"AZERBAIJAN TOUR PROGRAM

BAKU-GANJA-BAKU"

(2-7 DAYS)

BAKU

1. Arriving in airport
2. Holel
3. Mud volcano - There are 800 mud volcanoes on the Earth and 400 of them are in the Southern Caspian region. About 300 mud volcanoes are to be found in Azerbaijan – at the shore, in the sea and on islands. There are all types of mud volcanoes – both active and dormant. Mud volcanoes are definite accompaniments of oil and gas fields confirming the availability of the great natural resources in Azerbaijan.
4. Gobustan - Gobustan preserve is located in the eastern part of Azerbaijan, on the territory of Beyukdash, Kichikdash and Jingirdag Mountains of Big Gobustan. Gobustan monuments cover the period of approximately 20 million years beginning since the end of Upper Paleolith till the beginning of our era.
5. Ateshgah -   The Temple of Eternal Fire - Ateshgah - 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. 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 (approximately beginning of our era). They attributed mystical significance to the inextinguishable fire and came there to worship the relic.
6. Yanardag - Yanar Dag (Azerbaijani: Yanar Dağ, translated as "burning mountain"), is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which itself is known as the "land of fire." Flames jet out into the air 3 metres from a thin, porous sandstone layer.
7. Lunch (traditional restaurant)
8. Icheri Sheher (Down Town) - We are at walls of Icheri Sheher (the Old City) - the historical center of Baku. It is the most important part of a city where you will meet unforgettable beauty of history and will feel the world at the crossroads of the East and West. Icheri Sheher has received the open-air museum status in 1964, and since 2000 has been included in the list of the World heritage sites of UNESCO. The territory of Icheri sheher occupies 22 hectares. Tens historical monuments — mosques, caravansaries, Shirvanshah Palace, baths, apartment houses, museums, embassies, hotels, trading objects, cafe, restaurants are also located in the fortress.
9. Maiden Tower - the Maiden Tower which is located in a southeast part of the Baku fortress. The tower has been constructed in XII century. There are a lot of legends regarding construction of  the Maiden Tower. The legend confirms that fact that Caspian sea was at the foot of the Maiden Tower. Over time it has gone, and now the sea is 100-150 meters far from  the Tower.
10. Victory Park
11.  Bay of  Baku Boulevard (seaside)
12.  Dinner with Azerbaijan Traditional Music

BAKU – SHAMAKHA

By the way:

1. Diri Baba Tomb - On the way from Baku to Shamakhi there is Maraza village known for its unique monument - two-storied mausoleum-mosque of the 15th century called Diri-Baba, located across from the old cemetery. For a long time the local residents have kept the legend that there imperishable Saint Diri-Baba had been buried. However, many other legends and mystical details are connected with this landmark. Therefore, since the 17th century it attracts pilgrims and simply curious visitors. The originality of this structure is that the architect "built" the tomb into the rock. The impression is that the tomb is suspended in the air.
2. 7 tombs in Shemaka - Domes have been constructed approximately 150 years ago. They are on a cemetery of the city of Shamahy. In the past a mausoleum with seven domes has been constructed here. However, now one of them has collapsed completely, and three – partially. Other three domes – in one of the mausoleums there are two tombs, in other – six. According to local residents, these tombs belong to a family of Mustafa khan. The fallen off mausoleums with domes also had the octagonal form.
   The fifth mausoleum with a dome also was octagonal, on its entrance door the stone inscription has been engraved. This dome has been constructed from hewed plates. In it there are four tombs.

ISMAYILLI

1. Lahic city tour - Lahij (other spellings Lagich, Lahich, and Lahic) (Azerbaijani: Lahıc) is a village and municipality on the southern slopes of Greater Caucasus within the Ismailli Rayon of Azerbaijan. Population is approximately 860 people who speak the variation of Tati - Lahiji language.
2. Lahij is a notable place in Azerbaijan, with its authentic handicrafts traditions, particularly related to copper. The village's carpet and rug crafts are also well known in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus. Lahij has an old sewage system (some experts claim that it was built 1000 – 1500 years ago). Due to frequent earthquakes local people have developed sophisticated and authentic construction techniques. Height of 1211 meters above sea level.
3. Lahic guesthause
4. Dinner in Lahic

SHEKI

The city of Sheki is located 380 km to the west of Baku close to Georgian border. Sheki is set in a picturesque mountain area rich in narrow gorges and green valleys, springs, purest rivers, water falls and mineral water springs framed by dense woods and alpine meadows. Not far from Sheki in one of the most beautiful and picturesque places of the country is the Markhal Resort.

Archeological data testify that the city can be considered one of the oldest settlements in the Caucasus; many finds on its territory are dated as old as 2,500 years.

The city can boast many historical and architectural places of interest, but its pride is the ancient majestic royal palace of Shekin khans erected in the 18 th century without a single nail (!) with magnificent wall paintings and tracery windows in the stone citadel. Very attractive are Gemsen-Geresen fortress (8-9 th centuries), numerous caravanserais, house of Sheki Khans, Djuma Mosque (18th century), the Gileilin Mosque minaret (18th century), and medieval baths. Sheki was famous as the city of craftsmen and merchants. Merchants and traders from the countries of the Great Silk Way used to gather there. Therefore, a great attention was paid to construction of caravanserais. So in the 18th - 19th centuries 5 big caravanserais were active in Sheki. Only two of them have survived. The Upper and the Lower built in the 18th century. Even then the craftsmen tried to provide worthy service to lodgers. Caravan serais were built with a view of all convenience and safety of merchants and their goods. In Sheki caravanserais merchants stored their goods in cellars , traded on the first floor, and lived on the second.

1. Sheki Khan`s palace museum
2. Sheki city tour
3. Sheki Caravanserai (old hotel)
4. Albanian church in Kishi

GANJA

Ganca is one of the country's most scenic.  The area is famous for the Kapaz mountain and the 7 lakes near it. The territory is perfect for canoeing, swimming, walking and trekking or for the simple joys of a family pic-nic.

Located near Khatai street, in a park south of the main square you should not miss the 17th century Shah Abbas, or Juma mosque, with two tall minarets and a dome with interesting decoration. The red-brick building was designed by scientist and architect Sheykh Baga-ud-din and is illuminated through beautiful panels of stained glass (Shebeke). There are also a few other less appealing mosques.

The two-storied but rather modest caravanserai can be found in the vicinity of Hotel Ganca. Nearby there is a colourful mosaic, one more tribute to Nizami.

Another landmark is the first parliament of the short lived 'Azerbaijan Democratic Republic', originally it was the city hall and is now used as an agricultural school. Near the parliament is the large and pleasant city park, comprising the remains of the 16th century fortress walls and a chaikhana.

The baths, situated close to the Abbas mosque have striking colours and attractive domes, but are not very old. Behind the baths there is the 19th century grave of Javad Khan and across Ganca street you'll find the cinema. The modern baths can be found a few blocks to the east.

Although most Christians are now gone (Russians, Germans) there are several churches worth a visit: the Alexander Nevski church (now the puppet theatre!) and a 19th century orthodox church near the university. The state drama theatre is on Abbaszade street and the state philarmony is on Atayev street.

A local oddity is the bottle house, a two-storey building decorated with about 50.000 glass bottles!

The ruins have little to see, and are hard to access because of a tank unit housed in the area, but it's worth visiting the nearby Nizami's mausoleum. The existing monument, built in 1991 replaces a similar obelisk dating from the late 1940s. The mausoleum is an elegant marble covered structure about 20 m tall. Behind it there is an open area with a display of scenes from Nizami's books, sculpted in metal.

About 15 kms northeast of Ganca, after the village of Aznixi you'll find the Imanzade. This is a beautiful brick building with blue domes, surrounded by a cemetery, that was built as the mausoleum of the 8th century Imam Bagira ibn Ibrahim. Inside you'll find the tomb enveloped by black curtains. The date of the original building is uncertain, and the current design results mostly from a 19th century reconstruction.

1. Nizami Mausoleum, built in honor of  Nizami Ganjavi
2. Shah Abbas Caravanserai
3. Juma (Shah Abbas) Mosque
4. Khan Bagi. The 17th century built garden
5. Chokak Bath, center of the applied art
6. Hacikend (village) in Goygol
7. Helenendorf

GANJA-BAKU-TRANSFER

 

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