- Lovely capital
- Holidays in the Caspian
- Oil sanatoriums
- Petroglyphs of Gobustan
- Stops of the Great Silk Road
- For safari lovers
- Lights of Absheron
An ancient state with five thousand years of history, the birthplace of the "Shamakhand queen" from Pushkin's fairy tale "The Golden Cockerel", the place where Noah lived out his last days, and where his tomb is, the country that served as the prototype of Persia in the poems of Sergei Yesenin - this is Azerbaijan. When asked when is the best time to have a rest in Azerbaijan, local residents unequivocally answer: from the beginning of summer to mid-autumn. At this time, dry, warm weather sets in here, and rains are very rare.
One of the Caucasian republics of the former Soviet Union, Azerbaijan is not frozen in the past, although there are plenty of historical monuments here. The country is changing every year so much that people who have been here several years ago do not recognize it. Significant changes are especially noticeable in its capital - the city of Baku.
Lovely capital
Baku is most beautiful in summer, when it is buried in flower beds of roses. Several years ago, the government of the country invested a lot of money in the improvement of the capital. Old dilapidated buildings in the city center were dismantled, a long Primorsky Boulevard with benches for rest was built along the coast, new avenues were laid, some streets closed for cars were paved with expensive marble, new interesting architectural monuments were erected, for example, the Fire Towers, which resemble torches in the evenings. and the Heydar Aliyev Center of a strange shape. In fact, its design is quite understandable: from a bird's eye view, the building resembles Aliyev's signature.
It is better to admire the sights of Baku from the observation deck of the Maiden Tower, erected in the 7th century, which makes it the oldest building in Baku. And in search of the atmosphere of old Baku, you should go to Icheri Sheher - the Inner City, surrounded by a high wall. Time seems to have stopped there somewhere in the Middle Ages.
Holidays in the Caspian
If tourists plan to rest on the Caspian Sea, then it is better to come to Azerbaijan in the summer, when the water warms up to a comfortable temperature for swimming. Azerbaijan is located at the same latitude as the countries of the Mediterranean basin, but the summers are drier here.
The most popular beach resorts in the country are:
- Sumgait is one of the youngest tourist cities in Azerbaijan. It is known for its mild semi-dry climate and a wide coastal strip strewn with small shells.
- Lankaran, located in the subtropical zone. The city, founded in the X century BC. e., is famous for its thermal springs and wonderful black sand beaches.
- Nabran is a small village with budget hotels. It is surrounded by ancient, untouched forests, picturesque gardens and manicured, neat vineyards.
Oil sanatoriums
Azerbaijan is often called the "Land of Black Gold". Its prosperity is based on oil and gas production. There is so much oil in the Caspian Sea that the locals literally bathe in it. And this is not a figure of speech. Back in Soviet times, the Naftalan resort was known throughout the Union, where a special type of oil is produced, which is not suitable for processing and making gasoline from it. But it is ideal for the treatment of skin diseases, even the most neglected, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and stabilization of metabolism. The only Museum of Crutches in the world testifies to the healing properties of local oil. Here are the crutches left by the recovered patients. According to legends, the army of Alexander the Great was well aware of the healing oil. Heard about her and Marco Polo.
Take a bath with oil carefully. You can stay in the oily liquid for no longer than 10 minutes. When you are on holiday in Azerbaijan, it is better to stop by Naftalan for a couple of days to improve your health in the local ultra-modern medical centers that have replaced Soviet-style sanatoriums.
Petroglyphs of Gobustan
If you can rest in the clinics of Naftalan at any time of the year, then it is better to examine Azerbaijani antiquities in September-October, when the heat subsides, but it is still warm and dry. From Baku, it is easy to get to the Gobustan reserve, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its rocks are covered with thousands of petroglyphs, many of which were left by people who lived in the Neolithic era. Tourists usually, fearing poisonous snakes that live here, practically tiptoe past stones covered with strange drawings, on which you can see people with tails, boats devoid of oars, unknown signs. Who left them, and why were they found only in the middle of the 20th century?
Only one inscription does not raise any questions, because it is known exactly who made it. It turns out that in the days of the Roman legionaries it was customary to leave behind banal phrases like “There was such and such” on all vertical surfaces. In the rocks of Gobustan, the autograph of the legionnaire Livy Maxim was found, which he left in the 1st century. n. NS.
Stops of the Great Silk Road
The historical region of Shirvan has a mild, even climate, so you can come here both in summer and in winter. But it is better to travel to Shirvan in autumn. There are two historic cities that served as stops on the Great Silk Road in the past. These are Sheki and Shamakhi.
The ancient city of Sheki, which escaped modernization, is famous for the Khan's Palace - the summer residence of local rulers. There are very few tourists here in autumn. The silence is broken only by the rustle of leaves fallen from two ancient plane trees planted near the entrance. These trees grew here even before the Iranian architect Haji Zeynalabdin built a wooden palace with luxurious Venetian stained glass windows and walls painted with bright frescoes.
The main attraction of Shamakhi is the Yeddi-Gumbyaz mausoleum, surrounded by a historical cemetery, where you can see the lopsided tall steles covered with inscriptions.
For safari lovers
If you come to Shamakhi or Ismayilli in the summer, you can explore their surroundings by jeep as part of a safari. For enthusiasts interested in natural beauty, there are special routes that start in these settlements and lead to a warm healing hydrogen sulphide spring, the high Aggaya waterfall or to the spectacular Yeddi-Gezal cascade.
It is easy to get by jeep to the Pirgulu National Park, where some species of plants typical for the Shirvan region are under special protection. By chance, while walking, you can come across a bear or shy roe deer. Quite a picturesque canyon is located near the village of Ismayilli.
Finally, if you wish, you can go to the village of Basgal, where local needlewomen have been hand-painting silk from time immemorial. You can't find a better souvenir in all of Azerbaijan.
Lights of Absheron
On the Absheron peninsula, in the village of Surakhani, there is the House of Fire - Ateshgah. This temple of fire worshipers who came from India ascetic yogis was built in the 18th century on the site of an ancient sanctuary, where natural gas was constantly burning, coming out in these places to the surface of the earth. Nowadays, gas is supplied through pipes laid from Baku.
Another place where gas still burns, like hundreds of years ago, is Mount Yanardag, that is, Fiery Mountain. Enterprising local residents set up a restaurant near the natural hearth, arranged right in the rock. One of the tables for advertising purposes is so close to the fire that it is impossible to hold it for more than a few seconds. Tongues of flame escaping from Yanardag Mountain look especially impressive in winter, when everything around is covered with snow.
