppet collection, a mock up of various city buildings and art exhibits.

What will wow you, however, are the interior lines of the building; so fanciful, unusual and unexpected.  The center was constructed with no angular lines at all, only smooth curves creating an impression of a flowing structure. 

It’s like visiting a bizarre futuristic Disney exhibit or what you imagine the interior of an alien spaceship to look like.

Yasil Bazar

I love visiting local markets and the Yasil Bazar is definitely one of the best places to visit in Baku. Here is where you can get a real feel for the country; what things cost, what people eat; the locals’ daily interactions. In Baku the market to go to is the Yasil Bazar.

Yasil Bazar sells fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts and spices. Good items to purchase that are typical of the area are the delicious Azeri teas, the local saffron and the sweet baklavas in dozens of colorful variations.

Azeri cuisine. What to eat in Baku and where to eat it.

I really liked Azeri food.  The cuisine has lots of variety and the food is very “farm-to-table.” There are many wonderful restaurants in this cosmopolitan capital of Azerbaijan.

An Azeri meal begins with a small salad followed by soup.  Next comes the main course and dessert.  This format never varied wherever I went.

All meals are accompanied by a type of water flavored with fruits, botanicals like black basil and sugar.  It is very refreshing and should be served cold.

Meat did not feature prominently as a main course.  The most meat I saw was bits of chicken and lamb accompanied by vegetables and rice (plov).  The real stars of the Azeri meal are vegetables…and lots of them. 

Eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower and some unrecognizable (but delicious) veggies are everywhere.  If you are a vegetarian, move to Baku!

One apparently typical local dish I saw on several occasions is stuffed eggplant, pepper and tomatoes in one dish.  Dolmos, stuffed grape leaves, are also common.  They can be stuffed with rice, ground meat and/or cheese and taste very different from what you get in the States.

You eat dolmos with yogurt, a typical accompaniment. Dolmos are so common there are even restaurants named after the dish.

 Dolma Restaurant, for traditional Azeri food.  OCAQ Art Café is a cute little spot right next to the ancient wall and near the art galleries.

5 Awesome day trips from Baku, Azerbaijan

The best day trips from Baku will take you to locations filled with high artistic achievement, mysterious temples, and amazing natural phenomenon.

After a couple of days exploring Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan with a Baku city tour, it’s time to discover its surroundings. 

I’ve gathered a small selection of some of the most interesting day trips from Baku.  All of these outings are within one or two hours of Baku giving you an opportunity to visit them all within one or two days depending on how much time you spend at each location and what your interest level is.  But they are all worth visiting.

From richly decorated mosques to blazing mountains to prehistoric rock carvings and cave art, these day trips from Baku will make you rethink your impressions of this little-understood country.

Bibi-Heybat Mosque

This graceful, cream-colored mosque appears deceivingly understated on the outside. But once inside you are greeted with a kaleidoscope of colors from the light streaming in through the stain glass windows.

The domes are decorated with emerald-green mosaics and golden colored inscriptions from the Qu’ran. The tombs rest in an enclosed area encased in silver gates and gold-colored roofs.  The combined effect of the colors, designs, and textures is stunning.

Rebuilt in the 1990s after the identical model the Soviets destroyed in 1934, the mosque stands majestically before the Caspian Sea about 20 minutes from Baku Old Town.  It contains the tomb of Ukeyma Khanum, a descendant of Muhammad.

When visiting, women will be provided with a robe covering–that looks like an old hospital gown–to wear while in the mosque.

The Mud Volcanoes

About one and a half hours from Baku is an area known for subterranean mud volcanoes.  The road there is in great condition until you hit the detour to the location.  Then the road becomes unpaved, bumpy and very steep.

There are taxis nearby to take people whose cars cannot travel to the volcanoes.

Once you get there you will see a barren grey landscape with dozens of volcanoes from tiny ones less than a foot high to much larger ones.

Azerbaijan is home to over a third of the mud volcanoes in the world.  They are formed from pockets of underground gas that force themselves to the surface. 

You would think that the volcanoes are hot but since they are not caused by magma, they are very cold.  A totally weird and counter-intuitive feeling is to dip your fingers in the “boiling” mud and feel the cool texture.

The local residents believe the mud has medicinal qualities to cure or alleviate skin conditions and they collect the mud in plastic bottles for sale to tourists and residents.

The Petroglyph Museum in Gobustan

A few minutes from the Mud Volcanoes is the Petroglyph Museum in Gobustan. The museum offers an in-depth explanation of the prehistoric petroglyphs, or rock carvings, found in the area.

The exhibit recreates the people who made the petroglyphs, why and for what purpose.

The petroglyphs are significant because of their variety and artistic achievement which many compare to the cave art found in the Altamira caves of northern Spain. The area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

More than just a museum, the location functions as an educational center with over 20 exhibition rooms and a small 3D theater.

Kids will love the “please touch” exhibits. I thought they were pretty cool too.

After learning about the petroglyphs, the fun part is to stroll through the grounds of the Gobustan National Park and actually see them close up.

Gobustan Rock Art in the Gobustan National Park

It is fascinating to imagine our long-ago ancestors carving their visions into the rock. There are designs of bison and other animals that were so important to their survival. Images of pregnant women also feature prominently, perhaps an homage to a fertility goddess.

One set of carvings I found especially interesting were those of groups of people next to each other that appeared to be holding hands.  Some of the figures were clearly male, others female with smaller figures representing children.  

They appear to be moving together, perhaps dancing.  What were these people trying to do all those tens of thousands of years ago in that cave? What fears were they trying to dispel? What prayers were they hoping to get answered?

I found the images poignant and moving.

As these destinations are so close together, it is easy to combine the Petroglyph Museum, Gobustan National Park and the Bibi Hayat Mosque into one of the perfect day trips from Baku.

The Fire Temple of Ateshgah

The Ateshgah of Baku is often referred to as the “Fire Temple of Baku.” 

This is a structure that looks like a cross between a medieval castle and a Hindu temple about an hour from Baku. In fact, the temple has been used by many religions including Zoroastrian, Hindu and even Sikh.

Constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ateshgah has been turned into a museum and was declared a state historical-architectural reserve by decree of the President of Azerbaijan.

The central temple sits in the center of a courtyard surrounded by stone walls with little alcoves which were used as cells.  To convey the historical use of the temple, wax figurines have been placed in the cells depicting the lives the worshipers lived.

The star attraction is the fire in the central temple. The fire blazed naturally from escaping natural gas for nearly a century and has been replaced by a gas pipe line.  If you take a picture at a particular angle, it appears as if you are engulfed in flames.

All the while I was wandering the temple and the exhibits I was thinking about what interesting creatures we humans are.  How we have been driven to create and to connect spiritually throughout history no matter where we are. 

I always come to the conclusion that the more I learn about the world the more I realize how little I know.

Yanar Dag

Yanar Dag is a natural fire that burns continuously on a hillside in Baku near the Caspian Sea. The flames can rise as high as 3 meters in the air. It is said the fire was initially lit by a shepherd in the 1950s and has remained blazing ever since.

Geologists say the Yanar Dag fire is the result of hydrocarbon gases sprouting up from the earth’s surface.

Azerbaijan is known as the land of fire.  This natural phenomenon is unexplained when seen with the naked eye. The site has taken on religious significance for some residents over the years.

The site is the base of a large hill surrounded by an arena of sand.  There is a small seating area for people to sit and observe the blazing fire.  It’s amazing to see it burn with no visible fuel, it’s just fire sprouting from a mountain.

The site is impressive enough during the day, but at night, the sight of the blazing flames against the night sky is truly remarkable.

Want to know more about Azerbaijan and its fascinating capital? Check out these books.

Where to stay in Baku, Azerbaijan

Need more hotel suggestions? Try either the Sahil Inn Hotel or The Merchant Baku. Both are located near the city center and close to public transportation. 

What are some of your thoughts on the best places to visit in beautiful Azerbaijan?

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