Baku Tour Guide

About Baku

Baku is the capital city of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is one of the largest industrial, scientific and cultural hubs not only of the country, but also in the entire region of Caucasia. It has a major port on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula. It has area of 2, 2 thousand square kilometers approximately. Baku has centuries old history, and its name is found in the medieval Byzantine, Arab, Persian and European sources, where Baku was showed as a rich city on the Great Silk Road. Since ancient times, people started making it their migration center due to its geographical layout and especially a valuable energy substance, from ancient times appearing on the surface of the earth and called “Naptha”. Actually, it was the first case in the planet, where oil was extracted industrially. Baruka, Bagavan, Atesh-i-Bagavan, Bakukh, Bakuya, Bad cuba (in Persian_”blown by the wind”) Baku,Baka are all the ancient names of Baku city found in various written sources of the ancient history. The Byzantine author Priscus of Panium, who lived in the first half of the 5th century, while describing the way from Scythia to Media, reported about the “fire bursting from a sea stone” near Baku. This is the first chronological indication of the fire presence near Baku. In the 12th century, Shirvanshah Akhsitan I transferred the capital of the Shirvan Khanate from Shamakhi to Baku and ordered the construction of walls of Icherisheher, surrounded by a moat. The population of the city was mostly craftspeople weaving carpets or producing copper and bronze dishes or weapons. The oil has played a major role in the history of the city. During the epoch of the Great Silk Road, Caravans of camels charged with oil were heading from Baku to Europe and Asia. The oil boom in the late 19th century brought the city of Baku on global map. The Nobel brothers and other industrialists opened their offices here in Baku and oil production started in bulk that changed the life of the city, cultural life started to blossom, theatres started to open, and an opera house was inaugurated and the city itself started to be called “Paris of the Caucasus”. The first university and the first library in Azerbaijan were opened in Baku. At present, Baku is witnessing its new birth as the largest economic and cultural center that is rapidly turning into a destination with a rich infrastructure of the leisure and entertainment industry not only in Caucasian countries but also in the world.

Absheron Peninsula

Absheron Peninsula having 8,000 square km plays key role in the industry and agriculture field of Azerbaijan. It is adjacent to the Caspian Sea and is known for its sandy beaches and for many holiday houses, especially good for summer holidays. The several seaside resorts located close to Baku, such as Mardakan, Nardaran, Buzovna, Zagulba, Bilgah, Shikhov, Pirshagi, Novkhani are highly booked during the summer season by the tourist across the world that plays vital role in the promotion of tourism industry of Azerbaijan. There are number of historical monuments preserved in the region of Absheron Peninsula.

Ateshgah

The Ateshgah Temple of Fire worshipers tells the whole story of the religions of the past of Azerbaijan, when Zoroastrianism was practiced in this region. The temple is located on the suburbs of the surakhani village that is just 30 km from the city of Baku. Ateshgah literally means “House of Fire”. The modern constructions of the temple date back to the 17th century. They were built by a Baku-based Hindu and Sikh community from India and it is said that Guru Nanak Dev Ji has lived in this temple while on his journey to Azerbaijan. There is visible Sanskrit and Gurumukhi script in this temple that supports the claim of Guru Nanak footsteps. Since centuries, Baku has been mentioned in written sources as an area of eternally burning fires. It is said that the first sanctuary of Zoroastrian fire worshippers was built in Surakhani centuries ago. Built in local architectural traditions, Ateshgah combines the features of ancient fir. Near the temple, there is a quadrangular pit covered with stones, where Indians used to burn the bodies of dead people. In the mid-19th century, due to the displacement of the layers of the ground, the release of natural gas ceased in this area and pilgrims left this place. In 1998, Ateshgah is now listed as part of UNESCO World Heritage.

Baku Seaside Park

The Baku Seaside Park (commonly known as “The Boulevard”) is one of the tourist attractions of the Baku city. It is popular recreation area for the locals and the foreign tourists as well. It just completed its 100th anniversary in 2009. The initial length of park was 16 km long that was later on extended up to 25 km. The Park has everything for everyone such as carousels, a Ferris wheel, sports fields, restaurants including the legendary summer outdoor café ‘Inci’ (meaning “pearl”) built in 1960s. One of the Boulevard part is known as “Baku Venice” (a nickname), as it has artificial narrow channels with boats and gondolas just like in the romantic city of Venice. In good weather one can enjoy boat ride with scenic view of Baku coastline from the sea. There is several other attractions within the park such as Bulvar shopping and entertainment center, International Mugham Center and the famous Azerbaijani Carpet Museum. There are many plants along Seaside Park brought to Baku from across the world such as baobabs from Argentina, tall cactuses, olive and palm trees. The Park is being visited by thousands of tourists on daily basis and the numbers are even growing.

Gala Open-Air Museum

The Gala Open-Air Museum is located 40 km at the outskirts of Baku. It has now three museums: Archaeological and Ethnographic Open-air Museum Complex, Fortress Museum (Gasr, partly open-air too), as well as the museum of Antiquates. The Museum complex is located on an archaeological site, where excavations have been made since the 1960s, and is cradle of the history of the Absheron Peninsula. The renowned archaeologists have sufficient material to claim that the first settlements appeared in the village of Gala as early as 5000 years ago. They have discovered more than 200 different archaeological and architectural monuments – mysterious mounds, seats of ancient settlements, and burial places dating back to thousands of years ago. In the Gala Museums, one can find many old artifacts such as rock paintings, pottery, household items, jewelry, weapons and coins. One can also see old houses, pottery workshops and other interesting constructions. Guided tours in the museums are offered in several languages such as Azerbaijani, Russian, English, German and French etc.

Gobustan

Gobustan is an amazing place located in Absheron that takes one to a prehistoric era. These historical artistic reserves are located 60 km south of Baku. The reserves of more than 4,000 collections of ancient petroglyphs cover the area of 537 hectares. One can also see the first human archaeological sites that take to the Stone Age and subsequent periods. A stone slab with Latin inscriptions is evidence that Roman emperors were here.

The tour starts with a magnificent interactive museum that contains more than 100 thousand archaeological artifacts. Most of them are unique and belong to the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic eras. The museum has also a cinema where you can carry out a virtual flight in 3D technology over the territory of the reserve. These sites are now declared part of UNESCO World Heritage. The Absheron Peninsula is blessed with number of such unique historical monuments and attracts thousands of tourists on daily basis.

Heyder Aliyev Center

It is one of the famous landmarks of the country. The design of Heyder Aliyev Center (complex) is designed by a renowned architect Zaha Hadid. The complex consists of a Congress Center, Museum, Exhibition Halls, Library, Restaurant, a Café and a park of nine hectares. It was built in 2012 but later on extended with the time. It is designed in a way that one hardly finds a single straight line in this complex. The wave-shaped building represents not only the postmodernist style of architecture but also symbolizes duration and infinity.

Maiden Tower

This has been the most prominent landmark for centuries for Baku. It is located southeastern part of the Baku city fortress and stands as 28 meter cylinder. The thickness of the tower walls is 5 meters at the base and 4 meter on the 8th floor. According to the archaeologists the tower was constructed in 7th-8th century BC. There are hypotheses among the historians on the purpose of this tower but most of them agree that it has been used for multiple purposes but built as religious monument it has been used as observatory tower or as lighthouse. The Tower has also been used as defense system for the state of Shirvanshahs.

The name Maiden Tower in Azeri (Qiz Qalasi) is apparently linked to the “defensive” part of the construction when it served as the main stronghold of the baku fortress. It is said that the tower was never fallen in the hands of enemies. One can have superb view over Caspian Sea after climbing this observation platform of this tower. The Maiden Tower is now site enlisted with UNESCO World Heritage.

Mardakhan

Located in Absheron, just 34kms from the city center of Baku is another popular tourist destination of Azerbaijan. The Round Castle called Shikh Galasi (Sheikh Fortress – 16 meter high) is one the top tourist attraction of Mardakhan that was built in 1232 during the rule of Shirvanshah Garshasp (as per inscription here). Mardakhan has another majestic fortress (22m high) that was erected in 14th century in memory of a battle victory of the son of another Shirvanshah Manucheher III – Akhsitan. Mutaza Mukhtarov (1855-1920) belongs to these monuments. It houses now Mardakhan Arboretum, which has rich collection of species of world flora (180 species). There is also an old estate here that houses the Center for Literature Relations of Russia and Azerbaijan and this house is named after Sergey Yesenin the famous Russian Poet who stayed here in 1924-1925. The center often holds poetry evenings and other cultural events related to this history.

Mud Volcanoes

Azerbaijan stands number one in the world in the number of mud volcanoes. Around 350 of the 800 mud volcanoes on earth can be found here that is quite high amount of volcanoes. Twenty-three mud volcanoes of the country have received the status of “reserve” and are now protected. There are thousands of tourists every year visit these volcanoes to witness explosions and mud eruptions. During eruptions, gases come out from the deep layers of the earth and immediately ignite. The height of the flame above the volcanoes can reach up to 1000 meters (Garasu volcano) that is an amazing scene to witness if one is lucky. Over the past 200 years, Azerbaijan has witnessed 200 major mud eruptions. Along with the geographic term “mud volcanoes”, local people also call them ‘Yanardag’ (a burning mountain). The largest mud volcano in the world from the territory of Azerbaijan was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 2004. In 1982, the government of Azerbaijan decided to grant the Boyuk Kenizdag, Ayranteken and Dashgil volcanoes of the Republic of Azerbaijan, located in Gobustan, as well as the Lokbatan volcano the status of natural sites which are protected by the state. Further in 2007, the State natural Reserve of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula granted 52 mud volcanoes the status of state reserves.

Muhammad Mosque

The mosque is located in old part of city (Icherisheher). The Mosque is a historical monument of global importance and one of the unique site of the Islamic period. The mosque was built by Ustad Ar-Rais Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr in 1078/79 AD. The locals call it ‘Synyq gala’ which means “a broken tower”. The mosque got this nickname after the attack of Russian troops (15 ships) under the command Admiral Matushkin who demanded surrender. In response to that failed attempt he started bombing in which the minaret was damaged, however at the same time a big storm happened that pushed them back. The people of Baku take it as God’s punishment for the invaders and now are a great symbol of the defenders, resistance and courage of the people of the city. Finally in 2010, the building of the mosque and the minaret has been restored.

Museum of Miniature Books

This Museum of Miniature Books is also located in old part of Baku city (Icherisheher). The museum has the largest collections of miniature books in the world. It is important to know that the current standards of miniature books are 75x75mm and below. The museum is house of more than 2,913 books of these dimensions. Most of the books are not bigger than 100x100mm that meets the standards of miniature books in the former USSR. The Museum contains more than 6500 books published in more than 67 countries of the world and its collection is even growing with the passage of time. The founder of the museum is Zarifa Salakhova who has been collecting the miniatures more than thirty years. Her collections contain handwritten facsimiled, reprinted and unique editions and among them there are many works of classic Azerbaijani and world literature. The books are in different sizes, configurations and content. The rare exhibits include the Holy Quran of 17th century, a Catholic prayer book from 1887, the New Testament with color illustrations (London 1915).

Nardaran

It is just 25 km in the north suburbs of the capital city of Baku. This is a seaside village having multiple historical sites such as Nardaran Fortress (built in 1301) and a bath (1388). Located in the center of a square courtyard and surrounded by stone walls, the tower of the fortress rises 12.5m and as per inscriptions it was built in 700 AH (1300 AD) and the architect was Mahmood (son of Saad). The favorable climate attracts thousands of holiday makers and especially beach lovers in the months of summer. In august, Jara International Music Festival is held wherein world famous musicians and as well locals perform on the stage set right on the seashore. This festival is must see if you plan your holidays in the month of August.

Old City Icherisheher

Icherisheher (old city) is a rare pearl of ancient cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people, enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is the great historical center of ancient Baku, the former capital of the state of Shirvanshahs and a stronghold of the millennial statehood of Azerbaijan. It covers the area of 22,1 hectares in which you can see hundreds of historical monuments and 28 out of them are of global significance. The exact dates of this old city are conjectured but the renowned archaeologists firmly believe that it dates back Bronze Age of 8th-9th century BC. The old city had a dynamic urban life with flourishing crafts and trade center on international trade route known as Silkroad. Icherisheher is not only an ancient monument. Surrounded by well-preserved walls 8-10 meters high, this historical and architectural reserve consists of old houses inhabited by more than 1,300 families. In addition, it has the reserve houses, several museums, art galleries and workshops, hotels, shopping facilities, cafes, restaurants, etc.

Icherisheher is now one of the top tourist attractions of the Azerbaijan and receive thousands of visitors on daily basis. Unique historical monuments and a wide range of visitor facilities makes Icherisheher one of the essential places to visit. It is also a romantic place, which takes you to the Middle ages, making you feel the spirit of the time and its positive energy.

Shirvanshah’s Palace

The palace is located at the highest point in the old part of Baku city (Icherisheher). Shemakhi was used to be capital of Azerbaijan but after the earthquake in 1191 AD the capital was shifted to Baku where a new palace was erected. Its construction was completed in 15th century AD.

The Palace Complex is consists of three inner courtyards located at different levels. The Palace and the tomb of Shirvanshah Farrukh Yasar (Divankhana) are located on the upper courtyard. The lower courtyard has a Palace Mosque and the tomb of Shirvanshahs called “Turbe”. The tomb was built by the order of Shirvanshah Khalilullah for his son and mother. At lower level the palace has a bath and indoor well called “Ovdan”. All three courtyards are a single complex surrounded by the fortress wall and are within the premises of old city (Icherisheher).

The Palace is now enlisted as part of UNESCO World Heritage and being visited by thousands of visitors on daily basis. In 2014, a new museum exhibition has been established that reflects on the medieval castle architect and mysterious palace life of that period.

Yanardag

Azerbaijan is enriched with the resources of energy, especially in oil and natural gas and that is why the country is called “land of fire” and Yanardag is lively evidence of this claim. In some places the natural gas seeps out to the surface that forms islands of perpetual fire and Yanardag is one of them. The mountain where it burns calls Yanardag (literally means burning mountain). This burning mountain is one of the top tourist attractions of Azerbaijan and is almost must see for the holiday makers to Azerbaijan. It is located 25 km north of Baku in the village of Mehemmedi. Since ancient times, the slopes of this hill have been covered with flames one meter high and ten meters in wide. Marco Polo also described this phenomenon that it happens due to leakage of flammable natural gas from a large deposit under the Absheron Peninsula. In the evening time the flames look more impressive. Since 2007, the place is now under the state protection and declared historical-cultural and nature reserve.