FAM Trip to Azerbaijan
Tour
Duration 7 nights / 8 days
Regions:
Baku-Guba-Shemakha-Sheki-Gandzha-Naftalan-Absheron
1 Day
Meeting at the airport.
Accommodation at the hotel 4 * in the city
19:00. 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 favorite 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. And 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
09:00 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 project of the center was designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid. Baku is a city that combines modern and ancient, traditional and unusual. This applies to the religions represented here and our next attraction is the church of the "Holy Wives of the Myrrhbearers". In the Soviet period, the temple was closed one of the first in 1920. First there was a warehouse in it, and then a gym. In the days of the January events of 1990, two shells hit the bell tower of the temple, due to which it was partially destroyed, the floor sagged, the walls cracked, and the roof collapsed. In 1991, the dilapidated building of the church was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. On May 27, 2001, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia made a great consecration of the Holy Mother of God Church and conferred on him the status of a cathedral of the diocese. After inspecting the temple, 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 completely 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 it is surrounded by a
well-preserved fortress wall. 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.
Inspection:
Winter Park, Askar hotel, Golden Time,
Holiday Inn, Arriva, Genceli Plaza
Free
time
Overnight at the hotel.
3 Day
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion. "Glorious Guba Khanate".
Guba is one of the northern regions of
Azerbaijan, due to its favourable location (168 km from Baku) and rich
infrastructure, the Guba district is one of the favourite tourist destinations.
Visitors have long taken a liking to the place of Gyachresh, where you can
relax in the shady forest, Tengealty Gorge, where the Velvelichai River, the
famous Afurdzha Falls, which is listed in the "Nature Monuments of
Azerbaijan", carries stormy waters. In Guba there is also the famous
village of Krasnaya Sloboda, in which one of the largest communities of
Mountain Jews resides in the world. The famous Guba and its apples, which have
long been transformed into its symbol. In addition, the Guba is a recognized center
of carpet weaving. In the vicinity of Guba there are many architectural
monuments. At one time, Guba was visited by the famous French writer Alexander
Dumas, the writer Bestuzhev-Marlinsky, the famous Norwegian travel scholar Thor
Heyerdahl. And today Luba hospitably opens the doors for guests from all over
the world.
Inspection: Quba Palace, Retro hotel, Pick
Palace, Park Chalet, Zirve hotel.
Free Time
Overnight in Baku
4 Day
09:00
Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion. "Shemakha + Sheki".
Shamakhi is an ancient Azerbaijani city.
Originated in the 5th century. BC. e. In the IX-XVI centuries. - the capital of
the Shirvan kingdom, the residence of the Shirvanshahs is one of the most
beautiful cities of the East. From the middle of the XVIII century - the center
of Shemakhan khanate.
For a long time, Shemakha was one of the most
important points throughout the Great Silk Road. This is due to the fact that
the city for a long time was one of the centers of the Shirvan-Apheron
architectural school and the school of decorative and applied art (carpet
making) and miniatures.
Located at the intersection of caravan routes,
Shemakha was one of the major trade and craft centers in the Middle East,
occupying an important place in the trade in silk, as early as the 16th century
trade ties between Shemakha and Venetian merchants were mentioned. In Shemakha,
Azerbaijani, Iranian, Arab, Central Asian, Russian, Indian and West European
merchants were trading, who owned factories there, had numerous silk-weaving,
paper-spinning and carpet workshops. The city became famous as the home of many
prominent Azerbaijani philosophers, architects and scientists, and poets such
as Khagani, Nasimi, Sabir. Famous sights of Shemakha
Diri-Baba. Diri
Baba is a unique monument, a two-story mosque-mausoleum of the 15th century,
located on the road from Baku to Shemakha in the village of Maraza opposite the
old cemetery. For a long time, local residents believed that this place was
buried and remained an imperishable saint named Diri-Baba. However, this
monument is associated with many legends and mystical details. Therefore, since
the 17th century, it began to attract many pilgrims and ordinary travelers. The
peculiarity of the structure is that the architect, as it were,
"built" the tomb in the rock, and it seems as if it is kept "on
weight", torn from the ground. The tomb admires the strictness of
architecture, the purity of the lines, and against the background of
irregularities of the dark rock the light and smooth surface of its walls,
standing out, seems solemn.
Juma mosque. This
Azerbaijani mosque is the oldest and largest in the Caucasus. According to
legend, it was founded in the 8th century, when Shemakha was chosen as a
residence by the Arab caliph. The exact date of its construction is 744, which
was established as a result of research conducted by the geological commission
arrived from Tiflis, headed by Prince Shakuli Kajar. This date was determined
by the Arabic inscription on the facade of the Juma mosque, which indicates the
126th year of the Muslim calendar as the date of foundation. It was at this
time that construction of new religious buildings (mosques) began in the
territory of modern Azerbaijan. The Juma mosque in Shemakha is the earliest mosque
in the Caucasus after the Derbent Cathedral Friday Mosque, built in 734.
Yeddi Gumbes. The mausoleum of Yeddi Gumbes or the "Seven domes", the appearance of which dates back to the 15th century, is located at the foot of the fortress of Gyulistan. This is the name of the Shirvan rulers' tomb in Shamakhi. Here noble representatives from the Shirvanshah dynasty are buried. Seven domes - that's how many tombstones are in the crypt. At present, they represent dilapidated stone domes, as if grown directly from under the earth in the middle of a deserted cemetery district. That's why the very atmosphere of this place seems fabulously mysterious.
Departure to Sheki
Sheki is one of the most famous and ancient
settlements of Azerbaijan. It is located 700 m above sea level and as an
amphitheater is surrounded by mountains. This ancient city has long been known
as the center of silk and an important transit point on the Great Silk Road. We
will begin our tour to Sheki with a visit to the Summer Palace of Khan with magnificent
frescoes and exquisite handmade window decorations. Then we'll visit the
workshop, where we can get acquainted with the process of manufacturing
"Shebeke" by local artisans. Next, we will visit the workshop for
cooking the delicious "Sheki Pahlavas", famous throughout Azerbaijan.
Excursion to Kish.
Our acquaintance with Sheki continues with a
visit to the Albanian church, which is located in the village of Kish.
According to the legend, this church is the first Christian church built not
only in the territory of Caucasian Albania, but in the whole of Transcaucasia.
This place is also remarkable, as burial places of people were found on the
territory of the temple, which in their structure are very different from the
current inhabitants of this region. In 2003, the church was restored to the
money of the Norwegian government thanks to the personal efforts of Tour
Heyerdahl. Here, next to the territory of the Church, you can find a memorial
bust, in honor of a famous researcher set as a token of gratitude from local
residents and the state.
Inspection: Issam
hotel, Marxal Resort and Spa, Sheki Saray, Sheki Palace
Overnight in Sheki
5 Day
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion. "Ganja is a city of Khans and
Poets".
Ganja, as a fabulously beautiful city, could not
appear just like that. According to legend, it was based on the place where the
traveller Maazid found a huge treasure - these were pots filled with precious
stones and gold. The city was named after this incredible find, and several
centuries later became the second most important in Azerbaijan. By the way, the
famous Great Silk Road passed through Ganja. Today the city is participating in
a project to restore this ancient trade route. Many sights of Ganja are
included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The old fortress. The remains of the once high fortress can be seen at Khansky Garden in Ganja. Now from its former greatness there were only formless brick blocks. The fortress wall stretched along the entire bank of the Ganjachay River. But over time, the water, which served as the faithful guard of the fortress, crept closer and undermined the already dilapidated walls. Once there were two powerful towers at a distance of about 600 meters from each other. The famous gates of ancient Ganja served as the gates of the fortress. Ensemble of Sheikh Bahauddin. The 17th century historical and architectural complex created by Sheikh Bahauddin includes the Juma Mosque (Shah Abbas Mosque), Chekyak-Khamam (medieval bathhouse) and the caravanserai.
The Juma mosque was built during the reign of Shah Abbas, and that's why it is sometimes called that way. It is the undoubted pride of Ganja. The building was built according to the project of the architect, astronomer and vizier Shah Abbas - Sheikh Bahauddin, direct descendant of Nizami. The mosque of red brick, is a squat, broad building. It consists of a prayer hall divided into two halves (for men and women) with a large screen and small adjoining rooms. The windows of the mosque are decorated with patterned lattices-shebeke. Before the massive gates of the mosque, once spread the market square, surrounded by benches and century-old plane trees. The roof of the mosque is a huge metal dome with a diameter of 17 meters. At the mosque there are two high minarets, crowned with towers for inspection of the surroundings. The minarets were restored and slightly modified in the 19th century. In the courtyard of the mosque there is a madrassa built at the same time, which, unfortunately, was destroyed during the Soviet era. However, at present both facilities are restored and function perfectly.
The Juma mosque has one interesting feature.
Since Sheikh Bahauddin was an excellent astronomer, he applied his knowledge in
construction. Thus, at precisely noon, the shadow that falls on the western
wall of the building disappears. This indicated to the faithful that it was the
time of midday salah. To this day Gyandzha people are checking the disappearing
shadow of the time - accuracy is absolute.
Chokyak-Hamam is a
bathhouse consisting of two communicating rooms. In the center of the large
hall are a swimming pool and a fountain (it is intended for relaxation), a
small one is designed for swimming. Built from red brick, the bath has two
large and five small domes. At the top of the large domes there are half-domes
that played the role of a fan: from them the ventilation pipes dispersed
through the space inside the walls, in the winter it was hot there and in the
summer it was cool. The sauna was heated with firewood. In the basement there
were two steam boilers. Steam was fed into the halls along ceramic pipes, which
also pass through the walls and the floor of a bath. Steam evenly circulated
and heated the entire room. This unique system of the 400-year-old bathhouse
worked perfectly until 1963. And all these centuries the bath was very popular
among the townspeople.
Caravan-sarai is the
third time building in the ensemble of Sheikh Bahauddin. Today, the building of
the medieval caravanserai plays the role of the Temple of Knowledge. At the end
of the 20th century, the Ganja Humanitarian College is conveniently located
here. The caravanserai is a two-storey building, comprising 15 rooms and 54
rooms. The museum also houses the museum of the poetess Meskheti Ganjavi.
Dzhavadhan Mausoleum.
Not long ago, on the territory of the historical ensemble, in the courtyard of
the mosque, on the site of the grave of the fearless ruler of Ganja -
Javadkhan, who died on January 3, 1804, while protecting Ganja from foreign
invaders, a tomb was built. In the 1990s, the remains of Javadhana were moved
here from the ancient city cemetery. The construction started in 2004 lasted
several months. When it was erected, the builders adhered to the requirements
of the medieval architecture school. The monument was opened in 2005 and
occupied a worthy place among other monuments of the 17th century.
Mausoleum of the Imamzadeh.
The mausoleum of Sheikh Ibrahim, erected on the burial ground of the son of
Imam Mohammed Bagir, who died in the 6th century, is one of the main sights of
the city. The mausoleum is also known as "Gay-Imam", which originated
from the blue color of its dome, and "Imam-Paste", which is the
traditional name of the mausoleums, where the descendants of the Prophet Ali
are buried (literally "Imam-Paste" can be translated as "Son of
the Prophet" ).The mausoleum of the Imam-pahe is a Muslim shrine, where
pilgrims annually commit hundreds of believers. The complex of the mausoleum
includes a cemetery, small mosques, a caravanserai and other structures. All of
them were subsequently surrounded by a brick wall. The most beautiful in the
whole ensemble is the dome of the mausoleum, lined with bright blue tile tiles.
On the blue lining clearly stands out a dark blue stamped pattern. The height
of the dome is 2.7 meters, diameter is 4.4 meters. The height of the mausoleum
is 12 meters. In the 19th century, the mausoleum was restored, but despite
this, it looks rather old. The mosque at the mausoleum is still functioning.
Mausoleum of Nizami Ganjavi.
Nizami Ganjavi, born in 1141, was one of the most educated people of his time.
World renown he received as the author of "Hamsa" (Pyateritsy), in
which five poems were combined, reflecting not only the high skill of the
poet's pen, but also his ethical and philosophical views. Most of Nizami's
lyrics are devoted to love. Other world-famous works by Nizami are the poems
"Khosrov and Shirin", "Leyli and Majnun",
"Iskender-nime".
To this day, the mausoleum remains a place of
pilgrimage and the worship of poets. It is located at the entrance to the city
from the south-west side. The tomb is a modern monumental structure of a
cylindrical form made of red granite, carved in the manner of semicircular
facets. Below is the entrance, which seems just tiny on the background of the
grandeur of the whole building. The name Nizami is carved in gold right above
the entrance.
Inspection: Ramada Gandzha, Gandzha
hotel, Vego hotel.
Overnight in Gandzha
6 Day
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Baku on the way " Inspection in Naftalan City".
Naftalan is a world-famous deposit of healing
naphthalan oil, the healing power of which has been known since ancient times.
Naftalan itself is a resort town with a 120-year history, the national treasure
of Azerbaijan, whose importance cannot be overestimated.
The Naftalan resort is located 50 km from the
ancient city of Ganja (Kirovabad), the second largest city in Azerbaijan, in an
ecologically clean area, in a pine park, on the shores of an artificial lake.
In the shady avenues of the park a beautiful comfortable environment for rest
and treatment is created.
Inspection: Chinar Naftalan, Garabagh
Resort, Naftalan Qashalty by Rixos
Overnight in Baku.
7 Day
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Forty kilometres from Baku there is Gala, the
well-known open-air historical and ethnographic museum. The museum, founded in
2008 at an archaeological 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 cob works 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.
8 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 985
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