| Azerbaijan |
| Unknown to most of the world, Azerbaijan is a surprisingly fun, safe and laid back country located between Russia and Iran. The country was formerly part of the Soviet Union until getting its independence in the early 90s. Since then the country hasn't wasted time opening up to the rest of the world, transforming its capital to an international city. The country's population is 97% Muslim fun, but is also full of expatriates from all over the world who come to work in Azerbaijan's rich oil fields. This country's natural beauty, adventure, and nightlife all took me by surprise, making it my favorite destination out of the four countries I visited in my Russia & Caucasus trip. |
| Like many cities that go back centuries, Baku is split up into its new modern area and the historic district known as old Baku. The upper left shows a new government building that was recently built in the city's modern section. On the right is large fountain with a tower in the background that tells people both the air and sea temperature. Modern Baku is where you will find all the night life, things from Sheshah lounges to bars and night clubs. |
| The left picture is a section of the wall that surrounds around all of Old Baku. The next photos are in Old Baku, showing markets and one of Baku's most famous icons, the Maiden Tower on the right. |
| On the left is an old building that was converted into a bar and restaurant. The building used to be used for travelers stopping by for a rest, and you can see along the walls where people used to tie their camels up. There are plenty of places at night to drink and party, but in the day time most people enjoy it swimming at the beach, or jet skiing. |
| The picture on the left is of a woman trying on some traditional Azeri clothing. The shop on the left sold many trinkets including carpets and the 'magic lamps' from Persia. The picture on the right and the one below are of some of the old caravans that are used today as businesses and nice decorated cafes. |
| To the right is a nice mosque seen in Baku near the city's highest point. On the left is a famous place to visit in Baku which is called Martyr's Lane. It's dedicated to dozens of people who were killed when Azeris were protesting the Soviet Union. |
| Above are pictures from some caveman carvings that are said to be 10,000 years old. The right picture is a rock that was used to play music found in an area known as Gobustan. |
| Another very interesting place in Azerbaijan are the mud volcanoes. There are said to be 800 in the world, and half of them are here in Azerbaijan. The mud they spit out is actually cold, so you can walk up and put your finger in it. If you get close you can see mud running down the volcano just like lava would. There are several of them here along the Caspian Sea making all kinds of exaggerating noises. |
| Directly above is another example of an ancient caravan or building being turned into a fancy restaurant. The two pictures on the right show Azerbaijan's wealth of natural resources. The upper right picture is one of the several oil fields located in the country. Many other rigs are in the Caspian Sea drilling for oil there as well. Without its vast natural resources it is possible that Azerbaijan would be a poor country after separating from the Soviet Union. The fire seen on the right may not be impressive by itself, but the fact that is has been reported to be burning for over a thousand years makes it worth a visit. The fire is fueled by an underground natural gas leak that caught fire and was reported burning as early as 900AD. |
| Azerbaijan was a major stop over for the Great Silk Road that went from the Far East all the way to Europe. On the right is an Indian temple of Atesgah, one of three still left in the world. The builders of the temple used to worship fire, and you can see me standing inside next to a natural gas flame that the temple was built around. The doors in the back go to rooms which were basically used as a hotel for the Indian traders. Below is a picture of a butterfly taken up in some rocky mountains of Azerbaijan. The rocky mountains can be seen better in the photo to the upper right. In these mountains are some carvings from where people used to live thousands of years ago. It was said they lived here and one day the Caspian Sea supposedly flooded and killed many of them while they were sleeping. |
| Azerbaijan Travel - For more information on Azerbaijan please visit http://www.willgoto.com/218/1/categories.aspx |
| The first pictures above are Azerbaijan's capital city called Baku, one at night and one during the day time. With a population of over two million, Baku is the country's largest city, and was built at the end of a peninsula that extends into the Caspian Sea. The photo on the right in the day time shows the Caspian Sea meeting the city's downtown. |
| Azerbaijan Links |
| Above are two pictures of myself and my guide in Azerbaijan. On the left we are infront of the Baku city again, standing on top of maiden's tower. On the right is the inside of the Flying Carpet Shop that sells trinkets and carpets. |
| Post a question or comment about traveling in Azerbaijan. |
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Nadie from Canda: Very interesting! I really would love to go see this in real life!