15 Reasons to Visit Baku and Azerbaijan Now

Experience one of the world’s most exciting cities and let the Concierge team at Four Seasons Hotel Baku be the guide with these recommendations:

1. Icherisheher – The Old City, at 22 hectares (54 acres) in size, it contains hundreds of historical monuments, four of which are of world importance and 28 of which are of local importance. Visit souvenir, carpet and antique shops, and workshops of local handicrafts. It became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You can see Maiden Tower, Market Square, Karvan Saray Bukhara, Karvan Saray Multani, Baku Khan's Residence, Shirvan Shahs' Palace, Aga-Mikhail bath house, Double Gates, and several old mosques in Old town.

2. Old Oil Fields - The fame of Baku as a new industrial revolution capital started with strong fountains of oil in 1872 in the outskirts of the villages of Balakhani, Sabunchu and Ramana. Within a few years oil-bearing parts of Absheron turned into densely populated regions. More than a hundred wells were drilled and on the first stage up to forty small firms functioned in the outskirts of Balakhani. The sharpest problem of oil industrialists of that time was the transportation of oil from Balakhani to Baku. In 1877 a pood of oil cost 3 cents and its transportation to the city cost 20 cents. In 1863 the professor-chemist Mendeleev recommended building an oil pipeline during his visit to Baku, but the volume of production was not big then and that’s why the proposal was never realized. In 1877 this problem became so urgent that the owner of the pipeline from Balakhani to Baku almost became a monopolist of oil-bearing regions of Absheron. The initiators of building pipelines were Nobel brothers and they got the concession for its construction with their own means.

3. Ateshgah Fire Temple - The Temple of Eternal Fire - Ateshgah - is an authentic Azerbaijani site. It is well-known all over the world. It is located 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the centre 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 the surface contacts oxygen and lights up). The temple in its present state was constructed in the 17th-18th centuries. It was built by the Baku-based Hindu community related to Sikhs. However, the history of the Temple is even longer. From times immemorial this was the holy place of Zoroastrians - fire worshippers.

4. Yanardag - Also known as "Burning Mountain." True to its name, the mountain has been burning for as long as anyone can remember, and the fire isn’t showing signs of going out any time soon.  Situated on the Absheron Peninsula, 25 kilometres (16 miles) northeast of the capital city of Baku, Yanardag is a 116-metre (380-foot) hill located on top of a pocket of natural gas that constantly erupts into flames. These flames jet out at least three metres (10 feet) into the air, through a porous layer of sandstone. Unlike the other mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan, Yanardag has no seepage of mud or liquid, so the fire always burns. A ten-metre (33-foot) long wall of fire continuously burns alongside the edge of the hill. This makes for the most spectacular view, especially at night. The air around this open fireplace is always thick with the smell of gas. The heavy Absheron wind, twisting the flames into bizarre shapes, adds to the mystery of the region. Tongues of fire also rise from the surface of the streams located around the hill.

5. Gala Open Air Museum - Forty kilometres (25 miles) 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 16th to 19th centuries. The territory of 1.2 hectares (three acres) 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 pictures of all of them. You can even try to bake bread in a common oven, weave a carpet, make pottery or feed camels, horses and donkeys peacefully resting in their stalls.

6. Gobustan and Mud Volcanoes - About 6,000 mysterious rock paintings and scripts describing people and animals, and unique active mud volcanos - that's the historical-artistic reserve Gobustan or simply Gobustan – one of the rarest monuments of world culture, one of the first centres of human civilization. This archaeological reserve is a flatland located in 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the south of Baku, part of which is a cultural view of drawings on rocks at the area of 537 hectares (1,325 acres). Unique learnings about the habitants of the region of the stone age and of the later ages are collected in Gobustan mountains.  

7. Carpet Weaving - Carpet weaving is one of the oldest and most wide-spread types of folk art and craft in Azerbaijan. In 2010, the art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. There are seven major carpet weaving schools distinguished by patterns, composition, colour palette and techniques in Azerbaijan: Quba School, Baku or Absheron School, Shirvan School, Ganja School, Gazakh School, Karabakh School and Tabriz School. If you would like to witness the splendor of Azerbaijani carpets we invite you to visit the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum located on the seaside boulevard. Also you can see the most rare examples here. Established for researching, keeping and displaying carpets and carpet items, as well as applied art works, the Museum has the largest collection of Azerbaijan carpets in the world.

8. Baku Museum of Miniature Books - The museum has several thousand of the fairy-sized books, including miniature editions of works of Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Gogol and Chukovsky. The books originate from around the world, and are written in numerous languages, including Azeri, Russian, English, and German. The oldest book in the museum is a miniature copy of the Quran, dating to the 17th century, while the smallest tome (6 x 9 milimetres or 1/4 by 2/5 of an inch) is the Russian book The Most Miraculous Thing, which can only be read by using a magnifying glass. It is the first and so far the only museum of miniature books in Azerbaijan and in the world.

9. Museum of Modern Art - The Museum was opened in 2009. About 1,000 works of Azerbaijani painters and sculptors mainly working in avant-garde are collected here. Visitors can familiarize themselves with works of people’s painters and sculptors whose names are a treasury house of Azerbaijani culture. Contrary to classical museum traditions, the exposition proceeds even out of the exhibition space, being present at spaces of an art cafe and the restaurant, included in the Museum structure. In the Museum also takes place the exposition of children’s fine arts, giving possibility for development of children’s interests and familiarizing them with the world of beauty; a video-hall meant for display of documentaries; exhibition hall for private exhibitions; and also a library and a bookshop in which the collection of books on world art, architecture and sculpture are presented for visitors of the Museum.  

10. Wine Routes - Try not to miss the chance to see the richest in wine tradition areas of the country. Azerbaijani wine is produced in several regions throughout Azerbaijan. Prior to the 20th century, Azerbaijan had a thriving wine industry that dated back to the second millennium BC.

11. Equestrian Pursuits - There are today 260 breeds of horses in the world and Azerbaijan is responsible for two of them: Karabakh and Dilboz mountain saddle and pack horses, the pride of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani epic literature represents a number of legendary horses, such as Girat of national hero Koroghlu or Bozat of another hero, Gachag Nabi, which throughout history came to the rescue of their masters, keeping them away from danger. Azerbaijan has long had good geographical and climatic conditions for animal breeding and equestrian development. The first presence of horses in this region dates back to 5,000 BC. Later historical findings belong to the epoch of the ancient Azerbaijan states, such as Mannea, Media and Atropatene.

12. Naftalan - The Miracle Oil - Naftalan is a rare type of oil from Azerbaijan that is used only for medicinal purposes and is named for a resort city, and which means "oil buyer" in Azeri. Azerbaijani doctors have prescribed it for years to successfully treat various skin, joint and bone diseases such as psoriasis, arthritis and rheumatism. Naftalan is extracted from only one place in Azerbaijan - in the north-central part of the country, not far from Ganja. Today Naftalan resorts provide treatments for more than 70 diseases in healing naftalan baths.

13. Alpinism - Mountaineering and rock climbing is developing rapidly nowadays. The Azerbaijan Mountaineering Federation does its best to develop both of the disciplines. Since 2010, Azerbaijani alpinists successfully joined various mountaineering, sky running, rock climbing challenges and festivals. A great attention is paid into the secure ascents and preparation of new instructors.  Even if you're not a real mountaineer they offer some fabulous climbs. You'll need an experienced guide, one or two porters/camp guards, horse for load and good weather as there is no shelter on the flinty upper slopes.

14. Cuisine - The Azerbaijani cuisine has long won recognition both in the East and in Europe. It was written in ancient sources by famous historians and travellers. The history of art to create recipes in Azerbaijan goes back centuries, and is based on the vast experience of hereditary chefs still present today. This cuisine is original and has a national character, which manifests itself in the specific cooking techniques and traditions of the Azerbaijanis. According to composition and a number of dishes, it is among the highly diverse and healthy ones, and the abundance of different kinds of meat, fish and vegetable specialties complemented by soft greens and savoury spices.  

15. Baku Oil Magnates and Historical buildings - The main oil-producing regions were located near Baku at Sabunchy, Surakhany and Bibi-Heybat. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Sabunchi region was producing 35 percent of Baku's oil, and the Bibi-Heybat region produced 28 percent, followed by the Romany and the Balakhany regions. The first oil barons had a great role in the development of oil industry.

Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev played a very important role in Azerbaijan history. He was a famous millionaire, philanthropist, and full state counselor of the Soviet Empire. A number of charity societies were established throughout the country. Newspaper and magazines were published. The charity societies were either founded with Tagiyev’s participation and financial resources, or with his help. The first charity organization was “Muslim charity society” established in 1905. Many buildings, schools, medical centres and theatres were built with his money. Tagiyev was not only a successful businessman but also a leading public figure. As a member of the Baku Duma for many years, he participated in the planning and implementation of many infrastructure projects in the city. The best known projects financed by Tagiyev include a horse-rail road in Baku and the Shollar water pipeline. In 1885, he proposed a comprehensive program for the construction of public buildings, schools, mosques, churches, gardens and more in Baku. Tagiyev had presented a project to the Baku uprava (municipality) on the construction of a theatre on a patch of land owned by him. Built in 1883, it was the only theatre in Baku for many years. A luxury palace built by Tagiyev in central Baku added new elements to the architecture of the city. The palace is now being used as the National Museum of Azerbaijani History.

Aga Musa Nagiyev is Baku millionaire and philanthropist. He built the magnificent Ismailiyye building for the charity society of the city, paid construction costs of the third floor of incomplete Realni School, built a hospital in the suburbs, and allocated a great amount of money for Baku water pipes. Pair mansions on 28 May street, the magnificent building built of red brick in the same street, the house near the Opera theatre in Nizami street, old Central post building in Azerbaijan avenue, the majestic building in Nigar Refibeyli street, Winter Club (now House of Officers) in Samad Vurgun street, Astoria and New Europe hotels and other beautiful buildings were built with his money.

Murtuza Mukhtarov - He was Baku petroleum entrepreneur and philanthropist. One of the most outstanding representatives of national Azerbaijan bourgeoisie and the oil industry is Murtuza Mukhtarov.  Murtuza Mukhtarov was the patron of Baku Realni College and Temirxan-Shura Gymnasium of Women, and the honorary member of the Society for the spread of literacy and knowledge among the mountain-dwellers. He was honorary member of the St. Petersburg Muslim Charitable Society and the founder of 40 scholarships for students of high and vocational schools.