Azerbaijan in the Land of Fires
and Mountains
Tour duration 6 nights / 7 days
Regions: Baku-Absheron-Khizi-Shabran-Guba-Gusar
1 Day
Meeting at the airport.
Accommodation at the hotel 4 * in the city
Excursion. Burning Mountain Yanardagh
One of the most famous
and popular tourist places of the "eternal flame” in Azerbaijan is the
mountain of Yanar Dag. Actually, it is rather a hill than a mountain, with
natural gas burning on its slope from ancient times. Meter-long tongues of fire
are licking the stratified earth approximately for 10 m in width, searing those
who approached too close. People occupy the benches to watch the blazing hill
in the evening, when the its sight is most effective.
Yanar Dag is located 25 km to
the north from Baku, in Mehemmedi village. There are buses running to it from
the city, so you can get there fairly cheap and easy. From the year 2007, Yanar
Dag is declared a state-protected conservation area.
Excursion. "Lights of the Evening Baku".
Tour "Lights of Evening
Baku" begins with a visit to Mountain Park. It is here that the "City
of Winds", as Baku is often called, opens to you in all its glory. The
observation platform located on the highest part of the city, near the
"Burning Flame Tower" shows the city with all its bright lights
bordering Baku Bay reflecting the measured pace of life in the evening Baku.
Further, we continue our excursion to one of the favourite places of the walk
of the Baku guests of the city of all ages and social groups, a place where no one
is in a hurry in the evening - "Baku Boulevard". The national park,
sometimes called the "diamond necklace of
Baku", stretches along Baku Bay for 16 km. At each time of
the day the boulevard has its charm - in the morning you can walk in silence, feel
unity with nature, go in for sports, during the day, especially on weekends,
the boulevard is fully revived thanks to the small inhabitants of the capital,
riding on attractions, rollerblades and bicycles, in the evening it turns in
the magical world of dreams for all lovers. In addition, the original
illumination and illumination of the park, fountains and other innovations give
our boulevard a special charm. At the end of our excursion "Lights of
Evening Baku», we will go to the most lively and central street of the city of
Nizami "Torgovaya street" as it is also called from the old times.
Trading is the longest of Baku's streets (its length reaches 3.5 km). It is
also called the most beautiful street in Baku - it has a large number of architectural
monuments, beautiful houses, cinemas, parks, many modern boutiques and shops.
Transfer to the hotel and free time
Overnight at the hotel.
2 Day
08:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion.
"Baku City Tour".
The tour begins with a visit to one of the modern and most recognizable places of the "Heydar Aliyev Center". The center of Heydar Aliyev is a cultural center, which is a complex building, which includes an auditorium (congress center), a museum, exhibition halls, administrative offices. The famous architect Zaha Hadid designed the project of the centre. Baku is a city that combines modern and ancient, traditional and unusual. After inspecting the center, we are on our way to the Nagorny Park. It is here that the "City of Winds", as Baku is often called, opens to you in all its glory. The observation platform located on the highest part of the city, near the sleeping "The Languages of Flame" shows the city with all its beauties and greenery bordering Baku Bay. After viewing the observation deck, we go down the stairs and head towards the "Bibi Abyat Mosque". Bibi-Heybat Mosque (Azerbaijan's Bibiheybət məscidi) is a mosque located on the shore of Baku Bay, in Azerbaijan. The existing structure, built in the 1990s, is a reconstruction of the mosque of the same name, built in the 13th century by Shirvanshah Abu-l-Fath Farrukhzad and destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1936, when a fierce struggle with religion was going on throughout the territory of the USSR. The Bibi-Eybat complex, in addition to the mosque, includes tombs and tombs of revered people (including the grave of Ukeima Khanum, the descendant of the Prophet Muhammad), as before destruction, and today is a spiritual center for Muslims of the East and one of the significant monuments of Islamic architecture of Azerbaijan. The mosque was once visited by Abaskuli-aga Bakikhanov, Alexander Dumas, Khurshudbanu Natavan. The local population in the past called it "the mosque of Fatima". Using the same name, described the mosque and visited it in the 40 years of the XIX century, Alexander Dumas. At the end of the modern Baku tour we visit the world's first oil well drilled in the Bibi-eibat oil-bearing region.
Visit
to the old town of Icheri Sheher
Very often Icheri Sheher is called a fortress, as a well-preserved fortress
wall surrounds it. People in the territory of Icheri Sheher lived in the Bronze
Age, and by the 8th-11th centuries, it was completely populated. Behind the
walls, there are many unique monuments: the palace complex of the Shirvanshahs
with a burial vault, a sofa, a mosque; "Gyz Galasy" ("The
Maiden's Tower"); mosques and minarets, the remains of caravanserais,
baths. Buildings of the old fortress are of a special nature. Because of the
lack of the territory of the building, the wall to the wall was erected here
from ancient times. There are no gardens, the yards are extremely small and
separated by "threads" of narrow streets, lanes and dead ends. When
the Shirvanshahs moved their capital from Shemakha to Baku in the 15th century,
massive buildings began in Icheri Sheher. During this period the pearl of the
fortress was
Built - the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. It should be
noted that Baku XVII-XIX centuries did not go beyond the boundaries of Icheri
Sheher. Here were located the palaces of the rulers, and residential quarters.
From 1747 to 1806, there was the capital of the Baku Khanate. Only after the
beginning of the oil boom, the city began to expand and goes beyond the boundaries
of Icheri Sheher.
The fortress wall itself is of interest. Once Baku had two of them, and they
were separated by moats, but at the beginning of the XIX century, the city grew
so fast that it was necessary to demolish and build the outer wall. Remained only
the inner wall. It has 25 towers and 5 gates. They say that back in the 30s.
Twentieth century in the fortress there were more than 900 buildings, and by
the beginning of the XXI century only half remained.
Free time
Overnight at the hotel.
3 Day
09:00 Breakfast at the
hotel.
Excursion. "Fire worships Temple Ateshgyah +"Ethnographic
Museum Gala".
The Temple of Eternal
Fire - Ateshgyah - is an authentic Azerbaijani exotic. It is well-known
practically all over the world. It is located 30 km from the center of Baku in
the suburb of Surakhany. This territory is known for such unique natural
phenomenon as burning natural gas outlets (underground gas coming onto surface
contacts oxygen and lights up). The temple in its present state was constructed
in the 17th-18th centuries. The Baku-based Hindu community related to Sikhs
built it.
However, the history of the Temple is even longer. From times immemorial, this was the holy place of Zoroastrians- fire worshippers (approximately beginning of our era). They attributed mystical significance to the inextinguishable fire and came there to worship the relic. After the introduction of Islam Zoroastrian temple was destroyed. Many Zoroastrians left to India and there continued their worship. But in the 15th -17th centuries the Hindus-fire worshippers who came to Absheron with trading caravans began to make pilgrimages to Surakhany. The Indian merchants started erection of the temple. The earliest temple part is dated 1713. The latest - the central temple-altar was built with the support of merchant Kanchangar in 1810. During the 18th century chapels, cells, a caravanserai were added to the central part of the temple. On у can find carved inscriptions in Indian lettering there.
In the early 19th
century the Temple acquired its present-day appearance. Ateshgah is a
pentagonal structure with a castellation and entrance portal. In the center of
a yard the altar-sanctuary executed in the form of a stone bower on which
angles some more centers are located towers. In the center of an altar - a well
from which beat "eternally" burning gas.
Excursion "Ethnographic Museum Gala".
Forty kilometres from
Baku, there is Gala, the well-known open-air historical and ethnographic
museum. The museum, founded in 2008 at an arhaeological site located in the
same-name village, is dedicated to the history of the Absheron Peninsula.
There, you can see how the Azerbaijani lived, what they ate and drank and how
they managed a household over the period from the XVI to XIX centuries. The
territory of 1.2 ha hosts old-time houses – portable tents made of animal
skins, subsequently replaced by stone and beaten cobworks with cupolas, an
ancient blacksmith shop, market, pottery, bakery, threshing mill and other
interesting medieval buildings. You can see, touch, and take picture of all of
them. You can even try to bake bread in a common oven, weave a carpet, muddy in
pottery or feed camels, horses and donkeys, peacefully resting in their stalls. Many
monuments and exhibits were brought to the Gala Museum from different corners
of the Absheron Peninsula; they were renovated or fully reconstructed. All
together, they help to get an idea of the life of the medieval people in
Azerbaijan.
Free time
Overnight in hotel
4 Day
08:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion. "The secrets of the Kingdom of
Shabran."
The Red Mountains are a
psychedelic, red-pink and white striped area of exposed rock in the Northwest
of Azerbaijan. Iron in the ground gives the mountains their deep red color and
powdery shale makes up the white parts. Through a geological process, they’ve
mixed together underground, layer on top of layer, and when exposed to the
elements, they eroded into a beautiful, completely bizarre sight.
Despite
being such a striking natural wonder, almost no one visits them. Though there
are a few small trails to be found, the entire area is yours to play around in.
If you are willing to hike away from the road, you are rewarded with crazy
looking patterns that stretch for miles. Climb over whatever you want, take as
many pictures as you can and explore all the small crevices in between. Though
the main area exists just off the road, there are plenty of other candy-striped
areas in the surrounding valleys. Occasionally in the rocks, one can see the
fossilized remains of belemnites, a type of ancient squid. Unlike modern
squids, this one contained a skeleton, most notably its bony rostrum, a hard
protrusion on the opposite end from their tentacles. It is believed that a
similar geological phenomenon happens only in one more place on the planet: the
Death Valley in the United States. The formations themselves take their colour
from ground water that has oxidized iron within the rock.
Beshbarmag on the route.
Here is one of the main natural attractions of the area – the legendary mountain Beshbarmag. Named so because because of its unusual shape resembling a stone hand menacingly raised over the ancient caravan route. At the top among the teeth of the rocks are the ruins of the sanctuary “Hyzirzinde” (eternally living Hizir). Any traveler knows this place because it can’t be avoided while driving on the road leading from the capital to the north. And tourists enjoy admiring the forbidding rock. You can exit the car, warm up after a long journey, drink tea, eat barbeque or boiled corn in season. Those interested can visit the mosque here. There are many historical monuments in the area. Beshbarmag tower built in the middle of VIII century is located at the distance of9kmfrom the center of the district.
Excursion to Chirag Gala Castle
Chirag Gala (“Lamp Castle”),
a castle from 4th-5th century is located 100 km to the north of Baku on top of
a mountain. Chirag Gala was built over a seam of oil and gas which allowed for
lighting up signal fires visible to the distance of several dozens of
kilometers. Similar castles and towers were located all over the area from
Derbent to Baku providing for a warning system against enemy invasions. Today,
under the castle, the “Galaalty” urology treatment center is located whose
thermal water has a curative effect on diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract
and digestive organs.
Arriving in Gusar
Overnight in hotel
5 Day
08:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion.
"Glorious Guba Khanate".
Guba district has long
gained popularity among tourists due to its proximity to the capital of
Azerbaijan. In Guba, the symbol of which is the ruddy apple, beautiful nature,
a large number of historical sights and a carefully protected cultural
heritage. Guba carpet weaving school is known all over the world, and the
hospitality of the locals is famous throughout the country.
The region, which was
visited by French writer Alexandre Dumas and Norwegian scientist Thor
Heyerdahl, is ready to share his secrets with curious travelers.
Walk along the arched bridge
The only surviving
bridge, called the Gudyalchay Bridge, is one of the seven that existed in the
Guba district in the 17-19 centuries. This longest bridge was built in 1894 by
the project of Alexander III in order to strengthen Russia's military presence
in the Caucasus. Fourteen of its spans with a total length of 275 meters and a
width of 8 m are made of baked bricks. The multi-span construction allows the
bridge to remain intact even during heavy mudflows and floods that raise the
water level in the river. A bridge of similar construction built in the 19th
century is the only one in Azerbaijan.
Visiting Krasnaya Sloboda village
This village is a place of compact residence of Jews in Azerbaijan. The inhabitants of the Krasnaya Sloboda (Red Sloboda) village are mountain Jews, who call themselves “Dzhugur”. They speak Hebrew, but also knows Azerbaijani and Russian. Currently, about 4-5 thousand people live here.
The inhabitants of the
Red Sloboda are engaged mainly in trade. The local population loves pomp and in
this wealthy settlement, you can see many fashionable mansions.
Admire the Juma Mosque
In the very center of
the city, near the central park, there is one of the oldest mosques in the city
- the Juma Mosque (Friday Mosque), built at the very beginning of the 19th
century. Featuring a rich architectural style, the mosque was built of red
brick in 1802 with the financial support of Haji Ismail Efendi. The
architecture of this religious building is typical only for the mosques of the
Guba province.
Juma Mosque is one of
the oldest religious centers not only in Guba, but also in all of northeastern
Azerbaijan.
Get acquainted with the historic
bath
The baths in Azerbaijan
at all times occupied a special place in the life of people, being a favorite
place for the enjoyment of body and spirit. The Guba bathhouse, built of red
brick in the 18th century, is crowned by a large dome, which allowed the room
to maintain the desired temperature and humidity. This quadrangular structure
is also called Suhur (Chukhur) hamam, i.e. bath built of special rocks. The
bath has 6 compartments, 2 doors and 6 windows.
At one time, the French
writer Alexander Dumas bathed in this bath, and 150 years later his
great-grandson visited these places. Until 1985, the bath was used for its
intended purpose, but now this pearl of Oriental architecture is protected as a
historical monument.
Gachresh Forests
This is the most popular
recreation area in the Guba district, located 25 km from the district center.
Gachrash means come and sit down. This toponym is also interpreted as “a place
where sunlight does not fall”. In this vast area, trees grow so densely that
indeed the sun's rays do not reach the ground and in summer, it is pretty cool
here. In winter, these places are covered with a thick layer of snow.
Once the center of
attraction for tourists was the suspension bridge located here - Asma Korpu,
across the Gudyalchay River, now destroyed, but there is hope for its speedy
restoration.
On the very outskirts of the territory of Gachrash there is a natural formation called the Minara - in the form of natural minaret. The length of this natural monument is 30-35 m, width - 4-5 m, and height - 3-4 m. It is assumed that it was formed in the IV century as a result of tectonic movements and river erosion. The Minara also plays the role of a natural bridge at a height of 10-15 m. The small cave between the rocks is called the “fridge”. Indeed, it is so cold here that the owners of a nearby restaurant attached doors to the entrance, hung the lock and used the resulting room as a refrigerator.
Visit the ancient Khinaligh village
On the territory of
Guba, 65 km from the district center, at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level,
is located the unique village of Khinaligh. It has about 380 houses and 3,000
inhabitants. The population of the village is a separate ethnographic group and
speaks its own language, which no one else in the world speaks. Together with
the language, the Khinaligans also retained their ancient customs.
There are always a lot
of foreigners here - travelers and scientists who study the unique way of life
and traditions of the original nationality.
Arriving in Gusar
Overnight in hotel
6 Day
08:00 Breakfast at the
hotel
Excursion to the "Shahdag - land of the
giants".
The northern part of Azerbaijan consists of hundreds of square kilometers of stone, forests, alpine meadows and snow-capped peaks. It is not surprising that there are several national parks in this part of the country. Shahdag National Park is perhaps one of the most beautiful places in Azerbaijan. It lies on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus and covers an area of more than 130,000 hectares. This is the largest national park in the republic and is located on the territory of six administrative regions of Azerbaijan. The picturesque landscapes of this region lie in several climatic zones that stretch across steppes, forests and alpine meadows. All of Azerbaijan's highest peaks are on the territory of the National Park, including Shahdag, which gave the park its name.
Excursion to the village of Laza
The main attraction of the village is a mosque from the late 18th century and the sacred place "Haji Be Baba's Feast". Locals worship sacred graves near the festival. About 100 years ago, this festival was located in a rock in the center of the village, and then it was moved to the rock wall on the edge of the village next to the sacred old cemetery. Below the village, on the slope of the river Gusar Chai, there is, according to the inhabitants, a very old cemetery. A gravestone with inscriptions divided into two halves was kept in Arabic. Part of the cemetery is washed out by rain and mud.
The following excursion
destinations are located nearby:
- Czar's Cave (deep,
rocky fault in the steep wall of the Shahdag Massif, up to 800 m long);
- the old stone bridge
"Hounds-Müh" over the river Gusar-Chay
- a holy place (feast)
at the foot of the lobby of the Shahdag massif
- Waterfalls on the way
to the summit of Shahdag (in winter they turn into picturesque icefalls)
On the opposite slope of
the Gusar Chay River, opposite the village on a high, steep hill, are the
remains of the walls of an ancient defensive fortress where the villagers hid
during raids and wars. The inhabitants of the village observe their ancient
rites at weddings or other celebrations. Weddings are held separately for men
and women, accompanied by national music, when it is possible to invite
musicians from neighboring villages or the district center. If not possible,
use audio recordings of national lezgi tunes. Weddings take place in the groom's
court for men and in the bride's home for women.
Arts and crafts remained
partially preserved. One of the most common crafts for Lezgins is the weaving
of carpets. Sumacs (rugs) are made - without rugs with a smooth front and a
shaggy inside.
You can enjoy the
national cuisine. During the celebrations cakes (Tskan) are baked with meat and
potatoes. In everyday life, they eat kutab with vegetables, meat and tripe. In
ovens, tenders, bread is baked (Hizanfu, Caravatfu).
Return to Baku
Overnight at hotel in Baku.
7 Day
09:00 Breakfast at the
hotel.
Free time to visit the eastern market, shops with sweets and souvenir shops.
Transfer to the airport
Visa upon arrival at international airports of Azerbaijan can be obtained only
by citizens of Turkey, Israel, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait,
Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. For citizens of Russia and
the CIS (except for Turkmenistan), a visa is not required to Azerbaijan.
Citizens of other countries must obtain a visa prior to arrival, through the
consulates of Azerbaijan in their country or to issue an electronic visa
through our travel agency. To apply for a visa, contact our managers at least 4
weeks before arriving in Azerbaijan.
Local currency: Manat
The recommended currency for the exchange is: USD or EURO.
Where to exchange currency: Upon arrival at the airport, the guide will provide
accurate information on where and how to exchange cash for local currency.
Availability of ATM: Only in large cities.
Accept credit cards: Only in large cities.
The cost of the tour from 699 USD per person for a stay in Double room
includes:
Accommodation in hotel 4 * double room on the program based on breakfast.
Transfers and transportation according to the program.
Excursions on the program.
Services of a Russian-speaking or English-speaking guide.
Entrance tickets to museums.
Additional paid:
Lunch - from 15 USD (soft drinks included)
Dinner - from 20 USD (soft drinks are included)
Supplement for single accommodation: $ 199 per tour
The cost of a visa is 40 USD (if not citizens of the CIS),
Charges for photo - and video shooting in museums
The firm reserves the right
to change the order of visiting excursion objects, keeping the program as a
whole. The company reserves the right to change the cost of the tour provided
that it is notified in time.
Dear guests, please send inquiries for individual tourists and tourist groups
to e-mail: narmintour@gmail.com , zaurnasibli@gmail.com and contact us at +99412 4926116, +99450
5968477 Whatsapp: +99450 5895997