Experience Azerbaijan

experience 

Azerbaijan 

ISSUE 1 | WINTER 19 / SPRING 20

2 | EXPERIENCE AZERBAIJAN 

ADS

CONTENTS 

4 In this issue 

5-6 Novelties 

7-8 Looking back 

9 Diary 

7 18 

10-17 Introducing Azerbaijan 

By Tom Marsden 

18-26 An Anthem in Stone 

By Fuad Akhundov 

27-32 24 Hours in Sheki 


33-40 Novruz Bayram 

By Ian Peart and Saadat Ibrahimova 

27 

41-49 Nakhchivan Rediscovered 

By Mark Elliott 

50-56 Skiing in Azerbaijan 

By Sharifa Hasanova 

58-65 Exploring 

Western Azerbaijan’s 

German Traces 

By Chinara Majidova 

50 

EXPERIENCE AZERBAIJAN | 1

94 

86 

66-73 Secrets of Shahdag 


74-85 An Exciting Time 

for Azerbaijani Wine 


104 

86-93 Culture in the Clouds 

By Lesley Gray 

94-103 The Ultimate Guide 

to Baku’s Nightlife 

By Alla Garagashli 

104-115 Correspondent of Peace 

By Nonna Muzaffarova 

116-123 The Taste of Azerbaijan 

By Feride Buyuran 


116

Experience 


ISSUE 1 

WINTER 19 / SPRING 20 

experience 


ISSUE 1 | WINTER 19 / SPRING 20 

Tom Marsden 

Editor 

Nijat Ahmadli 

Editorial Assistant 

Jamila Babayeva 

Designer 

Mirza Aliyev 

Design Manager 

Fidan Aliyeva 

Marketing Manager 

Aziza Mahmudova 

Sales Manager 

Contributors: 

Ian Peart 

Saadat Ibrahimova 

Chinara Majidova 

Mark Elliott 

Fuad Akhundov 

Sharifa Hasanova 

Feride Buyuran 

Eldar Farzaliyev 

Fergana Gasimli 

Alla Garagashli 

Nonna Muzaffarova 

Lesley Gray 

Photo on cover 

Lake in Guba by Vahid Hasanov 

About the magazine 

Experience Azerbaijan is a free biannual travel 

magazine published by the Azerbaijan Tourism 

Board which aims to showcase the full range of 

activities and experiences this exciting South 

Caucasian country has to offer. With articles 

and stories crafted by leading local and foreign 

writers, photographers and other content 

producers, we hope to inspire curious travellers 

to pay the country a visit, and to serve as a 

guide to its people, places, culture and events. 

Azerbaijan really is a country of stories and 

surprises, so let us help you explore everything 

it has to offer: from mountains and mud 

volcanoes to carpets, castles and the Caspian 

Sea. Within these pages, expect to find a wealth 

of information about familiar haunts seen from 

fresh angles as well as hidden gems waiting to 

be discovered. 

Experience Azerbaijan is published by: 

Azerbaijan Tourism Board 

96E Nizami Street, 3rd Floor, Landmark 1, 

Baku, AZ1010, Azerbaijan 

Visit www.azerbaijan.travel 

to download an electronic version 

of the magazine. 

Are you a writer, photographer or content producer 

and would you like to contribute to Experience Azerbaijan? 

If so, contact the editor at experienceazerbaijan@tourismboard.az 

For advertising enquiries please write to us 

at experienceazerbaijan@tourismboard.az 

The views and opinions expressed in the magazine belong 

to the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those 

of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board. 

No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without 

prior consent from the publisher. 

© 2019 Azerbaijan Tourism Board 


in this issue... 

We take you high into the Caucasus Mountains to Azerbaijan’s trendy ski resorts and 

timeless mountain villages, and tell you everything you need to know about two of its true 

travel gems: Sheki, an ancient crafts hub once located on the Silk Road, and Nakhchivan, 

a land of legend and otherworldly landscapes that’s fast developing into a tourism destination. 

You’ll discover the country’s fascinating history and architecture through incredible 

stories like the Germans who settled in western Azerbaijan and the oil barons who 

transformed Baku, and learn something of Azerbaijan’s ancient culture through Novruz, 

the Zoroastrian-inspired holiday celebrating the arrival of spring, and the soulful photos 

of Reza Deghati. Eager to explore Azerbaijan through its food and drink? Then enjoy our 

extensive list of the country’s greatest food experiences and meet the people spurring 

Azerbaijan’s winemaking revival. And finally, don’t miss our comprehensive guide to 

Baku’s underrated nightlife. 

Have something to say? 

To send us your feedback, write to the editor at experienceazerbaijan@tourismboard.az. 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS... 

Chinara Majidova 

graduated from the International 

Law Department of Baku State 

University in 2010 and has since 

worked as a writer, painter and 

video artist. She has been a contributing 

photojournalist and writer 

for the Ajam Media Collective, 

working on projects such as 

Mehelle charting the disappearance 

of the historic Baku district called 

Sovetski, and for Chai Khana, a 

multimedia platform covering 

diverse events and issues in the 

South Caucasus. She has also participated 

in a number of local and 

international group exhibitions 

spanning art and journalism, and 

is currently pursuing a master’s 

degree in Cultural Heritage at the 

Central European University in 

Budapest. 

Her top tip: visit the Absheron region 

for its undiscovered diversity 

of ancient Islamic architecture, religious 

traditions and eclectic natural 

wonders. 

Fuad Akhundov 

is an amateur researcher, tour 

guide and translator living between 

Baku and Toronto. A graduate of 

the Oriental Department of the 

State University of Baku (1992), 

the Kennedy School of Government 

at Harvard University (2001) and 

the Ontario Institute of Studies 

in Education at the University of 

Toronto (2016), Fuad is also a retired 

police lieutenant colonel with 

14 years of service at the National 

Central Bureau of Interpol in Baku 

(1993-2007), as well as a former 

school teacher (1992-1993). In 

2006-2010, he hosted a TV show 

called Mysteries of Baku and is famous 

for his walking tours, which 

started as a hobby driven by his 

keen interest in yesteryear Baku. 

His top tip: enjoy the mouthwatering 

Azerbaijani cuisine, and don’t 

forget about the magnificent tea 

with herbs and delicious deserts 

that you can’t taste anywhere else! 

British-born Mark Elliott 

is a travel writer, speaker and 

consultant who has written or 

contributed to over 60 books encompassing 

a wide range of world 

destinations. His first guide to 

Azerbaijan (initially with Georgia) 

was published in the late 1990s by 

Trailblazer. It was the first extensive 

English-language resource on 

the country and became something 

of an encyclopaedia of all things 

Azerbaijani amongst expats. The 

fifth edition, published in 2018 by 

TEAS Press, was more comprehensive 

than ever, taking visitors 

to many of Azerbaijan’s smallest 

remote hamlets as well as covering 

the main sights of the rapidly 

changing country. He is currently 

co-researching a hiking guide to 

the country’s finest trails. 

His top tip: sign up with a hiking 

group like Camping Azerbaijan to 

go hiking in some of the untouched 

mountain villages and stay in a 

timeless rustic homestay. 

Feride Buyuran 

is the award-winning author 

of Pomegranates and Saffron: A 

Culinary Journey to Azerbaijan, her 

debut cookbook inspired by her 

passion for the cuisine of her native 

Azerbaijan. It was the first USpublished 

cookbook on Azerbaijani 

cuisine and won five prestigious 

awards. Feride is on a mission to 

bring people together and connect 

cultures through food. In 2017 she 

founded Feride Buyuran Tours, 

which offers unique food and 

culture tours to her birthplace, 

Azerbaijan, and neighbouring 

Georgia. Through these, she hopes 

to give people the gift of better 

understanding one another while 

savouring the best the region has 

to offer. 

Her top tip: visit Azerbaijan with 

an open mind, eyes, and heart, and 

connect with the locals as much as 

you can – they are the makers of 

the culture and will reveal it to you 

like no other. 

4 | EXPERIENCE AZERBAIJAN

novelties 

a LOOK at 

WHAT’S NEW 

in Azerbaijan... 

Key to the capital 

Baku’s first official travel card, the 

BakuCard, was launched in April 2019. 

Offering travellers free public transport 

around the city, free entry to or 

discounts at selected museums and attractions, 

a free SIM card, and a bounty 

of offers at many local shops, cafés and 

restaurants, this is a great money-saving 

key to exploring the Azerbaijani capital. 

Cards lasting either 24 hours, 72 hours 

or 7 days can be purchased at Heydar 

Aliyev International Airport, tourist 

information points, and major hotels 

and tourist agencies around the city. 

They come with a map and guidebook, 

give you up to 50 per cent off 

Baku city tours, and automatically 

activate the first time you use them. 

Find out more at www.bakucard.az. 

Sheki’s big moment 

On 7 July 2019, the historic centre of 

Sheki was named a UNESCO World 

Heritage Site at a meeting of the World 

Heritage Committee in Baku. The site, 

long considered a national treasure, 

comprises distinctive 18th and 19th-century 

merchant housing with distinctive 

gabled roofs and cobblestone streets 

also home to mosques, house museums 

and hammams – altogether reflecting 

the city’s prosperous past as a centre of 

silk production. At the heart of it is the 

Sheki Fortress and its top attraction the 

Sheki Khans’ Palace, built as a summer 

residence for Sheki’s rulers at the end of 

the 18th century. 

During the latest UNESCO committee 

meeting from 30 June-10 July, 29 new 

sites were granted World Heritage status. 

A collection of churches, temples 

and towers in Pskov, the Bom Jesus do 

Monte sanctuary in Portugal and the 

Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK were 

among the five other sites inscribed on 

the same morning as Sheki. You can 

find a complete list of the newly inscribed 

sites at www.whc.unesco.org/en/ 

newproperties/. 

Sheki’s historic centre became the third 

UNESCO-listed site in Azerbaijan after 

Baku’s Old City and the Gobustan Rock 

Art Cultural Landscape. 

Baku’s new urban oasis 

Baku’s new Central Park is a beautifully 

landscaped, undulating green space 

spanning 20 hectares between the State 

Drama Theatre, Tezepir Mosque and 

Narimanov Street. It features well-manicured 

lawns, curvy paths, cafés, fountains, 

bridges and skateparks, plus a 

347-car underground car park, and was 

officially unveiled on 22 May 2019. 

Constructed on the territory of one of 

the city’s most historic areas – Sovetski, 

a fabled district of compact one and 

two-storey housing and narrow, mazy 

streets famous for having its own unique 

inner-city culture and identity – the 

park offers an attractive, eco-friendly 

vision of the city’s future, and now 

makes it entirely possible to rest mind, 

body and soul just minutes from the city 

centre. 

1. Sheki. Photo: Shutterstock/tenkl 

2. Central Park. Photo: Shutterstock/Denis Sv 


novelties 

Yanardag: 

A new experience 

Several centuries ago, the fires spouting 

naturally from the energy-rich terrain 

of the Absheron Peninsula (and perhaps 

even dancing across the surface 

of the Caspian Sea) would have been a 

must-visit sight for any visitor to Baku. 

Sadly, the mass extraction of oil has 

since extinguished almost everything, 

yet one spot in Mamedli village continues 

to blaze mysteriously. 

This site is called Yanardag (or Burning 

Mountain) which reopened on 12 June 

after about nine months of redevelopment. 

The reserve now boasts a stateof-the-art 

museum and 500-seater amphitheatre, 

as well as a café, kids’ room 

and open-air museum of local archaeological 

finds dating back to the Bronze 

Age. 

Whereas previously guests could only 

come and gaze meditatively at the 

flames, now helpful onsite guides explain 

their significance as an ancient 

pilgrimage site for fire-worshippers and 

even whisk you off to see the reserve’s 

other geological oddities – a mud volcano 

and burning spring. History enthusiasts 

can also inspect the remains of 

trenches used by Ottoman Troops during 

the Battle for Baku in 1918. 

In short, one of Azerbaijan’s top attractions 

now offers a completely new 

experience. 

New Novikov restaurant 

Famous Russian restaurateur Arkadiy 

Novikov is very candid about his love 

of Azerbaijani cuisine – the entrepreneur 

owns a chain of Azerbaijani-style 

restaurants in Moscow called Almaz 

– and August 2019 saw the long-awaited 

opening of his first restaurant in the 

Azerbaijani capital. Located in a prime 

position near the Seaside Boulevard on 

Zarifa Aliyeva Street in the city centre, 

Syrovarnya Baku is the first restaurant 

in Baku to have its own cheese factory 

and also serves healthy European-style 

cuisine. 

Since 2011 Novikov restaurants have 

gradually been opening in global 

hotspots including London, Miami, 

Doha, Dubai and Sardinia. The firm’s 

international expansion is built on its 

domestic success – over 80 restaurants 

across Moscow, St. Petersburg and other 

Russian cities operate under the prestigious 

Novikov brand. 

Lankaran Springs: 

Healing in Haftoni 

Azerbaijan’s southern regions of Masalli, 

Lankaran and Astara are well known 

in Azerbaijan for their thermal springs 

(called istisu in Azerbaijani) which, hidden 

in unassuming villages, have long 

been prized by the local population for 

their purported health benefits. The waters 

are supposedly packed with useful 

minerals and microelements and bathing 

in them, or even drinking from them, is 

3. Yanardag (Burning Mountain) 

4. Lankaran Springs 

said to soothe a wide range of ailments. 

The small sanatoriums built around 

them typically feature simple private 

booths with plunge pools of the hot, 

mineral-rich water flowing naturally 

from underground. But the new fivestar 

Lankaran Springs Wellness Resort, 

which opened in June 2019 in the village 

of Haftoni, takes the therapy to an entirely 

new level. 

Resembling a ship sailing through 

Lankaran’s lush rice plantations, the 

five-star resort offers balneotherapies 

based on the 12 thermal sources occurring 

on the hotel’s territory. A popular 

Soviet-era sanatorium first opened 

here in 1958, but the new resort offers 

much more besides the healing water – 

Charcot douche, mud therapy and multiple 

forms of massage are all also available, 

not to mention a spa and fitness 

centre, several restaurants and plenty of 

entertainment for kids. Room prices begin 

from 150 AZN. 


LOOKING BACK 

DISPATCHES FROM 

AZERBAIJAN’S FIRST 

GRAPE AND WINE 

FESTIVAL 

If ever you were 

looking for a 

one-stop-shop 

for discovering 

Azerbaijan’s 

re-emerging wine 

culture, then 

the first ever 

Azerbaijani Grape 

and Wine Festival 

was it. it took place 

on 30-31 August at 

the Shirvan Wines 

winery in the 

village of Meysari, 

Shamakhi, with 

the support of 

the Heydar Aliyev 

Foundation and the 

organisational help 

of several other 

government entities, 

and we made sure 

not to give the 

opening day 

a miss. 

The action began in the early 

evening with a thumping naghara 

drum performance by the Natig 

Rhythm Group, alternating with 

thrilling wine-themed dances by 

the Mirvari Dance Group to gradually 

whip the crowd – many 

of whom had travelled on a free 

bus service from Baku – into a 

celebratory mood. And once the 

drums came to a rest, the wine 

began to flow. 

A short walk from the main 

stage, guests meandered through 

an alley of creatively decorated 

pavilions housing exhibits of 

Azerbaijan’s growing number of 

wineries. In total, 16 were represented 

from across the country’s 

major winemaking regions 

– the Absheron, Shirvan and 

Ganja-Gazakh in the west. Each 

showcased their finest tipples, 

the majority made from local 

Azerbaijani or Caucasian grapes, 

which guests eagerly sniffed 

and sipped, mentally noting the 

differences. 

Whether a wine aficionado or a beginner 

in the industry didn’t really matter 

as one of the festival’s main aims was to 

inform and educate. The hosts of each 

pavilion keenly explained the nuances 

of their wines: the grapes used and the 

conditions in which they were grown. 

Degustations and sommelier workshops 

were delivered by industry experts, a 

roundtable discussion tackled current 

issues in the industry, and a lecture was 

given on the history of winemaking in 

Azerbaijan. 

But there was much more besides wine. 

Other mini-events included poetry recitals, 

yoga classes and open-air film 

screenings, as well as carpet-weaving 

talks and demos, art classes and exhibits 

of pottery and shebeke – a highly skilled 

technique of filling wooden lattices with 

tiny stained-glass pieces. Elsewhere, an 

“ethno-tent” dished up delicious regional 

cuisine – gutabs and kebabs straight 

from the saj, a disc-shaped iron plate 

heated over a fire – served with homemade 

lavash and feseli flatbread, which 

guests enjoyed slumped into comfy bean 

bag seats distributed neatly across the 


LOOKING BACK 

surrounding lawn. 

Also in the programme were excursions 

to Shamakhi’s famous astrophysical 

observatory, the mountain village 

of Lahij and to wineries in Agsu, Gabala 

and Ismayilli, other areas of the Shirvan 

winemaking region. 

This corridor running along the southern 

slopes of the Greater Caucasus 

Mountains is home to some of 

Azerbaijan’s best winemaking terroirs. 

Shamakhi in particular used to be a 

centre of viticulture during the Soviet 

era and today Shirvan Wines is doing its 

best to return the region’s former glory. 

Having opened just last year, it currently 

produces three organic wines (Sadaf, 

Marjan and Makhmari) from a mix of local 

and foreign grapes. 

It also caters well to tourists: the complex 

houses both a guest house and a 

wine museum. And even if you don’t like 

wine, simply being here is a pleasure: 

with some 300 hectares of vineyards 

spreading across the foothills of the 

splendid mountains, this is undoubtedly 

one of the most picturesque wineries in 


One of its most unique features is the 

beautifully landscaped lake set serenely 

beneath the main building and restaurant, 

and it was here that as the last embers 

of daylight began to fade, a magical 

lightshow transformed the lakeside path 

into an otherworldly arena for fire dancers 

and opera singing. An old-fashioned 

yacht had even been shipped in especially 

for the festival. 

From start to finish, musical performances 

were given by local artists encompassing 

diverse genres. Another star 

performer was Azerbaijani pop singer 

and actress Aygun Kazimova whose 

rousing set accompanied by robot backup 

dancers ushered in a long night of DJs 

and discos. 

Overall, this was an entertaining insight 

into the emerging world of Azerbaijani 

winemaking and far more than just a 

bevy of food and drink in a fine corner of 

the Caucasus.– Tom Marsden. 

Photos by Narimanfilm and 

Tom Marsden 


looking ahead 

DIARY 

With local and 

international 

exhibitions, 

festivals 

and other 

exciting events 

happening 

increasingly 

frequently 

in Azerbaijan 

every year, 

here is a rough 

guide to the 

best of what to 

expect over the 

next six months. 

Early November 2019: 

Pomegranate Festival 

Goychay, an otherwise quiet 

city in central Azerbaijan, 

comes alive with a very 

unique event for one weekend 

each autumn. The surrounding 

region is thought 

to grow an incredible 60-odd 

different kinds of pomegranate, 

a fruit bearing symbolic 

status in Azerbaijani 

culture. Thus a huge festival 

celebrates the annual harvest 

with local farmers peddling 

an astonishingly diverse 

collection of the regal fruit 

nurtured in Goychay’s country 

villages, as well as just 

about anything that could 

possibly be made from pomegranates 

– jams, juices, sauces, 

soft drinks, wines and 

much more besides. 

1 December 2019: 

Christmas Market 

Christmas isn’t widely celebrated 

in Azerbaijan yet several 

places conjure a festive 

atmosphere. Chief among 

them is the Cold Hands, 

Warm Heart (Soyuq Eller, 

Isti Urek) charity market on 

Baku’s Fountains Square from 

1 December to early January 

at which dozens of creatively 

illuminated pavilions set 

around a giant Christmas tree 

sell handicrafts, souvenirs, 

sweets, books, jewellery and 

much more. Eateries dish up 

local and international cuisine, 

and there’s also a lively 

concert programme to cheer 

up evenings and weekends. 

15 December 2019: 

Ski season begins 

For skiing enthusiasts tired 

of the traditional slopes, 

Azerbaijan’s two ski resorts 

in the Caucasus Mountains 

offer an intriguing change 

of scenery. The luxury resorts 

at Shahdag in Gusar 

have world-class amenities, 

14 well-prepared slopes and 

great off-piste opportunities, 

while tree-lined black 

runs and more great resorts 

await more advanced skiers 

and snowboarders at the 

Tufandag Mountain Resort 

in Gabala. Even if skiing or 

snowboarding is not your 

thing, there’s plenty to do up 

in the Caucasus Mountains, 

from snowmobiling and 

snowshoeing to spas and fitness 

centres. 

20-21 March 2020: 

Novruz 

Azerbaijan’s biggest holiday, 

Novruz, celebrates the coming 

of spring on 20-21 

March, however celebrations 

actually kick off well before 

with the so-called Four 

Tuesdays paying homage to 

water, fire, wind and earth. 

Over Novruz a celebratory 

vibe sweeps across the nation 

with public squares swinging 

to the sights and sounds 

of folk music, tightrope walking 

and theatrical performances. 

You can enjoy tucking 

into Novruz pastries 

like pakhlava and shekerbura 

while witnessing young 

daredevils jumping over bonfires 

– just one of many 

Zoroastrian-inspired rituals 

you might encounter during 

Novruz. 

Late March – early April 

2020: Rostropovich Music 

Festival 

Mstislav Rostropovich is 

widely regarded as one of the 

greatest cellists of the 20th 

century. Less well known 

is that he grew up in Baku 

where since 2007 an international 

music festival has 

been held in his honour. The 

exact timing varies from 

year to year (last year it took 

place from 22-27 April), so 

keep an eye out because it 

features a wealth of classical 

music concerts – many 

by leading international ensembles 

and at historic locations 

like the Philharmonic 

Hall and Opera and Ballet 

Theatre – as well as contests 

and masterclasses. 

4-7 June 2020: 

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 

Azerbaijan has already been 

hosting Formula 1 for the 

last four years, the 2017 and 

2018 races widely being seen 

as highlights of the season. 

That’s largely because of the 

track: the Baku City Circuit 

is the fastest street race in 

Formula 1. After weaving 

through the city centre and 

taking in all its best sights, 

it culminates in a finishing 

straight where speeds reach 

a barely believable 360 kph. 

Ticket holders can also enjoy 

a plethora of off-track 

concerts and entertainment 

while taking in the special 

atmosphere that descends on 

Baku. 

13 June – 4 July 2020: 

Euro 2020 

Gear up for a summer of football 

because between June 

and July 2020 Baku’s stateof-the-art 

Olympic Stadium 

with a capacity of 70,000 

will play host to three group 

games and one quarterfinal 

of the 2020 UEFA European 

Football Championship. For 

the first time, Europe’s flagship 

football tournament will 

be held across 12 European 

cities, of which Baku is delighted 

to be one. Fresh from 

hosting the 2019 Europa 

League final, the city is already 

looking forward to welcoming 

the next wave of international 

football fans. 



Introducing 


by Tom Marsden 

For those unfamiliar 

with Azerbaijan, cast 

aside any lingering 

Soviet stereotypes and 

get ready for striking 

architecture, enticing 

activities and plenty 

of adventure. To help 

pique your interest and 

perhaps even inspire 

you to visit, here’s a 

list of 12 surprising 

facts and themes 

about this exciting 

country in eastern 

Transcaucasia. 

Land of Fire 

Fire runs deep in Azerbaijani culture. Just look at the amazing 

Flame Towers whose 30 storeys of LED lights create a 

magical fire display at night, symbolising the spouts of flames 

that used to appear naturally from the energy-rich terrain in 

eastern Azerbaijan. Considered holy by ancient Zoroastrians, 

Azerbaijan became a centre of fire-worshipping, and even after 

the Arabs began spreading Islam across the region in the 

7th century a steady stream of Hindu pilgrims continued to 

flock to them until the late 19th-century oil boom extinguished 

all but one patch of constantly burning fire. One of the last still 

burns at Yanardag (Burning Mountain), making this a mustsee 

attraction. 

Land of tolerance 

Azerbaijan may be a predominantly Muslim country, but it is 

secular and prides itself on its multiculturalism. For good reason. 

Its location along the former Silk Road and between continents 

and empires has moulded it into a melting pot of peoples, 

religions and influences. Sunni and Shia Muslims, Christians 

and Jews have lived here peacefully for centuries. The Guba 

region is a great example: not only is it home to mountain villages 

inhabited by distinct ethnic groups, but it’s also the location 

of what’s thought to be the last fully Jewish settlement 

outside of Israel and the United States. 

1. Griz - one of many ethnic 

minority villages in the Guba 

region. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Nanulya 

2. Yanardag (Burning 

Mountain). Photo: Azerbaijan 

Tourism Board 


Amazing architecture 

For a separate chapter in the story of 

Azerbaijani multiculturalism, delve into 

Baku’s turn-of-the-century architecture 

– the extravagant buildings that appeared 

at the height of the so-called Oil 

Boom. Many were built by German and 

Polish architects, who added a European 

layer to the oriental Old City, thus giving 

Baku its trademark East-West contrast 

that still surprises visitors. Add to this 

some Soviet-era gems like Government 

House and Gulustan Palace, and modern 

wonders the Flame Towers and Heydar 

Aliyev Centre, and you have an extraordinary 

architectural blend that somehow 

finds an overall harmony. 

Jazz vibes 

Baku’s unique blend of East and West 

even extends to the local music. This 

is the birthplace of a genre called jazzmugham, 

which fuses Western jazz 

with Azerbaijani mugham – a poetic, 

improvisational folk music imbued with 

local spirit and tradition. Jazz-mugham 

was pioneered in the 1960s and 1970s by 

musicians such as Vagif Mustafazadeh 

and Rafig Babayev inspired by the underground 

jazz broadcasts of Voice of 

America, and it gripped Baku to such 

an extent that the city was dubbed the 

“jazz capital of the Soviet Union.” The 

best place to experience Baku’s jazz 

heritage is the Baku International Jazz 

Festival in October. 

Climate zones 

Spend a few days in Azerbaijan and 

you’ll almost certainly be proudly told 

that the country boasts nine of the 11 

climate zones that exist in the world. 

Situated on the cusp of Europe and Asia, 

North and South, you’ll find just about 

everything here: from towering mountains 

and luscious alpine lakes to barren 

steppes and the placid waters of the 

Caspian Sea. It’s not surprising then that 

Azerbaijan boasts an intriguing diversity 

of wildlife, much of it rare and endemic, 

and natural wonders ranging from mud 

volcanoes to salt lakes and healing hot 

springs. 

3. Central Baku. Photo: Lyokin 

4. Baku Jazz Festival. Photo: Rustam Huseynov 

5. Talysh Mountains, Yardimli. Photo: Shutterstock/zef art 

6. Khizi Mountains. Photo: Shutterstock/Vastram 


7. Preserves in Yashil Bazaar. 

Photo: Tom Marsden 

8. Mud volcanoes in Gobustan. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Nanulya 

9. Oilfield near Baku. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Vastram 

Plentiful produce 

Another clear bonus to Azerbaijan’s climatic 

diversity is the country’s ability to 

grow an amazing array of fresh seasonal 

produce. Some claim that Azerbaijan 

is the only country in the world to grow 

all varieties of pomegranates, but there 

are many more fabulous seasonal fruits 

ranging from figs and feijoa to quinces, 

persimmons and succulent Saturn 

peaches. All of them are made into sweet 

jams and refreshing compotes and add 

twists of flavour to classic Azerbaijani 

dishes. Even the tomatoes and cucumbers 

pack an extra punch, and the wild 

honey made in mountain foothills, the 

hazelnuts from the north-west and the 

dried fruit from Nakhchivan are all organic, 

delicious and not to be missed. 

Mud volcano capital 

Mud volcanoes occur in areas rich in 

oil and gas and prone to tectonic movement, 

which makes Azerbaijan pretty 

much ideal for them. The country 

is home to roughly 350, making it the 

unofficial mud volcano capital of the 

world. What’s more, most are found in 

a relatively small area encompassing 

the semi-arid terrain around Baku and 

coastal areas of the Caspian Sea. And 

there’s an incredible diversity of them: 

some are little more than gurgling mud 

pools, but several of the islands off Baku 

are in fact mud volcanoes. The mud they 

ooze is prized by cosmetologists, but 

beware of getting too close – they have 

been known to erupt, causing the earth 

to shake and spurting a giant flame into 

the air. 

Oozing oil 

Azerbaijani oil has a long and storied 

history, its quality and abundance enticing 

the likes of Peter the Great, Lenin 

and many other foreign powers to try 

and capture Baku. You probably didn’t 

know that in 1901 Baku was producing 

over half the world’s oil, or that during 

the Second World War 80 per cent of 

the aircraft, trucks and tanks propelling 

the Red Army to victory – a source of 

huge pride throughout the former Soviet 

Union – were fuelled by Baku oil. Or 

even that Oily Rocks, an Azerbaijani 

”city on the sea,” became the first off- 


10. Caspian Sea. 

Photo: Shutterstock/zef art 

11. Chirag Gala. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Kirill Skorobogatko 

12. Upper Caravanserai, Sheki. 


13. Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2018. 

Photo: Evgeni Safronov 

Over 500 km of 

Azerbaijani coastline 

is lapped by the Caspian 

Sea, offering plenty 

of striking views and 

relaxing beaches 

shore oil platform in the world when it 

opened in 1949. Travellers should note 

too that this is one of just a handful of 

countries where you can bathe in curative 

crude oil. 

Spirit of the Silk Road 

For centuries the Great Silk Road passed 

through Azerbaijan as it crisscrossed 

Eurasia, leaving an indelible mark on the 

country’s culture and landscape. Traces 

of it can still be experienced around the 

country – in old caravanserais scattered 

in the old towns of Baku and Sheki, and 

in mountain villages such as Lahij and 

Basqal where the age-old crafts of copper 

and kelaghai (a traditional silk headscarf) 

making continue to be practised. 

Carpets, another key item traded along 

the Silk Road, are still woven by women 

around the country, and you can even 

visit the remnants of ancient cities near 

Gabala and Shamkir that were once major 

trading hubs of the Caucasus. 


Caspian coastline 

Whether the Caspian is really a sea or 

a lake was debated for decades, but recently 

the littoral states decided that, 

legally, in fact it’s neither. And that’s not 

the only unusual feature of the world’s 

largest inland body of water. Besides 

its enormous oil and gas reserves, over 

60 per cent of its species are endemic, 

two of the most interesting being the 

endangered Caspian seal and the beluga 

sturgeon, the largest freshwater fish 

in the world whose roe is processed into 

the global delicacy caviar. Over 500 km 

of Azerbaijani coastline is lapped by the 

Caspian Sea, offering plenty of striking 

views and relaxing beaches. 

Country of castles 

Azerbaijani history is turbulent yet fascinating, 

spanning thousands of years in 

which countless kingdoms and empires 

have come and gone, their only visible 

legacies being the many crumbling 

castles and fortresses scattered around 

the country. Some once watched over 

mountain passes while others were citadels 

in major trading hubs. The earliest 

date back to Caucasian Albania, the state 

covering much of today’s Azerbaijan between 

the 3rd century BC and the 8th 

century AD. And some offer great hiking 

opportunities: you can trek to mountaintop 

towers erected by the Sassanids 

and the Shirvanshahs, or ascend 

Azerbaijan’s very own Machu Picchu – 

Alinja Castle in Nakhchivan. 

Gripping Grand Prix 

The Grand Prix of Azerbaijan is the fastest 

street race in all of Formula 1 which 

since 2017 has been held on the Baku City 

Circuit, a track that weaves through the 

narrow historic streets of central Baku 

taking in all its best sights. At 6.003 km, 

it’s also the second longest track in the 

Formula 1 calendar with speeds reaching 

an incredible 360 kmph along the home 

straight running parallel to the Seaside 

Boulevard. Needless to say, the Grand 

Prix is a great time to visit – besides the 

action on the track a host of events take 

place over the race weekend, including 

three nights of concerts by world stars. 


AN ANTHEM 

IN STONE 

by Fuad Akhundov 

The tremendous 

evolution in 

architecture Baku 

has undergone 

within just 

a century and a half 

is unparalleled 

in the region and 

commendable 

worldwide, 

writes local 

amateur historian 

and tour guide 

Fuad Akhundov. 

From citadel to industrial hub 

For centuries, Baku had been a very important transit and 

trade hub linking East and West, North and South. But 

while the earliest oil production around Baku was reported 

by the Arabic traveller Al Masoudi back in 943 AD, saffron 

and salt remained the dominant products among Baku’s exports, 

along with crude oil transported in wineskins by camel 

caravans. 

Baku’s takeover by Imperial Russia in 1806 did not change 

the town’s centuries-old Oriental image for several decades. 

The description of the Baku citadel by the famous French 

writer Alexandre Dumas in his Travels in the Caucasus (1858) 

speaks for itself: 

“Entering Baku is like penetrating one of the strongest 

fortresses of the Middle Ages. There are three 

encircling walls with gateways so narrow that our 

horses could not pass abreast. 

Even though inside the walls Dumas mentions some 

European constructions and an Orthodox Church alongside 

traditional mosques and hammams (traditional baths), his 

ultimate conclusion on Baku is quite straightforward: 

1. Baku’s many architectural layers. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Altug Galip 

“Baku – its name meaning “cradle of winds”– is quite 

unlike any town to be found in Europe. It is essentially 

Asiatic …not only in its building but its people and 

their way of life. 

18 

| EXPERIENCE AZERBAIJAN

However, the situation changed rapidly 

in the years to come. In 1859, just a year 

after Dumas’ trip to the Caucasus, Baku 

became a provincial centre following a 

devastating earthquake in Shamakhi, 

and in 1872 the Imperial Russian authorities 

introduced concessions for oil 

production. 

The impact of the ensuing oil boom on 

Baku was comparable to letting a genie 

out of the bottle. Production increased 

over 60 times within a decade, and by 

1901, Baku was producing 50.6 per cent 

of the world’s crude! 

2. Ismailiyya Palace, early 20th century. 

Photo: courtesy of Fuad Akhundov 

3. Baku City Hall. 

Photo: Shutterstock/allamimages 

Ethnic and cultural diversity 

Needless to say, the industrial fever triggered 

an enormous growth in population 

which skyrocketed from about 14,500 in 

1872 to over 140,000 in 1903, and was 

doubling every eight to 10 years. In 1914, 

Baku boasted 215,000 residents. 

This was possible mainly due to immigration, 

which in turn brought about a 

very versatile ethnic and cultural diversity 

that remained a feature of Baku 

for decades to come. By the beginning 

of World War I, not a single ethnic community 

exceeded 36 per cent of the city’s 

overall population. The two leading ethnic 

groups, Azerbaijanis and Russians, 

accounted for 34 and 36 per cent respectively, 

followed by a very prosperous 

Armenian community of 19 per cent. 

The Jewish community accounted for 

4.5 per cent of the population, yet provided 

almost 40 per cent of practising 

doctors and over 30 per cent of lawyers 


in pre-Soviet Baku. In fact, the Jews 

were never persecuted in Baku, unlike 

other parts of the former Russian 

Empire. During the Soviet period (1920- 

1991), local Jews were highly active in 

the city’s academic and cultural life. 

Smaller communities of Poles, Germans, 

Greeks, Georgians and Tartars 

were no less important, as there was a 

true phenomenon of German technicians, 

Polish architects and Tartar women 

educators. 

The impetuous population growth impacted 

the city’s layout. A grid of straight 

streets, squares, public parks and other 

features of a European city accrued right 

outside the old walls of the medieval 

citadel (today inscribed on the UNESCO 

World Heritage List). Comprising the 

opulent residences of the newly rich local 

oil barons, this area was named “the 

Paris of the Caucasus.” 

This is how Europe and Asia came together 

in Baku, with the 12th century 

ramparts acting as a boundary in-between. 

Ali and Nino, a fascinating novel 

based on the love story of an Azerbaijani 

nobleman and a Georgian princess between 

1909 and 1920, provides an even 

more insightful look at yesteryear Baku: 

“There were really two towns, one 

inside the other like a kernel in a 

nut. Outside the Old Wall was the 

Outer Town, with wide streets, high 

houses, its people noisy and greedy 

for money. This Outer Town was 

built because of the oil that comes 

from our desert and brings riches. 

There were theatres, schools, 

hospitals, libraries, policemen 

and beautiful women with naked 

shoulders. If there was shooting 

in the outer town, it was always 

about money. Europe’s geographical 

border began in the Outer Town, and 

that is where Nino lived. Inside the 

Old Wall (where Ali lived – Ed.) the 

houses were narrow and curved like 

oriental daggers. Minarets pierced 

the mild moon, so different from the 

oil derricks the House of Nobel had 

erected. 

4. Opera and Ballet Theatre. 


5.Philharmonic Hall. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Leonid Andronov 

6. Ismailiyya Palace. 

Photo: Shutterstock/zatevahins 


7. Baku waterfront, late 19th century. 


Indeed, the Baku of Ali and Nino was an 

extraordinary mix of Europe and Asia 

bridged by love, a modus vivendi much 

sought-after today. 

8-9. Isa-bey Hajinski and his mansion. 


Architectural legacy 

Baku’s Oil Boom of 1872-1920 led to a 

number of technological and cultural 

achievements. For example, the world’s 

first oil tanker, Zoroaster, was used in 

Baku by the Nobel brothers to facilitate 

transportation of crude and processed 

oil across the Caspian Sea. 

Meanwhile, cultural accomplishments 

included the first European theatre and 

the first secular school for Muslim girls 

in the entire Islamic world. Established 

in 1883 and 1901 respectively, both the 

theatre and the school were founded by 

Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, an iconic 

figure of old Baku. 

The son of a cobbler from Baku’s citadel, 

Taghiyev propelled himself to the top of 

the local oil business and was highly regarded 

for his charity and generosity. He 

rose to the rank of Real Councillor of the 

State (the civilian equivalent of a onestar 

general in Imperial Russia) despite 

never managing to master reading and 


writing. Nonetheless, this illiterate oil 

baron strongly believed that an educated 

mother is the backbone of an educated 

nation and the school for Muslim girls 

he founded trained hundreds of young 

Azerbaijani ladies within its 18 years of 

existence. 

As for the Taghiyev Theatre (nowadays 

the State Musical Theatre), its 

stage witnessed the first Muslim opera, 

Leyli and Majnun, in January 1908, and 

the first Muslim opera diva, Shovket 

Mammadova, in April 1912. 

Another oil tycoon, Musa Naghiyev, the 

richest Azerbaijani industrial magnate 

reportedly known for being tight-fisted, 

left an unparalleled legacy of fascinating 

mansions. On the one hand, this 

was a very smart way of channelling oil 

revenues into another source of stable 

income – real estate, but on the other 

some of the public facilities he built were 

really commendable. 

One of them, the Baku Muslim 

Charitable Association, houses the 

headquarters of the National Academy 

of Sciences of Azerbaijan. Designed by 

Joseph Ploshko in Venetian Gothic style, 

the building has a striking semblance to 

the Ca’ d’Oro in Venice. That being said, 

it’s far from a mere replica and rather a 

very creative use of the style in Baku’s 

limestone. 

The other building donated by Naghiyev 

was once the city’s largest hospital and 

today houses the Ministry of Health. 

It was thanks to local landlords like 

Musa Naghiyev, the Dadashevs, the 

Usseynovs, the Rzayevs and others that 

the Azerbaijani community, accounting 

for 34 per cent of Baku’s population, controlled 

over 80 per cent of the real estate. 

Stones with stories 

Architecture is one of the most remarkable 

and tangible legacies of Baku’s Oil 

Boom. The competitive spirit among 

the city’s new rich, each wishing to outdo 

the other, resulted in extraordinary 

mansions sporting a variety of styles. 

Yet, designed by Polish, German and 

later local architects and impeccably 

performed in the fine local sandstone by 

Baku artisans, these eclectic architectural 

landmarks are unique to Baku and 

perform a sort of anthem to their time. 

10. Oilfield, early 20th century. 

Photo: Shutterstock/artnana 


Another interesting feature of Baku’s 

oil-boom architecture is the remarkable 

semblance between the mansions 

and their original owners, somewhat 

like dogs taking after their masters (or 

sometimes vice versa). For example, 

the stately palace of Isa-bey Hajinski reflects 

perfectly the aristocratic image of 

its owner, a recognized nobleman, entrepreneur 

and public figure. 

The proud stature of Murtuza 

Mukhtarov, a self-made industrialist and 

drilling wizard, found its way into the 

appearance of the gorgeous palace built 

for his wife Lisa. And the sturdy build of 

Dmitri Mitrofanov, another oil tycoon, is 

perfectly matched with his castle-style 

edifice. These are my very personal and 

disputable reflections, but they prove 

true on a number of occasions. 

It was these oil-boom mansions that 

gave me the initial impetus to begin researching 

them in the late Soviet period. 

Run-down and decaying throughout the 

Soviet era, these buildings seemed to be 

conveying a message about Baku’s better 

times which I tried to collect through 

the stories of their initial owners. 

To do this, I was entering the premises 

trying to find old residents recalling at 

least the owners’ names. Sometimes I 

was really lucky to meet their descendants. 

Usually residing in cramped conditions, 

often squeezed within Soviet 

communal apartments, these people 

were kind enough to share their memories 

and their family photos which I 

then brought to the National Archives to 

make copies. 

These stories, supported by the portraits 

of the homeowners, really brought 

the houses to life –behind each door was 

a family story with all its ups and downs. 

Thus, the history of the whole city also 

came alive, which inspired me to create 

non-traditional walking tours with an 

unusual motto: 

Baku is a place where every stone 

Has a story of its own. 

And the stories could be magic, 

Should they not end up so tragic… 

Rebirth of Baku 

Since then, the legacy of Baku’s oil-boom 

architecture has blended harmoniously 

into the overall image of today’s Baku 

which combines centuries-old style with 

cutting-edge modernity. For example, 

while the opulent building of the Heydar 

Aliyev Foundation erected in the mid- 

2000s blends in perfectly with the neighbouring 

SOCAR building dating back to 

1896, the city’s signature landmarks like 

the Flame Towers or the Heydar Aliyev 

Centre are daringly ultra-modern. 

That being said, the concept of 

the Flame Towers echoes Baku’s 

mid-19th-century coat of arms, and the 

undulating wavy shape of the Heydar 

Aliyev Centre, the swansong of Zaha 

Hadid, symbolizes the flow from Baku’s 

storied past to the city’s dynamic present 

and promising future. 

11. Fuad Akhundov 

12. Palace of Happiness. Photo: Shutterstock/zatevahins 

13. Elaborate stonework. Photo: Shutterstock/Alizada Studios 

14. Church of the Saviour. Photo: Shutterstock/so_os 


str. 

str. 

28 May str. 

Shamsi Badalbeyli str. 

Fizuli str. 

7 

Bulbul ave. 

10 

Khagani str. 

Uzeyir Hajibayov str. 

Nizami str. 

Azerbaijan ave. 

5 

8 6 

10 

OIL- 

BOOM 

MANSIONS 

NOT 

TO MISS 

1 

2 

3 

Aziz Aliyev str. 

4 

9 

Zarifa Aliyeva str. 

1. National Art Museum (completed 

in 1895) – the museum is housed in 

the De Boure Palace, named after its 

original owner, the oil baron Leo De 

Boure, who died before construction 

was completed. 

2. Philharmonic Hall (1912) – originally 

serving as a summer club for Baku’s 

elite, this Italian Renaissance-style 

building was inspired by the Monte 

Carlo Casino. 

3. Ismailiyya Palace (1913) – erected 

by the oil baron Musa Naghiyev in 

memory of his deceased son Aga 

Ismayil. The palace currently houses 

part of the Azerbaijani Academy of 

Sciences. 

4. House of Hajiyev (1912) – the 

eclectic former private residence 

of Isa-bey Hajinski, an influential 

local aristocrat, oil businessman and 

public figure. 

5. Palace of Happiness (1910) – the 

French Gothic-style mansion built 

by the oil baron Murtuza Mukhtarov 

for his beloved wife, an Ossetian 

noblewoman named Lisa Turganova. 

Neftchilar ave. 

Caspian Sea 

6. Institute of Manuscripts (1901) – 

originally a pioneering school for 

Muslim girls established and funded 

by the legendary Baku oil baron Haji 

Zeynalabdin Taghiyev. 

7. Church of the Saviour (1898) – the 

Lutheran church designed by German 

architect Adolf Eichler for Baku’s 

sizeable pre-revolutionary German 

community. 

8. Baku City Hall (1904) – designed 

by prominent Polish architect Josef 

Goslawski who sadly passed away 

from tuberculosis before it was 

finished. 

9. National History Museum (1902) – 

the former private residence of millionaire 

businessman and public 

figure Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev. 

10. Opera and Drama Theatre (1910) – 

commissioned by oil industrialists the 

Mailov brothers, the theatre was built 

by the civil engineer Nikolay Bayev in 

an astonishingly quick 10 months. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. C 

8. 

9. N 

10 


24 Hours in Sheki: 

How to enjoy Azerbaijan’s capital 

of crafts and sweets 


Still breathing the 

spirit of the Great Silk 

Road, Sheki in northern 

Azerbaijan continues 

to charm visitors 

with its history, 

humour, crafts and 

sweets. The following 

recommended itinerary 

is based on our recent 

trip to Sheki to scout 

out the city’s main 

attractions, as well 

as some of its lesserknown 

hidden gems. 

So, without further 

ado... 

1. The art of shebeke. 

Photo: Sebastian Copeland 

Begin with the best building 

If, like us, you arrive late in the morning, a great place 

to start is the Palace of Sheki Khans in the upper part 

of the city. This lavishly decorated building resting in 

the shade of 500-year-old plane trees at the top of the 

Sheki Fortress is an exquisite 18th-century monument 

harking back to Azerbaijan’s khanate period. It was 

built in the cool foothills of the Caucasus Mountains at 

the end of the 18th century (sources differ on exactly 

when) as the summer residence of 

the Sheki khans, who ruled the area 

between 1743 and 1819 and clearly 

had an eye for detail: beyond the 

fancifully-tiled façade, the palace 

interior is laden with intricate floral 

frescoes and shebeke windows 

beaming through a magical kaleidoscope 

of light. 

Experience Sheki’s crafts 

The second thing not to miss when 

visiting Sheki is getting to grips 

with the city’s many crafts (see Top 

5 Sheki Crafts). This is Azerbaijan’s 

craft capital and crafts here are often 

a family business with knowledge 

and skills being transferred from 

generation to generation. Some local 

craftsmen have even reached local 

celebrity status, their portraits decorating 

the walls of local restaurants 

and museums. 

Traces of these crafts can be found 

throughout the city, but while you’re 

up here in the Sheki Fortress walk 

the short distance from the palace 

to the shebeke workshop to observe 

this remarkable technique of creating 

stunning mosaics from thousands 

of multi-coloured pieces of 

stained glass. Shebeke is applied 

to architectural ornaments such as 

windows and mirrors and is arguably 

Sheki’s most prized craft. 

Following this, wander down a little 

further to the House of Craftsmen 

near the fortress’ main entrance. It’s 

housed in a building originally con- 


2. Sheki halva. 

Photo: Shutterstock/agayevAGAmehdi 


structed as a military barracks for soldiers 

stationed here during the Russian 

Empire period, and serves as a showroom 

and shop window for local arts and 

crafts. 

Lunch in the woods 

By this stage you’ll probably be hungry. 

Not far away from the fortress is a 

restaurant called Gagarin (named after 

the iconic Soviet astronaut) which 

serves Azerbaijani cuisine with a local 

twist. This is a good option in poor 

weather and wintery months. But if 

you happen to be visiting in spring or 

summer, hike or drive north-west from 

the fortress, through the historic Gilehli 

(Potters’) district, past its 18th-century 

minaret and follow the river into the 

foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. 

Hidden away in this forested area is 

a rustic restaurant with a thrilling story. 

It’s named after a character called 

Mustafa bey, a prominent Sheki-born 

publicist who built a country house here 

some 100 years ago. But like many of 

Azerbaijan’s cultural elite, he was arrested 

in 1937 during Stalin’s repressions 

and spent eight years in prison before 

being carted off to Siberia. Meanwhile 

his house served as a pioneers’ camp 

for the remainder of the Soviet era and 

has since disappeared, the only reminders 

of Mustafa bey being the apple and 

pear trees he planted. The territory now 

houses a simple country restaurant serving 

national and local cuisine. 

Speaking of which, there’s one dish not 

to miss when in Sheki – piti, a lamb stew 

cooked with chickpeas and chestnuts in 

clay pots, served with saffron and consumed, 

intriguingly, in two servings. 

First you pour the liquid into a bowl as 

a soup starter and then you mash what’s 

left in the pot and dish it up as the main 

course. Piti started out as a dish for 

Sheki’s working class and is now eaten 

all across the country, but nowhere does 

it better than Sheki. 

Must-visit areas 

After lunch explore Sheki’s historic centre 

which was added to UNESCO’s prestigious 

World Heritage List as recently as 

July 2019. It occupies the oldest, upper 

part of the city which is known locally 

as Yukhari Bash, an area made up of 

Sheki’s signature 18th and 19th-century 

gable-roofed housing, mosques and 

hammams which altogether mirror the 

city’s storied past as a trade and crafts 

hub. 

Hidden among the bucolic streets above 

the Sheki Fortress, seek out the house 

museums of local heroes Bakhtiyar 

Vahabzade (poet) and Mirza Fatali 

Akhundzade (playwright). And don’t 

miss the Sheki Khans’ House which may 

be lesser-known than the Sheki Khans’ 

Palace but is no less interesting. You’ll 

find it tucked away in a maze of cobblestone 

alleys behind the city’s two remaining 

18th-century caravanserais. 

One of those has been operating as the 

Karvansaray hotel since the mid-1980s 

and even if you’re not staying here, call 

in for one of Azerbaijan’s most authentic 

TOP 5 

SHEKI CRAFTS 

SHEBEKE – stained glass mosaics 

used as architectural ornaments. The 

technique involves piecing together 

thousands of tiny multicoloured glass 

pieces without using glue or nails. 

TEKELDUZ EMBROIDERY – a form 

of tambourine embroidery using silk 

threads to decorate clothes, pillowcases 

and other household items made of 

dark velvet or felt. 

PAPAQ MAKING – papags are traditional 

men’s hats made from lamb’s 

fleece and come in different types. 

Once a popular profession, the papag 

maker at the top of Akhundzade Street 

is thought to be Sheki’s last. 

KELAGHAYI HEADSCARVES – symbolic 

silk headscarves traditionally 

worn by Azerbaijani women. The craft 

involves applying patterns of hot wax 

to dyed silk with wooden stamps and 

has been recognised by UNESCO. 

HALVA – Sheki’s special take on 

pakhlava is made of paper-thin layers 

of dough lattices filled with hazelnuts, 

walnuts, butter, syrup, saffron and 

spices. 

tea and sweets experiences – seated 

like Silk Road merchants, cross-legged 

on cushions at low tables. 

If it’s coffee you’re looking for, drop by 

the atmospheric Illy Shaki Café located 

beneath the Karvansaray hotel which 

exudes an old Sheki feel inspired by the 

city’s famous craftsmen. Photos of them 

hang proudly on the walls, alongside a 

characterful collection of antiques and 

folk instruments. 

Once you’ve refuelled at the top of M. F. 

Akhundzade Street – Sheki’s delightful 

historic trading street that wends its way 

down along the Gurjanachay River to the 

Juma Mosque, Vahabzade Park and the 

newer part of the city – begin to work 

your way down slowly. This is where 

most of the local craft boutiques are concentrated 

and it’s easy enough to call in 

and meet local makers of pots and papags 

(traditional hats), miniature sandiq 

caskets, traditional stringed instruments 

and kelaghai silk headscarves. 

Halva, humour and hammams 

Something else you’re bound to notice 

either side of this road is all the sweet 

shops. Indeed the locals are known for 

having a sweet tooth, and to find out 

why enter and taste bamiya and halva. 

Bamiya are fingers of dough draped in 

syrup while Sheki’s signature halva is 

an extremely sweet local form of pakhlava 

made of wafer-thin dough lattices 

packed with ground nuts, syrup, saffron 

and spices. Apart from anything else 

halva looks like a work of art, and when 

carefully packaged into neat gift boxes it 

makes a great souvenir to return home 

with. 

Sheki’s residents are also famous for 

their singsong accent and sense of humour. 

Many local jokes revolve around a 

local folk hero called Haji Dayi, although 

unless you have finely tuned Azerbaijani 

language skills this will be hard to truly 

appreciate. 

However, if you are looking to experience 

the city on a more local level, 

one spot worth visiting in the downtown 

area is the Abdulkhalig Hammam 

on Rasulzade Street. Sheki, like all 

Azerbaijani cities, used to be separated 

into small districts called mehelle, each 

of which had a mosque and a hammam 

(bathhouse) catering to both spiritual 

and physical cleansing. 

Hammams doubled as places to meet, 

relax and chat and several still exist 

in the upper town area, but only 

Abdulkhalig Hammam lower down 

continues to function. Given that it’s 

been operating since the 1850s and has 

changed little since, today it is understandably 

in need of renovation; nevertheless, 

the layout of antechamber, 

baths and parkhana (steamroom) typical 

of Oriental hammams at least conjures a 

spirit of the past. Entrance costs just 3 

AZN, though for the traditional kise body 

scrub expect to pay a little extra. Note 

too that there are separate visiting days 

for men and women. 


getting there 

Sheki is roughly 300 km from 

Baku and can be reached easily 

by bus, shared taxi or train, if you 

don’t have your own transport. 

By taxi – shared taxis leave 

regularly from Baku international 

Bus Station. Expect to pay about 

20 AZN one way. 

4. Kish Church. Photo: Tom Marsden 

5. Palace of Sheki Khans. Photo: Shutterstock/Ana Flasker 

6. Photo: Shutterstock/Etibarname 

7. Photo: Shutterstock/Angela Meier 

By bus – buses also leave 

several times a day from Baku 

International Bus Station. Tickets 

cost about 5 AZN. 

By train – an 8-hour overnight 

train service leaves Baku’s central 

Railway Station every day at 

11:30 pm and arrives in Sheki at 7 

am the next day. 

Evening ideas 

Just before the sun sets over Sheki, 

head to the World War II memorial on 

the hillside to the east of the city (cross 

the river near the bottom of Akhundzade 

Street to begin your ascent). Up there in 

warmer months is a very basic teahouse 

called Panorama whose sole selling point 

is its fantastic vista over the entire city 

and surrounding mountains. 

For dinner, try VIP Karvan Restaurant 

near the old bazaar on Akhundzade 

Street which has two separately themed 

floors (contemporary and old Sheki), 

puts on live local music and serves local 

wines from ASK Sheki Sherab. 


the local perspective 

Ayten Qiyas-Rustamova 

has been blogging about her 

native Sheki (and more) 

since 2007. 

She currently lives and works in 

Dushanbe, where she is head of the 

European Bank for Reconstruction 

and Development’s operations in 

Tajikistan. 

What are your top tips for first-time 

visitors to Sheki? 

Just like travelling to any other small 

and picturesque town, travel with an 

open mind and heart. Engage with 

nature and people, observe children and 

the older generation. Walk and eat slowly 

and consciously. Leave your car and 

walk to explore. Don’t rush. The Orient 

doesn’t appreciate haste. 

Can you recommend some hidden gems 

that only the locals know about? 

Everybody knows the Sheki Khans’ 

Palace but go and find the House 

of Sheki Khans (the khans’ winter 

residence). Don’t drive, just walk. Ask 

the guide to tell you how it survived 

throughout history (could that be the 

reason why it’s hidden from travellers?). 

Everyone knows about the Albanian 

temple in Kish, but not everyone has 

visited the archaeological museum in 

Sheki’s Fazil village. If you’re a true 

explorer, try to find the hidden Albanian 

temples in Sheki’s villages. 

What makes Sheki unique among 

Azerbaijani cities? 

I spent all my childhood holidays in 

Sheki so please allow me to sound 

subjective. Sheki is unique because it’s 

blessed with nature and landscapes, history, 

artefacts and architecture, a delicious 

and sophisticated cuisine, a sweet 

tooth and traditional desserts, a wide 

range of handicrafts available to explore, 

a great sense of humour that you 

can sense even if it’s in Azerbaijani, and 

of course, most importantly, with people 

with smiling eyes and a kind heart (but 

that’s also true throughout Azerbaijan). 

I hope I didn’t miss anything. 

Where is your favourite place to eat, 

drink and socialise? 

I would definitely have tea at the 

Karvansaray hotel’s teahouse because 

there’s a waiter who’s been working 

there for years who knows many stories, 

tales and jokes and makes me feel 

like I’m in an Eastern folk tale. By the 

way, you can never have enough tea in 

Azerbaijan. To feel the spirit of the Silk 

Road, visit the morning bazaar when 

everything and everyone is fresh. Very 

often each dish is made better at different 

locations, depending on the cook 

and the season. So, I would suggest exploring 

until you find your own favourite 

spot and meal. 


Incidentally, ASK is part of an interesting 

new wave of Azerbaijani wineries so 

doing a degustation is recommended. 

To do so, you can either prearrange a 

visit to the winery itself (note that the 

actual vineyards are located elsewhere 

in the country) or call in at the winery’s 

representative shop just opposite the 

Karvansaray hotel. 

If you still have some energy left, visit 

Art Club café midway down Akhundzade 

Street. This hybrid café serves teas, 

wines, beers and juices in a gallery-like 

setting whose walls are adorned with 

local art. Occasionally crafts masterclasses 

are held here and overall it’s the 

closest thing there is to a creative hub for 

young Shekiites. 

sence on sites such as booking.com but 

the Sheki Tourisi Information Centre 

(+994 24 244 60; shaki@tourism.gov.az) 

can also help arrange your ideal option. 

Explore beyond the city... 

The next morning, after a hearty hotel 

breakfast, it’s time to explore beyond 

the city. The Sheki region boasts some of 

northern Azerbaijan’s best countryside 

and if you have a car, you might consider 

cruising off to villages such as Dashbulag 

or Fazil to track down Albanian-era ruins. 

But only after visiting Kish. 

In this quiet cobblestone village five 

kilometres north of Sheki city the 

main attraction is Kish Church, one of 

Azerbaijan’s top monuments to the ancient 

state of Caucasian Albania. The 

current church is thought to date back to 

the 12th century although the site itself 

is thousands of years older. Following 

restoration works by a joint Azerbaijani- 

Norwegian team the church is truly 

splendid and beyond its serene setting, 

it now houses a museum to Caucasian 

Albania with a plethora of items dis- 

8. The Caucasus Mountains. 

Photo: Azar Kazimov 

9. House of Sheki Khans. 


Where to stay 

Sheki boasts a variety of accommodation 

options and without delving into all 

of them, here are a few highlights: the 

most luxurious of the luxury options is 

the exclusive Marhal Spa Resort which 

sits in glorious mountain surroundings 

about four kilometres north of the city 

centre. Room prices begin from 170 AZN 

in peak season. 

But for a true Silk Road experience, how 

about staying in a 19th-century caravanserai? 

That’s exactly what Karvansaray 

offers and thus it’s one of the most 

unique stays in the country. The old cells 

that once accommodated tired travellers 

and traders have been lovingly converted 

into two very affordable categories of 

guest rooms (30 AZN and 50 AZN). 

And if you’re travelling on a shoestring, 

fear not – a host of homestays 

are available. With prices beginning 

at 10 AZN per night, many have a precovered 

during recent archaeological 

excavations. 

What’s more, Kish is also the start of 

a route (10-12 km hike or drive) to the 

wonderfully named Gelersen, Gorursen 

(Come and See) Fortress. Thought to 

have been built in the 15th century, its 

name is linked to a legendary episode 

in Sheki’s history: In 1743 a local man 

named Chalabi Khan led a rebellion 

against Persian rule which the fierce 

Persian monarch Nadir Shah sought 

to quash. Chalabi Khan fled to the fortress 

to plot his defence, refusing to 

obey Nadir Shah’s demands that he give 

himself up. This allegedly prompted an 

irate Nadir Shah to question why on 

earth not, to which Chalabi Khan goadingly 

replied: “Come and see.” In the 

end, Chalabi Khan emerged victorious, 

which ushered in the independent Sheki 

Khanate. 

While by no means an exclusive list 

of things to see and do in Sheki, all this 

should be more than enough to get you 

started in one of Azerbaijan’s most colourful 

cities. 


Novruz Bayram 

Celebrating Nature’s New Year 

by Ian Peart 

& Saadat Ibrahimova 

They say enjoy the journey as much as the destination, and that, mixed with a little typically 

Azerbaijani serendipity, was definitely the case in my first encounter with Novruz Bayram. 

First off, Novruz Bayram (New Year Holiday) is the principal holiday celebrated in Azerbaijan. 

It starts each year with the main days 20 and 21 March, and extends nowadays 

over five working days. You’ll gather from the dates that this is basically 

a celebration of the start of spring, new life. But there’s also 

a month’s lead up, and plenty of symbolism – 

we’ll come to that later. 


34 


Discovering Novruz 

Let’s take a short diversion around my 

chance discovery of the holiday and how 

to get the best out of a stay in Azerbaijan. 

I arrived in Azerbaijan in April 2000, just 

too late for that year’s Novruz. Of course 

I’d heard about the holiday, but it still 

hadn’t really registered when, almost 

one year later, I set off for the village 

of Amirjan on the Absheron Peninsula 

(Azerbaijan’s “beak” that sticks out into 

the Caspian Sea). 

I wasn’t even thinking about Novruz 

while on a quest to find the wonderful 

statue that stood on the grave of 

Sattar Bahlulzade, eccentric painter 

of Impressionist landscapes. His grave 

wasn’t where I’d expected – in Baku’s 

Avenue of the Honoured – so Amirjan, 

his birthplace, was my last hope. I 

wandered the village until I found the 

cemetery, and a group of lads hanging 

out around its entrance jumped at my 

“Sattar?” and the chance to take me to 

the grave and have their pictures taken 

with the great man. 

Mission accomplished, I set off to find 

the bus back to Baku. A little puzzled 

by the absence of people on the winding 

streets, I then heard the sound of 

music – clearly traditional, and clearly 

live. My ears took me round a few more 

tively, of spring and winter. The story 

varies, as folk tales generally do, but is 

about Kechel’s attempts to avoid giving 

way to Kosa. The version I witnessed 

involved the dastardly kidnapping of 

Kosa’s hen – the giver of eggs, hence 

new life. Happily, after comic trials and 

tribulations, the hen was restored to her 

owner and spring won the day heralding 

the arrival of Bahar Qızı (spring girl) in 

colourful seasonal costume. 

Still in tourist mode, I raised the camera 

(note that this was 2001, this was 

a purpose-built camera, no ring tone). 

Kosa spotted the move and came over. A 

nervous look round to realise I was the 

1. Photo: Shutterstock/usmee 

2. Photo: Shutterstock/C Gawronski 

3. Photo: Shutterstock/PhotographerRM 

tight corners to emerge into a square 

that explained the empty streets. There 

were all the villagers celebrating Novruz 

Bayram. There was a fire, there was 

food, and lots of red and green. There 

were two strange characters, one in 

pointy hat and beard, carrying a ladle, 

the other in bald wig; they capered and 

chased, seemed to be exchanging heartfelt 

insults and were certainly making 

their audience laugh. 

They turned out to be Kosa (thin beard) 

and Kechel (baldy): spirits, respec- 

only one taking pictures – was I in trouble? 

Not at all. Kosa was also the event’s 

MC and he immediately took me on as 

official photographer, ensuring that I 

captured all the events, participants, 

personalities and VIPs. My reward was 

then to be escorted to the VIP table – of 

agh saghals (white beards) – the village 

elders. The table was still laden 

with sweetmeats, nuts and fruit – and 

a round tray of semeni (green sprouting 

wheat, encircled with a red ribbon). 

Naturally, there had to be a follow-up 


4. Photo: Shutterstock/Vastram 

5. Photo: Fergana Gasimli 

to that visit, to deliver the photos. Kosa 

became friend Namig and through him I 

met some of the village’s surprising number 

of artists and musicians, and heard a 

history steeped in stories about painters, 

war heroes, historians and a legendary, 

Bolshevik-defying oil magnate. My inevitable 

enthusiasm for returning also 

led to my being certified – as an honoured 

guest of the village. 

The moral of that diversion is: when 

in Azerbaijan, follow your ears, nose or 

eyes. This is a land whose capacity for 

stories far exceeds its physical size. 

Experience the elements 

So, to the history and theory behind the 

practice. As in Western cultures, holiday 

celebrations at the start of spring 

outdate currently established religions. 

Novruz dates back to Zoroastrianism, 

which probably originated in what is 

now Iran in the 2nd century BCE, and 

attracted followers across a wide region. 

It survived the adoption of first 

Christianity and then Islam in these 

parts and the centuries that have followed 

since. Thus, Novruz (Nowruz in 

Iran) is also still observed in Iran, across 

Central Asia and into the Middle East. Its 

36 


hardest time in Azerbaijan was probably 

under the atheist Soviet regime that 

ruled here from 1920-91. It was specifically 

banned, but if you ask the elders 

here, they will tell tales of the ruses used 

then to keep it alive. 

Azerbaijanis are quite firmly grounded: 

most still have connections with the village 

of their ancestors. Family, hospitality 

and communal celebrations of life’s 

stages and seasons are also ingrained. 

What chance did the Soviets have of 

wiping out the colour, vitality and generosity 

of a people and its land, especially 

during parties for nature’s annual 

rebirth? 

Much of Zoroastrian symbolism relates 

to the four basic elements: Water, 

Fire, Air (Wind) and Earth, and the 

four Tuesdays before 20th March are 

named for those elements. Water and 

Fire are life-givers and purifiers, thus 

on those Tuesdays you will still come 

across bonfires, even in side streets, 

and people jumping over them, an act 

that cleanses them of their accumulated 

faults. Be sure also on your travels 

here to visit Ateshgah, the fire temple in 

Surakhany village, not far from Amirjan, 

and Yanardag (“Burning Mountain”), 

on the Absheron too, where flames still 

flare naturally from underground, explaining 

why Azerbaijan is often called 

the “Land of Fire.” Visiting Baku, next 

to the Waters of the Caspian, there’s a 

good chance you’ll also discover why 

it’s known as the City of Winds – you 

will probably enjoy Gilavar, the gentler, 

warm, southerly breeze more than 

the sharper, northerly bite of winter’s 

Khazri! And Earth? What about the story 

that one hundred years ago, during 

Baku’s oil boom, boats calling in to the 

city to pick up oil were only allowed to 

do so provided they brought with them 

a shipload of topsoil to help convert the 

natural desert into land able to support 

all the parks you see today. 

Those four Tuesdays and the holiday 

are a bonus for children, too. If you’re 

staying in a private apartment you might 

hear a knocking at the door and open 

it to find only a cap lying on the floor. 

Hopefully, you have a supply of sweets 




8. Photo: Shutterstock/Vastram 

9. Photo: Shutterstock/Seljan Gurbanova 

10. Photo: Shutterstock/Photographer RM 


38 



“The centre of most towns 

and villages will be alive with 

demonstrations of strength, 

agility, artistry and music. Look 

out for pahlevan wrestlers and 

feats of strength, tightrope 

walkers and traditional dancers 

to put in the cap, which will be collected 

as soon as the door closes. Novruz is a 

time for particular generosity and good 

will. It’s also your responsibility to make 

sure that only kind and optimistic words 

are spoken – anyone who may be listening 

in during the holiday needs to hear 

good omens for the coming year. 

Kind hearts, cosmic desserts 

There is little excuse for not filling those 

caps on the evenings of 20 and 21 March. 

How can you pretend to be out, when everyone 

knows that Novruz is especially 

a time to be home with the family? And 

naturally that means a special table is 

laid, with sweetmeats the focus after a 

hearty plov (pilaf). 

At the centre of the table, naturally, 

is the aforementioned semeni, green 

sprouting wheat, symbolising new life 

and growth. The sweetmeats are of 

rather more cosmic significance: the diamond-shaped 

pakhlava (chopped nuts 

and honey between layers of filo) for 

the stars; the half-moon shekerbura pas- 




15. Photo: Shutterstock/Retan 

try is filled with ground nuts and sugar, 

and the golden circle of savoury goghal 

(think turmeric, cumin, fennel) stands in 

for the sun. Don’t visit at Novruz and expect 

to keep to a diet. Given Azerbaijani 

hospitality, that’s difficult enough at the 

best of times. 

It’s OK to be out during the day on 20 

and 21 March, and you’ll be missing out 

if you stay in. The centre of most towns 

and villages will be alive with demonstrations 

of strength, agility, artistry and 

music. Look out for pahlevan wrestlers 

and feats of strength, tightrope walkers 

and traditional dancers. At the centre 

of it all, though, are likely to be the antics 

of Kosa and Kechel, as well as Bahar 

Qızı. There’ll be no shortage of food on 

offer – or good humour. A great way to 

see in nature’s new year! 

Ian Peart and Saadat Ibrahimova 

are an Anglo-Azerbaijani couple 

translating, editing, writing and teaching 

in Baku. 

40 


NAKHCHIVAN 

Rediscovered 

There’s never been a better time to visit this 

autonomous Azerbaijani republic, as British 

travel writer Mark Elliott explains. 

Home to Noah’s grave, 

“Eurasia’s Machu Picchu” 

and two of the finest tomb 

towers anywhere, 

Nakhchivan is one of 

the most fascinating 

places you’ve probably 

never heard of. While 

part of Azerbaijan 

culturally and politically, 

it is disconnected 

geographically adding 

to the thrill of a visit for 

those who revel in visiting 

exclaves and state-like 

territories. 

Like Azerbaijan in miniature, Nakhchivan 

provides a remarkably wide variety of 

landscapes and habitats in a very compact 

area – from grassy-fringed highland lakes 

at Batabat and woodlands around Bichanak 

to the dramatic rocky crag of Ilandag and 

the mesmerising desertscapes of the Araz 

Valley. All are within an hour or two’s drive 

from the surreally neat, well-organised regional 

capital, Nakhchivan City. 

Off the radar 

Despite its considerable charms, Nakhchivan 

has been off mainstream visitors’ 

radars for at least the past century. 

Though the region had once been 

a commercially important Eurasian 

stage of the fabled Silk Route, a complex 

history following World War I saw 

Nakhchivan reduced to an autonomous 

republic of the USSR whose sensitive location 

meant that it was closed to most 

foreign tourists. After Azerbaijan’s independence 

in 1991, the exclave suffered 

military threats and an embargo from 

neighbouring Armenia (with which the 

border remains closed), but survived almost 

intact, helped in part by a strong, 

supportive relationship with neighbouring 

Turkey. 

Since then, the region has undergone 

a remarkable transformation with the 

rebuilding of roads and the creation of 

industries (including one of Azerbaijan’s 

main car making plants) but only in the 

last year or two has Nakhchivan started 

to really cash in on its tourism potential. 

Foreign visitors are still rare enough that 

one feels like something of a celebrity 

for simply arriving here, but facilities 

are rapidly developing to add comfort 

and gastronomic choices to the quirkiness, 

hospitality and scenic variety that 

already makes the region so special. 


A fine time 

Investment in tourist-friendly infrastructure 

is gaining special momentum 

in Nakhchivan City. A great example 

is Saat Meydan, a restaurant and hotel 

complex that opened its doors in 

summer 2019. Oozing a mixture of contemporary 

style and pseudo-classical 

grandeur, it is named for an architecturally 

distinctive timepiece (saat means 

“clock”) which performs a little musical 

puppet show on the hour from its octagonal 

tower, echoing classic equivalents 

in medieval cities like Prague. The rest 

of the building looks a little like a latterday 

caravanserai, with a two-level arcade 

around a large fountain courtyard. 

Behind these arcades lie Nakhchivan’s 

newest and most enticing restaurants, 

a luxurious boutique hotel and even an 

“English” pub with barista coffee. 

Still, if you’re looking for excellent 

espressos, that’s by no means your only 

option, and at one Nakhchivan location 

there’s even the curiosity of finding 

branches of both Illy and Mado (a popular 

Turkish café chain) standing side 

by side. While Nakhchivan City makes 

no claims to be a dining mecca on the 

dynamic scale of Baku, Saat Meydan’s 

Georgian, Anatolian-Turkish and East 

Asian restaurants are just the latest addition 

to an already intriguing set of dining 

choices that includes a fine steakhouse 

offering dry-aged chateaubriand in a 

bizarre glass building designed to look 

like a stylised helicopter, and an equally 

unusual restaurant serving Azerbaijani 

favourites in a historic icehouse (buzkhana) 

– a cleverly built construction 

whose part-subterranean design means 

that it remains naturally cooled even in 

the height of summer. 

Novruz 

Azerbaijan’s most important festival, 

Novruz, reaches its climax on 21 March 

but the country celebrates for many days 

(even weeks) beforehand. Wherever 

you go in the country at this time you’ll 

find colourful scenes and exuberant locals, 

but it’s hard to find a setting more 

magical than Nakhchivan City for the 

festivities. 

The epicentre of Novruz celebrations 

here is the leafy park surrounding the 

superb 25-metre tall Momine Khatun, a 

ten-sided tomb tower dating from 1186. 

Amid a veritable outdoor museum of 

historical stone carvings, musicians in 

traditional costumes produce soulful 

Novruz performances while a festival 

“village” of stalls selling snacks and local 

fare stretches almost as far as the restored 

palace of the former Nakhchivan 

khans. 

1. Momine Khatun Mausoleum 

close-up. 

Photo: Mark Elliott 

2. Sharg Hammam. 


3. Momine Khatun Mausoleum. 



4. Alinja Castle. Photo: Mark Elliott 


Alinja Castle 

The cool weather of late March 

also makes Novruz one of the best 

times to climb the over 2,000 steps 

that lead up, up, up to the crag-top 

ruins of Alinja Castle, an ancient 

site that was fortified in the 12th 

century by the second husband of 

the mysterious queen for which 

the Momine Khatun tomb tower 

was later built. 

Today, remnants of the castle are 

limited to faint wall fragments 

that have been emphasised by 

a 2015 restoration such that 

visitors can make out a mazelike 

floor plan of how the complex 

might once have looked. 

Combined with a magnificent 

panoramic backdrop sweeping 

right across the Araz Valley to 

a corrugated horizon of Persian 

peaks, this pattern of masonry 

has led some writers to dub the 

site Azerbaijan’s Machu Picchu. 

It’s an unforgettable place to sit 

and contemplate, but don’t plan 

to climb in midsummer heat, nor 

in midwinter when snow often 

makes the steps dangerously 

slippery. 


5. Mt Agridag rising beyond Nakhchivangala. 


6. Noah’s Mausoleum. Photo: Mark Elliott 

Biblical and Koranic links 

On a cool clear day, the snowy apparition 

of a gigantic volcanic cone appears to 

float above Nakhchivan’s north-western 

horizon. This is none other than Mount 

Agridag, the mountain upon which 

Noah’s animal-crammed ark supposedly 

found landfall after the Biblical flood. 

According to local tradition, the prophet 

and his family later settled and cultivated 

vineyards on a site close to what 

is now Nakhchivan City. Noah himself, 

this myth insists, was buried here, the 

site now marked by a medieval-styled 

mausoleum with gilded spire that stands 

between the historical walled citadel 

(heavily restored with crenelated walls) 

and a gigantic new mosque complex 

which is nearing completion. 

Tucked into a billowing geological formation 

of rosy-red rocks, south-east of 

Nakhchivan City, the exclave’s holiest 

Islamic site is Ashabi Keyf. In the Koran, 

a place of this name is where a group of 

faithful Muslims manage to survive and 

outlive their oppressors by falling asleep 

in a cave for 309 years. However, the exact 

location is not revealed in scripture 

leaving many competing claims from 

places as far apart as Ephesus (Turkey) 

and Xinjiang (Western China) as well 

as this peacefully spiritual spot in rural 

Nakhchivan. 


Other Discoveries 

There’s so much more to see and do 

in this fascinating region, including 

the chance to: 

• sleep in a Soviet salt mine 

• discover a secret teahouse within 

a medieval brick hammam 

• drive to magical Ordubad, a 

historic oasis town that’s home to 

the Caucasus’ finest lemons 

• take a therapeutic bath at a spa 

where the active (if very dilute) 

element is arsenic 

• admire the extraordinary cleft 

summit of Ilandag, Nakhchivan’s 

distinctive Snake Mountain 

• visit Nakhchivan City’s 

remarkable wealth of museums 

– all free 

• explore the village of Garabaghlar 

to seek out a glorious, mosaictiled 

tomb tower 

• seek out a series of medieval 

bridges in picturesque valley 

settings 

• soak in an exotic, classically 

styled Turkish bath complex 

• go birdwatching at Nehram or 

Bichanak 

• discover floating islands at Lake 

Batabat and, from 2020, come 

in winter to test the new pistes 

of Nakhchivan’s brand new ski 

resort at Aghbulaq 

7. Duzdag salt caves. Photo: Mark Elliott 

8. Saat Meydan. Photo: Mark Elliott 


9. Lake Batabat. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Anar Aliyev 

10. Aylanja Adasi Park. 


11. Mt Ilandag (Snake Mountain). 

Photo: Eldar Farzaliyev 


Ways to Visit 

For overland travellers linking Turkey 

and Iran, taking a minor diversion 

through Nakhchivan adds an exciting 

extra dimension with minimal effort. 

Several daily buses link various Turkish 

cities via Igdir to Nakhchivan. The route 

brings you ever closer to Mt Agridag 

as you’ll drive right past the northern 

flanks of the mountain’s towering twin 

peaks. 

Coming from Iran, the most convenient 

crossing point is at Julfa where the historic 

Gulistan Tomb monument has recently 

been restored and from which 

there’s the chance to take a fascinating 

railway journey to Nakhchivan City on 

a route that hugs the scenic Araz Valley. 

As the valley is also the Azerbaijan-Iran 

border, the train ride was once out of 

bounds to visitors, but it’s now open to 

train buffs from all over the world and 

has new carriages to allow better views. 

For those coming to Nakhchivan from 

Baku, by far the easiest option is to fly. 

There are several flights daily costing 

just 70 AZN (under $40), but seats sell 

fast so it’s worth pre-booking at least a 

week or two in advance (www.azal.az). 

Once you’re in Nakhchivan, there is 

a limited bus service between towns 

and villages, but distances are small 

and taxis good value. If you want an 

English-speaking driver and/or guide, 

it’s well worth contacting the exclave’s 

best-known agency, Natig Travel 

(www.nakhchivantravel.com) who also 

organise specialist birdwatching tours, 

discounted hotel bookings and – with 

plenty of advance notice – mountaineering 

adventures and visits to the 

petroglyphs of Gamigaya. 

Before coming to Azerbaijan, don’t forget 

to apply at least one day in advance 

for your e-visa (on www.evisa.gov.az) 

and to print out the confirmation once 

it arrives. And if you plan to stay more 

than 15 days in the country (including 

Nakhchivan) please ask your hotel to 

register you. 


Skiing in 


Tired of the 

traditional 

slopes? 

by Sharifa Hasanova

1. Photo: Dan Armstrong 

Lying at the crossroads of 

Europe and Asia, the Greater 

Caucasus Mountains with their 

untouched nature, rich in flora 

and fauna, have for centuries 

stood as immovable witnesses 

to the changing traditions and 

lifestyles of the peoples of the 

Caucasus. Divided between 

Azerbaijan and Georgia and 

acting as a huge natural barrier 

between the North and South 

Caucasus, the increasingly good 

infrastructure, rich traditions 

and national heritage sites in 

these mountains are attracting 

ever greater numbers of 

tourists. 

If you love travelling and are seeking a 

new destination for your winter break, 

Azerbaijan is an emerging choice. Its 

two state-of-the-art ski resorts with 

excellent infrastructure in the Caucasus 

Mountains may be an ideal change of 

scene. Starting from 15 December, a 

roughly 100-day ski season lasts until 

mid-March (and sometimes until early 

April), promising a haven of natural 

snow, wonderful nature, tasty cuisine 

and charming rural life, as well as 

plenty of luxury relaxation. 

Our skiing history dates back to the 

Mesolithic Ages, when ancient people 

attached themselves on primitive skis 

to the back of aurochs and domestic 

cattle. However, the first ski resort, 

the Shahdag Mountain Resort – which 

takes its name from the north-east 

region’s most famous peak, Shahdag, 

meaning “King Mountain” – only 

opened here in 2012. Located about 

half an hour’s drive from Gusar city 

and just three hours from Baku, the 

resort currently possesses 17 kilometres 

of cruisey blue and red runs set at 

altitudes of between 1,435 and 2,525 

metres which are ideally suited to 

beginners and intermediates. But there’s 

also some great off-piste skiing for more 

advanced skiers, and Shahdag organises 



2. Jeeping at Tufandag. 

Photo: Elvin Rahimov 

3. Shahdag. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Lizard 

4. Shahdag. 

Photo: Dan Armstrong

special ski tours and classes for disabled 

skiers too. 

Further west along the Caucasus 

Mountains chain, several blacks and 

reds descend steeply through forests 

from the top of Azerbaijan’s latest ski 

resort, the Tufandag Mountain Resort, 

presenting a very different challenge 

for more experienced skiers. Tufandag, 

which means “Blizzard Mountain,” 

opened in 2014 a very convenient four 

kilometres from Gabala city centre and 

roughly three hours’ drive from Baku. 

The resort currently has 12 kilometres 

of slopes with two more set to open in 

the near future. One piste offers night 

skiing, several cater to beginners and 

opportunities exist, albeit more limited, 

to venture off-piste. 

Both of Azerbaijan’s proud ski resorts 

are equipped with Austrian and Italian 

technology, and their high safety 

standards, international ski schools and 

ski equipment may make you feel like 

you’re actually in the Alps. At both, 

ski classes are available for adults and 

children from the age of five led by 

internationally certified ski instructors. 

Incidentally, as of last year, all the 

instructors at Shahdag and Tufandag 

are local people from Gusar, Gabala 

and even Baku that benefitted from 

a training programme implemented 

by Andorra-based international ski 

operation management company PGI 

Management. 

What’s more, these resorts are among 

those rare places where you get quality 

for minimum expenditure. Lift passes 

cost in the region of just $13 and an 

hour-long ski class is as little as $18. The 

range of places to stay at both resorts is 

quite wide too – you can select between 

five-star luxury and upper mid-level 

hotels. Expect to pay between 150 and 

350 AZN per night to be based near the 

slopes, although if you want to save 

money and don’t mind travelling a little 

further, consider staying in the nearby 

cities of Gusar (for Shahdag) and Gabala 

(for Tufandag). 

And here in Azerbaijan it’s not only 

sports enthusiasts who can enjoy their 

winter getaways: those wishing to delve 

deeper into local life and culture can 

join hiking trips between charming rural 

villages in the Caucasus Mountains, 

take part in local wine degustations 

and go on gastronomy, history, culture 

or ethnographic tours. If staying at 

Shahdag, playing golf at the stunning 

National Azerbaijan Golf Club in nearby 

Guba is another great option. 

Both resorts provide après ski 

entertainment and are great places 

to discover some of Azerbaijan’s 

gastronomical secrets – expect organic, 

abundant and even UNESCO-listed 

dishes with indigenous spices and 

mystical Oriental tastes. 


Shabnam Farman, 

Operations Manager of the Tufandag 

Winter Summer Tourism Complex, knows 

the region very well. According to her, 

“Skiing in Azerbaijan 

combines safe outdoor 

fun, spectacular nature, 

plentiful ski areas for 

beginners and experts, 

affordable prices, a large 

choice of accommodation 

options, family-friendly 

instructors and amazing 

cultural experiences.” 

She adds that “every year we are 

developing new slopes, fun après-ski 

options, family activities for non-skiers, 

while ensuring European standards of 

safety and operations.” 

5. Shahdag. Photo: Dan Armstrong 

6. Tufandag. Photo: Elvin Rahimov 

7. Tufandag. Photo: Elvin Rahimov 


On that note, Nurlan Abdulov, Head of Shahdag’s ski school, 

says that the resorts run a ski patrol service which guarantees 

a response to incidents within 10 minutes. For those 

drawn to the powders off-piste, he says that international 

experts evaluate the avalanche risk every year and check 

all vulnerable areas after each snowfall, triggering small 

avalanches where necessary to secure ungroomed slopes. 

Needless to say, snowboard enthusiasts also enjoy the 

pistes of both resorts. One of them is Orkhan Aslanov, a 

famous local photographer who despite his vast experience of 

snowboarding abroad is still a regular on Shahdag’s slopes. He 

says: 

“When I found out that there would be 

a high-quality ski resort in Azerbaijan 

I was over the moon because by then 

I was already riding well, had been to 

many resorts abroad and [thought] 

how great to be able to go 

snowboarding without having to 

leave the country. For me, Shahdag 

has become a place I can go to at any 

moment for a touch of adrenaline. 

I began to love winter even more.” 

8. Shahdag. Photo: Dan Armstrong 

“What is Shahdag for me?” he continues. “Above all it’s the 

fact that you can ride there with your friends and hang out 

together during breaks, which is what you often miss abroad, 

the good pistes which are getting longer and longer all the 

time. It’s also the top-class hotels – it would nice to have a 

few hostels too or mid-range accommodation but I think this 

will come in the future – and the fantastically tasty food... 

Shahdag for me is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the 

city...” 

The future is bright for Azerbaijan’s two resorts – both have 

ambitious plans to expand over the coming years, and an 

exciting project is already under way to link them via a hiking 

route cutting through the Caucasus Mountains. So, if you’re 

looking for a change of scene from the traditional slopes, 

Azerbaijan is an intriguing new destination promising plenty 

of snow and much besides. 

Sharifa Hasanova 

is Head of Product Development 

at the Azerbaijan Tourism Board. 


skiazerbaijan.az

Exploring 

Western Azerbaijan’s 

German Traces 

by Chinara Majidova 

Today, when you walk along the 

streets of Ganja, Goygol and Shamkir, 

you can still feel the strength of the 

region’s former German community, 

and find traces of their culture in the 

architecture, city planning and local 

viticulture. It’s hard to believe now 

but 200 years ago German settlements 

were established in western 


As a result of economic instability 

and religious differences, hundreds 

of Swabian Germans moved from 

Württemberg to the South Caucasus 

having received an invitation from 

the Russian tsar. They began their 

journey in 1816 and first settled in 

Tbilisi, but later about 500 migrants 

continued their journey to western 

Azerbaijan, which was then under 

the Russian Empire. 

They first stopped in Yelizavetpol 

(now Ganja) in 1818 where local 

people sheltered them in their 

homes. After spending the winter 

there, in 1819 they started to build 

their first colony, Helenendorf, 

20 kilometres to the south. In total, 

eight German colonies were established 

in Azerbaijan: Helenendorf, 

Annenfeld, Georgsfeld, Alekseevka, 

Grunfeld, Eigenfeld, Traubenfeld 

and Yelizavetinka, located throughout 

the regions of Goygol, Shamkir, 

Tovuz, Agstafa and Gazakh. 

Many of the Germans were skilled 

craftsmen but their main occupations 

were agriculture and especially 

winemaking. In 1922, the Concordia 

cooperative was established in 

Goygol and its products became popular 

throughout the Soviet Union. 

But with the start of the Great 

Patriotic War in June 1941, their situation 

in Soviet Azerbaijan became 

extremely precarious, and in October 

of that year, 22,741 Germans were 

forced to relocate from Azerbaijan to 

the Kazakh SSR. Only those in mixed 

marriages stayed in Azerbaijan. 

1. Saint Helena’s Church, Goygol. Photo: Shutterstock/Rolf G Wackenburg 

58 



THROUGH 

GANJA 

“I would strongly advise 

visiting the Goygol National 

Park, home to lakes Goygol 

and Maralgol, which will 

definitely impress with 

their natural beauty 

Before starting your trip to the German 

heritage settlements, bear in mind that 

the distances between them aren’t short, 

so you might need about three days to visit 

all the sights and feel the atmosphere 

of each destination. The main places to 

see are Ganja, Goygol (Helenendorf) and 

Shamkir (Annenfeld). But if you have 

time, I would also recommend visiting 

Chinarli (Georgsfeld), which still bears 

signs of German settlement and is not as 

renovated as the others. 

My journey started from Baku where I 

took the new high-speed train to Ganja 

which leaves Baku each day at 8 am 

and returns from Ganja at 6 pm. A ticket 

costs 10 AZN and you can order it online, 

but note that you’ll need to print your 

ticket at the station to present it as you 

board the train, so come at least 40 minutes 

early. The train is comfortable but 

not as quick as you might expect: you’ll 

arrive in Ganja at 12:15 pm. Of the main 

German heritage attractions, visit the 

old Lutheran church on Ahmad Jamil 

Street which was built in 1885 and func- 

60 


tions now as a puppet theatre. Ganja is 

quite a modern city with lots of historical 

attractions and red-brick streets, but 

it’s enough to spend one day there. The 

city has a wide variety of accommodation 

options which you can book online 

or on the spot. 

From Ganja, it’s easy to get to the town 

of Goygol, which is about half an hour 

away by taxi or regional bus, which 

leaves from Ganja Bus Station. If you 

take a taxi (and depending on your language 

skills) one option is to ask the 

driver to stay with you throughout the 

day and take you to each location which 

will cost approximately 50-60 AZN. 

While you’re in the Goygol region, I 

would strongly advise visiting the 

Goygol National Park, home to lakes 

Goygol and Maralgol, which are about 

an hour’s drive from Goygol town and 

will definitely impress with their natural 

beauty. Entrance to the park costs 

2.50 AZN per person, but start your trip 

early if you want to visit both the town 

and the national park in one day. 

When you reach Goygol town, the 

best way to discover it is by starting 

from Saint Helena Lutheran Church 

which was built by the Germans in 1857 

and was the first Lutheran church in 

Azerbaijan. During the Soviet period this 

church functioned as a military hospital 

and then for a long time as a sports hall. 

In 2005, it was renovated and became a 

German heritage site and local history 

museum. Inside, you’ll find information 

about the German period in Azerbaijan 

and admire this wonderful example 

of German architecture. The museum 

works every day from 9 am – 6 pm and 

is free to enter. 

2. Ganja’s Puppet Theatre. 

Photo: Chinara Majidova 

3. Lake Goygol. 



GOYGOL… 

Next to the church is a useful map of 

Goygol town which points out the main 

spots to see and visit, and a five-minute 

walk from here is the house of Victor 

Klein. 

Victor Klein was the last German in 

Goygol who passed away in 2007 and never 

married because his mother wouldn’t 

allow him to marry an Azerbaijani girl, 

yet there were no German girls left in 

the region. Therefore, the sole inheritor 

of his property was Fikret Ismailov, his 

close friend since 1951. Fikret was anxious 

about inheriting Victor’s house as he 

didn’t want people to think their friendship 

was built on inheriting the property, 

so he proposed using it as a museum, 

which Victor agreed to. And after his 

death, Fikret gifted the house to the 

Ministry of Culture, which plans to turn 

it into a museum of German heritage in 


This house is a vivid example of how 

the Germans lived in Azerbaijan. The 

old, handmade furniture from walnut 

and cherry, the piano, radio and basement 

for keeping wine. Some of the 

kitchen tools as well as the basement 

look modern even now. At the moment, 

to enter you need to find Fikret, who will 

open the door with pleasure and show 

you around. But in the near future, this 

will be a museum for anyone wishing to 

visit. 

One more attraction in Goygol is the 

Goygol Winery (also known as Xan 

1860), located on the territory of the 

original Vohrer brothers’ winery established 

in 1860. Nearby, the Hummel 

brothers, another famous local winemaking 

family, opened a trading house. 

In the Soviet time the Vohrers and the 

Hummels cooperated under the name 

of Concordia which won international 

medals for the quality of its wines and 

cognacs. Today the winery combines an 

old German wine cellar with new Italian 

technology. As Chiara Chiacometti, its 

marketing manager mentioned, the 

winery is open to tourists, provided you 

book in advance: 

“We are happy to organize winery tours around our vineyard and 

factory, to show the fermentation room and cellar with 150-year-old 

German barrels. The tour ends in our degustation room for a tasting of 

our wines. The price of the tour is 20 AZN and there must be at least 

five people to a group. To book just email me at c.giacometti@xan.az 

62 


Behind the winery is the old German 

cemetery which, usually, you need to 

ask Fikret Ismailov to open as well. This 

cemetery contains German graves from 

the middle of the 19th century, each 

with different artwork on the headstone. 

Victor Klein is also buried there. 

If you get hungry and love sausages 

and meat, then there is one more place 

you need to visit in Goygol. This is the 

private, simple restaurant of Larissa 

Danilova, the last of the town’s Assyrian 

community, who makes homemade 

sausages and pork ribs. She also bakes 

cakes using old German recipes and always 

has homemade wine. You won’t 

find this restaurant on Trip Advisor but 

I’m happy to share this secret with you. 

The restaurant is at the top of Hummel 

Street; if you have difficulty finding it, 

ask the locals. 

4. German architecture in Goygol. 


5. The house of Victor Klein. 

Photo: Khalig Valizadeh 

6. Fikret Ismailov. 



and 

SHAMKIR 

In order not to lose time after visiting 

Ganja and Goygol, it’s best to overnight 

in Shamkir, which has a few accommodation 

options with prices starting from 

50 AZN per night, breakfast included. 

During the evening, if you still have the 

energy to go out, visit the Excelsior hotel 

to drink Brau bear made with Austrian 

technology in their own brewery. On 

the menu, you’ll see plenty of tasty beer 

snacks, including fried dushbere and a 

type of fried cheese you can only try in 


In the morning, walking in the streets 

here you’ll immediately notice the difference 

between Goygol and Shamkir. 

Both of them still have German-style 

houses, but they look so different. Since 

the reconstruction of the city, the entrances 

to each house are adorned with 

different emblems. Some have wooden 

gates and white arches with symbols of 

vines and the year in which the house 

was built, which is especially aesthetically 

pleasing when draped with the red 

or blue ribbons symbolizing marriage 

or childbirth in Azerbaijani tradition. If 

you’re very attentive, you’ll also notice 

that almost all the German houses have 

cellars and sometimes you can even 

peer inside through the windows. As in 

Goygol, Shamkir has its own Lutheran 

Church, which was built by the German 

colonists in 1909. It was renovated in 

2013 and continues to function as a 

64 


church and concert hall complete with 

organ. Behind the church is a museum of 

history and ethnography. 

Unfortunately, there are no Germans 

left in Shamkir. The last one, Yunis 

Hajiyev, whose mother was German and 

father was Azerbaijani, passed away 

in the winter of 2019. I had the chance 

to meet and interview him last year. 

Yunis continued to make wine, his life’s 

occupation, even into his nineties. He 

spoke three languages and clearly remembered 

how the German settlement 

used to look. As he sadly recalled: “In 

1941, during the war, Stalin decreed to 

relocate the Germans and ordered them 

to move in three days’ time taking only 

15 kilograms of belongings. This town 

became empty. They had to leave all 

their belongings, cattle and houses.” 

German culture had a big influence 

on Azerbaijan and is a vivid example 

of how people with different languages, 

religions and lifestyles can integrate. 

While travelling in this part of the country, 

you start to think what would have 

been if not for the war which resettled 

the Germans from Azerbaijan. We don’t 

have the answer, but nevertheless 

the preservation and continuation of 

German traditions in the former colonies 

is a sign of the still tight connection between 

the two different nations. 

7. One of the original German streets in 

Shamkir. Photo: Chinara Majidova 


66 


Secrets 

of Shahdag 


The Caucasus region has fascinated 

travellers for centuries, one of 

the simplest reasons being its sheer 

diversity. And that doesn’t just mean 

the staggering mix of peoples and 

cultures, but also the abundance 

of nature, wildlife and landscapes. 

The country’s unique location at the 

crossroads of continents and climate 

zones means Azerbaijan is home to 

a plethora of unique habitats and 

endemic species. 

For tourists this means mountains, 

mud volcanoes, rivers and lakes, sea, 

steppe and even subtropical forest 

all within just a few hours’ drive of 

Baku. A great way to discover this 

natural diversity is by visiting some of 

the country’s national parks created 

since the early 2000s to protect rare 

flora and fauna, and other natural 

wonders. 

Photo: Fergana Gasimli 


NATURE 

AT ITS FINEST 

Over 50 per cent of Azerbaijan is 

mountainous, but nowhere is this 

terrain more dramatic than in the 

Shahdag National Park, the largest 

national park in all of the South 

Caucasus. Stretching from Guba to 

Oghuz over an area of roughly 130,500 

hectares, it encompasses vast swathes 

of the eastern end of the Greater 

Caucasus Mountains that run so 

impressively from the Black Sea to the 

Caspian. 

This colossal protected area, including 

parts of six Azerbaijani regions, is one 

of breathtaking mountain landscapes – 

a mix of jagged peaks and stony ridges, 

pristine forests of giant Georgian oak, 

Oriental beech and hornbeam, dramatic 

valleys and canyons, and some 

of Azerbaijan’s most eye-catching 

canyons, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. 

The park was created in 2006 to 

protect, research and rehabilitate 

the area’s unique flora and fauna. Yet 

there’s another very important benefit 

to protecting this area: the southern 

slopes of the Caucasus Mountains 

are where many major rivers begin 

– Gudyalchay, Turyanchay and 

Agsuchay, to name a few – and protecting 

them ensures the country has 

high-quality drinking water. 

68 

| EXPERIENCE AZERBAIJAN 

Photo: Elman Asgarov

TIMELESS 

TRAILS 

This is also an area of astonishing 

multiculturalism. On the fringes 

of the Shahdag National Park some 

of Azerbaijan’s remotest villages 

continue a timeless existence, and 

many of them are inhabited by tiny 

ethnic groups that over centuries of 

isolation developed their own distinct 

languages and cultures. Most (but not 

all) are collectively called the Shahdag 

peoples – said to be descendants of 

ancient mountain tribes harking back 

to Caucasian Albania. 

Hiking and homestaying between 

these rustic villages is a unique and 

intimate way of experiencing the area, 

especially in warmer months between 

May and October when trekking along 

old shepherd trails one encounters 

bucolic scenes of grazing sheep on 

idyllic emerald-green-carpeted alpine 

meadows. 

Nearly 50 marked routes weave 

through the park and each of them 

differs in appearance and nature. 

Some lead to the ruins of once 

impregnable fortresses built by the 

mighty Shirvanshahs and now lying 

half-sunken into the earth, while 

others follow the banks of rivers and 

meander through forests to hidden 

lakes and waterfalls. 

Lake Garanohur in the Ismayilli region 

is one such place – a transparent 

mountain lake surrounded by dense 

woodland that turns remarkably 

russet and golden in autumn. Getting 

there requires hiking for about four 

hours up a moderate incline from the 

village of Talistan. 



FASCINATING 

FAUNA 

Shahdag also boasts plenty of intriguing 

fauna. It’s home to chamois, 

lynx, wolves, wild boar, jackals, bears, 

badgers, foxes, deer and much more. 

There’s even a project under way to 

reintroduce the European bison, the 

last of which died here in 1927. 

But the park’s most prized resident is 

the East Caucasian tur, a species endemic 

to eastern areas of the Greater 

Caucasus Mountains. Characterised 

by their tremendous curved horns (the 

sound of them clashing can be heard 

for up to a kilometre) these goat-like 

creatures weighing up to 140 kilograms 

migrate up and down the mountains, 

hopping across impossibly steep 

rocky faces to heights of between 

2,500 and 3,500 metres. 

Tracking their movements closely are 

wolves and lynx, two of the park’s 

predators. The biggest of those, however, 

is the brown bear, the largest 

predator in the Caucasus, which tends 

to inhabit remote forested areas. 

Unlike the population of turs, which 

has declined dramatically over the 

last century, the number of bears is on 

the rise, according to Elshad Askerov, 

Director of the Azerbaijan branch 

of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 

Which means visitors may need to be 

attentive: 

“There aren’t many dangerous animals [in Shahdag National 

Park],” Askerov says. “Just when you come across a bear, 

especially a mother with cubs, then it could be dangerous. 

It’s better to stay and wait patiently for it to leave the area, 

rather than running. 

70 


Caucasian snowcock. Photo: Shutterstock/Elena-Ms

BIRDWATCHING 

PARADISE 

The skies above Shahdag are also 

teeming with life. Birdwatchers venture 

here hoping to spot some of the 

astonishing array of raptors: there are 

colonies of four vulture species alone, 

not to mention various types of eagle, 

hawk, harrier and buzzard. German 

birdwatcher Michael Heiss has been 

exploring Azerbaijan’s birdlife since 

2007 and runs a blog called birdingaze. 

blogspot.com. He says: 

“Shahdag is a true highlight during a 

birdwatching trip through Azerbaijan 

due to its impressive landscape and 

especially due to the unique birdlife. 

Many species of the Greater Caucasus 

are endemic or their range is restricted 

within Europe. Almost all of these 

bird species have an interesting and 

partly exotic appearance, for example 

the Güldenstädts redstart, Caucasian 

snowcock, Caucasian black grouse or 

great rosefinch.” 

“Other impressive species include the griffon, black and 

bearded vulture, golden eagle, etc. Wallcreepers, snowfinches 

and alpine choughs are smaller, but beautiful species. All of 

them are very likely to be seen during a stay in Shahdag, often 

at close range, giving a lasting impression to visitors. 

The grey-feathered Caucasian snowcock 

is particularly cherished in these 

parts. Given its shape and size, it’s 

sometimes called a mountain turkey 

and scuttles about the bare stony 

mountains, every now and then letting 

out a wonderful whistling call. 



MAGNET FOR 

MOUNTAINEERS 

One place you might find it is scrambling 

about the scree-covered slopes of 

Azerbaijan’s highest mountains – the 

reason why Shahdag National Park is 

also the country’s number one spot for 

alpinism. 

The highest mountain, Bazarduzu 

(4,466 m), straddles the border with 

Dagestan. Its name means “Bazaar 

Plain,” allegedly because centuries 

ago caravans of traders flocked from 

far and wide to peddle their wares in 

the Shakhnabad valley below, using 

the mountain to orient themselves. 

Summiting it takes five days and 

for this you’ll need to hire a private 

guide and get permission from the 

State Border Service, both of which 

can be arranged by Baku-based tour 

companies. 

One of those companies is 

Mountaineering.az, whose founder 

Telman Hajibutayev, a mountain 

guide, describes the attraction of 

Shahdag National Park thus: “It gives 

an aura of complete alienation from 

the daily bustle of big cities. The high 

mountainous areas have alpine rivers, 

glaciers, passes and the most unique 

part – the mountains, which are all in 

their own way beautiful.” 

Other high peaks include Bazaryurd 

(4,126 m), Tufandag (4,191 m), 

Heydar (3,751 m), Ilham (4,042 m) 

and Ataturk (3,759 m). But the most 

iconic is Azerbaijan’s second highest, 

the fortress-like Mount Shahdag 

(or King Mountain), after which the 

park is named. It was first summitted 

by Russian cartographer Andrey 

Vasiliyevich Pastukhov in 1892 via a 

classic route still popular with mountaineers 

today. Reaching the peak 

from Kapash base camp takes about 

seven hours. 

72 


Heydar Peak. Photo: Fergana Gasimli

NEED TO KNOW 

ENTRANCE 

Entering the vast majority of the park is 

relatively simple: tickets (4 AZN) can be 

purchased online at www.eco.gov.az or 

at any of the park’s entrances. Accessing 

high mountain areas near the border is 

trickier, however, because you need a 

guide for every six people, plus permission 

from the national park and Border 

Service. Your best bet is to arrange 

everything several weeks in advance 

using local tour companies. 

SOME SIMPLE RULES 

Stick to defined paths. 

Camp and make fires only 

in marked areas. 

Don’t litter or pollute. 

Don’t make excessive noise. 

Don’t disturb or destroy 

flora and fauna. 

Don’t draw on rocks. 

KEEPING SAFE 

Wild animals – in the rare event of 

encountering a bear, the best course 

of action is to stay quiet and calm, and 

patiently wait for it to clear the area. 

Sheepdogs – take care when passing 

herds of sheep as the dogs guarding 

them can be very aggressive. Again, stay 

calm, don’t run, and get the attention 

of the shepherd by shouting Ay choban! 

(“Hey shepherd”) before passing. 

Weather – the weather changes very 

fast in the mountains. Sun can turn to 

snow and revert back again in a matter 

of minutes. Take warm waterproof 

clothing, sun cream and appropriate 

footwear for hiking. 

TOUR COMPANIES 

Some of the tour operators offering trips 

to the Shahdag National Park include: 

Mountaineering.az 

Camping Azerbaijan, 

Mountainhost.az 

Nukha Outdoor Club 

Campsiz 

Nature Discover Azerbaijan 

Azerbaijan Alpine Club 

Explore Caucasus 

Vertical Azerbaijan 

Birding Azerbaijan 

Birdwatching Azerbaijan 

Shahdag Mountain Resort. 

Lake Garanohur. Photo: Fergana Gasimli 


An Exciting Time 

for Azerbaijani wine 

curated by Tom Marsden 

By the end of Soviet leader Mikhail 

Gorbachev’s nationwide anti-alcohol 

campaign that began in 1985, 

one of Azerbaijan’s two major industries 

had almost been wiped out. 

The vineyards that occupied well 

over 250,000 hectares of Azerbaijani 

countryside were uprooted and endemic 

grape varieties lost, a situa- 

tion compounded in the early 1990s 

by the fall of the USSR and the war 

over Nagorno-Karabakh. 

But today Azerbaijani viticulture 

is quietly making a comeback with 

high-quality wines being produced 

at a growing number of wineries 

benefitting from excellent terroirs 

in diverse regions of the country. 

Moreover, many of these new wines 

are being made from local and 

Caucasian grapes, and wine tourism 

is beginning to emerge. 

With all this in mind, we spoke to 

five local wine experts to get the inside 

perspective on how Azerbaijan 

is reviving its millennia-old winemaking 

traditions. 


azerbaijanwine.az

An Exciting Time for Azerbaijani Wine 

“Who would have known 

back then that in 10 years’ 

time Savalan’s wines 

would be represented 

in 20 Michelin-starred 

restaurants in Europe 

ASPI (Savalan) Winery 

14 Abbas Sahhat St., Gabala 

+994 12 595 1130 

www.savalan.az 

Photos: Eldar Farzaliyev 

WINE REVIVAL: 

AN OVERVIEW 

Aygun Atayeva, 

Chief Sales Manager, Savalan Winery, 

has been working in the local wine 

industry for almost two decades. 

Here, she shares her views on how it’s 

developed: 

In 2002 I found myself at the centre 

of the development of wine culture in 

Azerbaijan. Although to say that there 

was one would be wrong – people were 

mainly drinking semi-dry, semi-sweet and 

fortified wines. Since the Soviet time, 

Azerbaijani wine has had the reputation 

of being cheap and low in quality: 

sweet or sweet and strong, no-frills, and 

inexpensive. 

But now, in Azerbaijan decent and in 

some cases very good wine is being made. 

What’s happened? The oil boom helped. 

Money appeared in the country, people 

began to go to expensive restaurants 

and drink expensive wine. On the other 

hand, lots of foreign specialists came to 

Azerbaijan and preferred drinking wine 

to strong alcohol. From these two polar 

sources, interest in good wine began to 

grow. And there was a third factor: many 

Azerbaijanis began to travel more to 

European countries, where wine culture 

is part of everyday life. Wine rooms 

began to open in Baku and their choice 

improved over the years, and the question 

just hung in the air: why are we a country 

that grows vines but not making any good 

wines? 

In the mid-2000s new vineyards began to 

be planted and new wineries were built. 

And following this large, old factories 

began working on the quality of the wine, 

rather than just the quantity. And since 

2007 our company began constructing 

vineyards taking into account the local 

climate and geography, and with the philosophy 

of reviving local grape types. And 

then, through persistent work, we managed 

to grow some good and recognisable 

lines with a quiet harmony of tastes. They 

include monosort wines (Chardonnay, 

Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc, Sappers, 

Pinot Noir), and two (red and white) 

assemblages. 

In today’s world there’s an overproduction 

of wine, and therefore it won’t be 

easy for Azerbaijan’s new wines to find 

their buyer. Some can compete with wine 

from other countries in the Chinese or 

Russian markets, for example, by having 

a better price to quality ratio. And others 

will find a niche and also have a chance at 

gaining recognition – due to the growing 

interest of connoisseurs in original wines 

unlike the middle-of-the-road supermarket 

product; in wine with history which tells 

stories unlike the others. 

Who would have known back then that in 

10 years’ time Savalan’s wines would be 

represented in 20 Michelin-starred restaurants 

in Europe and that the well-known 

sommelier Eric Beaumard would choose 

Savalan Petit Verdot for his collection of 

50,000 at the Fourseasons in Paris? So, 

every year the situation in Azerbaijan is 

changing for the better and I hope soon 

people will be speaking about our wines 

as “the great wines of Azerbaijan”! 




“If you were to ask me 

to describe the wines 

and wine industry in 

Azerbaijan in the minds 

of tourists, I would use 

two words: pleasantly 

surprising 

Nasimi’s Wine Tours 

92a Hasan bey Zardabi St., Baku 

+994 50 464 66 13 

www.winetours.az 


THE RISE 

OF WINE TOURS 

Nasimi Sadigzade 

is the founder of Nasimi’s Wine Tours, 

which opened in 2018 becoming the first 

wine tour operator in Azerbaijan. 

Why did you decide to do wine tours? 

In today’s world travel is changing – it’s 

no longer about visiting the main tourism 

countries, receiving lots of information 

and going sightseeing. Today we have 

travellers, not tourists, and they’re looking 

for new places and new experiences. 

The reason I started the wine tours is 

that, as a local, I enjoy the food, wine and 

hospitality of our people, so I share it with 

my guests and they love it. It’s as simple 

as that – the world is becoming more and 

more digitalized and sometimes we lose 

that human touch. These things will be 

even more in demand as people look for 

authentic experiences. 

How do your clients react to Azerbaijani 

wine? 

Most importantly, our guests come on 

wine tours thinking that Azerbaijan is 

a strictly Muslim country, so the first 

question they ask is: How do you do wine 

tours here? My answer is that Azerbaijan 

is beautiful because of its contrasts. For 

example, you walk around the Old City 

and see the modern Flame Towers in the 

background – the contrast of old and new. 

We are a proudly secular country where 

all religions live together happily. So they 

leave surprised, especially after trying 

our wines and saying they never expected 

such quality. 

The next reaction they have is: why don’t 

they see Azerbaijani wines in shops in 

their countries? I explain to them that 

the Azerbaijani wine industry has gone 

through some really tough times but now 

its flourishing and soon our wines will be 

known internationally and take their place 

in the world of wine. 

In short, if you were to ask me to describe 

the wines and wine industry in Azerbaijan 

in the minds of tourists, I would use two 

words: pleasantly surprising. 

What makes Azerbaijani wine unique? 

Lots of sunny days and ideal terroirs 

are our main advantages when it comes 

to producing great wines. The price to 

quality ratio is also excellent. If someone 

is open-minded and sees two wines in a 

shop, one from France and the other from 

Azerbaijan, and tries our wines, they will 

be amazed by how great they are. All our 

guests leave surprised by the quality of 

our wines. 





“We’re very glad to 

start this new wave 

– restaurateurs and 

winemakers feel 

revitalized now and people 

in Baku have learned to 

drink wine very fast, and 

they do it so beautifully 

BAKU’S 

WINE BARS 

Ivan Uvarov, 

Co-founder of Kefli, shares the story 

behind the founding of one of Baku’s 

most popular wine bars. 

Three years ago, there was nowhere to 

drink local wine in Baku. Azerbaijani wine 

was gathering dust on the shelves and 

seemed to be of no interest to anyone, 

even the winemakers themselves. So 

we opened a bar for our friends and 

ourselves. We love wine and we wanted 

Azerbaijanis to drink and rediscover their 

own wine as well. 

What does it take? A good location (just 

next to the main pedestrian street in the 

city), a light contemporary design – an 

audacious and funky interior, friendly 

staff and reasonable prices, and we 

don’t try to save on the way we serve 

wine. From the very first day we serve it 

in proper glasses made from thin glass 

and we use decanters and coolers when 

necessary. 

would never have thought to try before. 

Each week we’re going to serve something 

new, by the glass. 

Kefli has the widest range of local wines 

in the city, including organic, pomegranate 

and even non-alcoholic ones, and of 

course above all we pay attention to indigenous 

Azerbaijani grape varieties. Usually 

tourists are too short of time to visit the 

wineries in different regions, so we are 

kind of a museum for them, a museum 

where you can taste different parts of the 

country. 

Kefli Local Wine & Snacks 

4a Terlan Eliyarbeyov St., Baku 

+994 51 308 99 09 


We are now the place for locals and that’s 

what a smart tourist likes. We’re very glad 

to start this new wave – restaurateurs 

and winemakers feel revitalized now and 

people in Baku have learned to drink wine 

very fast, and they do it so beautifully. 

I love discovering inexpensive wine that 

exceeds my expectations. I want to share 

this experience with our bar’s guests and 

friends immediately. We’ve just introduced 

a fresh approach at Kefli: the main goal 

now is to let people taste wines they 




“There are masses of 

people who want to find a 

new winemaking country 

and when they see an 

exotic name and an exotic 

country, when you talk 

about Madrasa and Bayan 

Shira, then people get 

really interested 

Hajihatamli village, 

Ismayilli 

www.chabiant.az 

+994 51 700 32 22 

Photos: Tom Marsden 

NURTURING NATIVE 

GRAPES 

Thanks to its popular onsite guesthouse, 

Chabiant has become one of 

Azerbaijan’s most tourist-friendly wineries 

since opening in 2017. We spoke to 

its Italian winemaker, 

Andrea Ulivi. 

What’s been your biggest challenge since 

you began working in Azerbaijan? 

Over these 10 years the biggest challenge 

for me has been to explain that Azerbaijan 

is now producing good quality wine. In the 

first few years (2010, 2011), it was really 

tough to convince especially countries like 

Russia that used to know the quality of 

the wine prior to Gorbachev’s prohibition. 

But now we have more and more interest 

from Russia, also from China. 

And the masterpiece is the local varieties. 

Especially when we go to Hong 

Kong, Shanghai, these kinds of places. 

If you talk about Cabernet Sauvignon or 

Chardonnay no one gets interested. There 

are masses of people who want to find a 

new winemaking country and when they 

see an exotic name and an exotic country, 

when you talk about Madrasa and Bayan 

Shira, then people get really interested. 

Tell us about the Chabiant philosophy. 

When I approached Farid Akhundov, 

the owner of the winery, we created a 

new philosophy in Azerbaijan based on 

revealing the local varieties. Of course, 

we have a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, but 

otherwise we work only with Saperavi and 

Rkatsiteli, Caucasian varieties, and now 

we are pushing the local varieties. So far, 

that’s Madrasa in red and Bayan Shira in 

white. 

But we’re creating experimental vineyards 

and we want to expand the local varieties 

because there’s a gap of 20 years, if 

not more. We know the wine they produce 

from the Soviet time but we don’t know 

how they will react to modern winemaking 

methods. We need to become confident 

with these new varieties and doing so 

will take five years. With Madrasa we are 

pretty confident. But with Khindogny, 

Shirvanshahi, the new varieties, it takes a 

little bit longer. 

How important is tourism to your 

strategy? 

It’s a big part of our strategy and our 

business as well. We have no intermediary, 

no distributor, but we know how to 

promote our wine, and to drink it where 

it’s produced is like sticking the Chabiant 

label on our clients because they can taste 

the wine in front of the vineyard. 

Of course, we have to improve. We are 

so glad that we were the first to have a 

guesthouse but being the first doesn’t 

mean that we have achieved. We have 

other ideas. We have a lake and we want 

people to fish. We have a hiking path. We 

have a harvest festival where clients can 

come and squeeze the grapes with their 

feet. So, we have a lot of things to do... 

we are just at the beginning. 

Why does Azerbaijan have great potential 

as a winemaking country? 

My first lesson in winemaking was in 

front of a map with the teacher telling 

us where grapes were born. They come 

from here, the Caucasus and then they 

moved through the Roman Empire to 

Turkey, Greece, Italy and Sicily, and then 

to France and Spain. So this is where the 

grapes really feel at home. 

And then we have a really nice climate 

and soil here, especially in this area. We’re 

in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus 

Mountains, so we have chilly nights and 

warm days with a nice breeze during the 

summer and production season. 

This country has really huge potential, 

and through the wine you can talk about 

the country. 



“Garage winemaking 

allows you to experiment 

more with the grape; it 

allows you to manipulate, 

innovate, and based on 

that some interesting 

methods and wines 

appear 


THE GARAGE 

WINEMAKER 

Farhad Agayev 

is a Baku-based surgeon and part-time 

garage winemaker in the north-eastern 

region of Khachmaz. There, he currently 

has four hectares under vine and 

plans to open a winery, restaurant and 

guesthouse next year. 

Why did you decide to make wine? 

It has to do with several things happening 

here in Azerbaijan at the moment. On the 

one hand we have this wine boom going 

on, which the government is supporting. 

On the other hand, when you look closely 

you see that this relates mainly to big 

companies, each one having about 300, 

150, 200 hectares – huge holdings which 

began to produce wine a long time ago. 

The small sector and so-called “garage 

winemaking,” a very fashionable term in 

the world of winemaking at the moment, 

isn’t there, although I believe that 

large-scale winemaking and good wine 

is based on garage winemaking. Why? 

Because garage winemaking allows you to 

experiment more with the grape; it allows 

you to manipulate, innovate, and based on 

that some interesting methods and wines 

appear. 

It began because firstly I wanted to drink 

quality wine and secondly, I wanted to 

drink interesting wine, using grape types 

that weren’t here before. And thirdly, I 

want to make organic wines. 

Why is now a good time for garage winemaking 

in Azerbaijan? 

I think it’s connected to people’s desire to 

eat organic products now. Before, in the 

Soviet period and post-Soviet period, very 

few people thought about this, but now 

people are really beginning to understand 

what quality is, what organic is, and trying 

to eat healthily. Therefore, I’m trying 

to make organic wine, firstly because I 

will drink it, but also because I think it will 

catch on in this regard. 

What kind of wines are you producing? 

People are not really drinking wine here 

yet. So, for them to start drinking wine, 

there must be an interest in it and to 

generate an interest you need to start with 

something interesting. Our grapes are 

already being used and there are French 

grapes already, but we don’t have Italian 

grapes yet. We are using four sorts – 

Sangiovese, Aglianico, Colorino and Nero 

d’Avola. 

At the moment blending is very popular 

because you can get different tastes, but 

given that people here are just beginning 

to drink wine we want to start with mono 

varieties. Also, because we’ve got limited 

resources, we’re going to just make dry red 

wines. 

What do you think is the future of 

Azerbaijani wine? 

I think there are great opportunities for 

making high-quality wines in Azerbaijan. 

Firstly, we have a lot of climate zones 

allowing us to grow the majority of fruits 

in Azerbaijan – we have a tropical zone, 

subtropical zone, we have a temperate 

climate. So, winemaking will work for us 

because we have all the natural resources 

to grow it. 

Secondly, we have more and more intellectual 

people and that’s very important 

– wine demands intellect; wine demands 

understanding. And also, tourism has 

been growing here in Azerbaijan over the 

last few years, and any tourist coming to 

Azerbaijan now wants local wine. 



CULTURE 

IN THE CLOUDS 

Lesley Gray explores the enduring appeal of Khinalig, 

a timeless mountain village that recently hosted an 

innovative cultural project. 

1. Photo: Shutterstock/Rolf G Wackenberg 

86 



Perched high in the foothills of the 

Greater Caucasus Mountains, just getting 

to Khinalig is a journey in itself. The 

road from Guba, the nearest city and 

producer of Azerbaijan’s famous apples, 

winds its way through forested canyons 

and dramatic cliffs that open up into expansive 

360 degree views of this rustic 

land. The region is home to Azerbaijan’s 

mountain villages, where shepherds 

tend their flocks in stunning river valleys 

amidst emerald peaks circled by 

eagles, a symbol of the region. In the 

evenings, these canyons become a place 

of mysticism and wonder as low clouds 

rush in and envelop the landscape in 

mist. This road, which was only paved 

in 2006, ends at 2,300 metres above sea 

level in Khinalig, one of Azerbaijan’s 

most historic places – and a place that 

every traveller to Azerbaijan must see to 

experience the country’s ancient roots. 

The people of Khinalig can trace their 

ancestry in the area back 5,000 years, 

and the village itself has been continuously 

inhabited for at least 2,000 years; 

archaeological excavations have revealed 

Zoroastrian traditions from previous 

millennia including an Ateshgah 

tower, which was believed to have been 

used for fire-worship in the past. The 

remote location has fostered a unique 

language – Ketsh – that has been the 

subject of studies by researchers from 

Azerbaijan and the USA. While the people 

of Khinalig also speak Azerbaijani, 

they have kept their native language 

alive. The village’s graveyard, which 

can be easily accessed on foot, includes 

stones with this ancient alphabet. 

2. National dancing. Photo: VarYox 

3. Carpet artist Faig Ahmed leads a workshop. 

Photo: VarYox 

4. Khinalig River. Photo: VarYox 

5. Photo: VarYox 


GETTING THERE 

To get to Khinalig using public transport, first you 

need to reach the city of Guba and change there. 

Buses and minibuses from Baku to Guba leave regularly 

throughout the day from the International Bus 

Station, arriving in Guba three hours later. Tickets 

cost 4 AZN. A quicker option is to take a shared 

taxi which will leave as soon as enough passengers 

appear and cost between 10 and 15 AZN per person. 

Once in Guba, local taxis will take you the extra 50 

km to Khinalig for about 40 AZN one way or 60 AZN 

for a round trip. The total distance is 218 km and the 

estimated journey time – 4 hrs. 

Any visit to Khinalig requires a stop at 

the local museum. Housed in a beautiful 

renovated building made from local 

grey stone, it introduces the history and 

culture of the village. This grey stone is 

ubiquitous here, giving the houses a distinct 

local style. Most homes have living 

quarters on one level with a space for 

animals underneath, which also helps 

to keep everyone warm in the winter. 

The homes blend into the landscape but 

they also show a local flair for design. 

Decorations like deer and flowers adorn 

shutters and trim, and wooden window 

frames along the front of houses that 

open to the vista are painted in bright 

colours. Throughout the village are ruins 

of much older buildings to explore while 

wandering through the narrow streets. 


Local children and guides are happy to 

show visitors around the village, which 

winds its way up to the Joma mosque, 

notable for its wood carvings. There are 

no restaurants and the only shop is in the 

community centre, which sells basics for 

the villagers. However, the women of 

the village produce knitted handicrafts, 

the famous traditional socks of the region 

being the best souvenir. They can 

be purchased at the museum or from 

people in the village – children will 

happily show travellers their family’s 

wares. Those lucky enough to visit a 

home are typically invited to share hot 

tea from the samovar, homemade jam, 

salty mountain cheese, and tendir bread 

while chatting with the family. Villagers 

have also developed their own local 

knowledge of regional herbs for special 

curative teas. 

Like many of the villages in the mountains, 

Khinalig is also home to its own 

folk culture and music, especially 

hauntingly beautiful acapella singing. In 

September 2019, the village hosted the 

Caucasus All Frequency music festival 

for the first time, a travelling event that 

brings together folk and electronic musicians 

for performances and unique collaborations. 

The 2019 edition included 

musicians from Azerbaijan, Georgia and 

Hungary who stayed in the village for 

three days of music, dance and song and 

attracted visitors from Baku and beyond 

who took part in local activities as well 

as yoga and film screenings. 

5. Photo: Shutterstock/tenkl 

90 


Visual artists have also found inspiration 

in the region. The community centre 

has its own collection of Azerbaijani 

artworks from the 20th century, making 

this one of the most remote museums 

of masterworks. In 2019, an art residence 

was started in the village with 

Baku-based artists Vusal Rahim, Rajab 

Aliyev and Nara Ibrahimova and famous 

Azerbaijani contemporary “carpet artist” 

Faig Ahmed as the first residents, who 

spent three weeks in Khinalig working 

with the villagers and teaching master 

classes on contemporary art. 

The project was in partnership with 

media and art collective VarYox, which 

coordinated the Caucasus All Frequency 

music festival at the end of the artist residency. 

Also included was a three-day 

photography workshop with contemporary 

artist and photographer Sitara 

Ibrahimova for 12 local children whose 

best images were put to vote across 

VarYox’s social media channels. All the 

participants were awarded digital cameras 

by electronic store Kontakt Home, 

which supported the project, and a selection 

of photos were printed and sold 

during the festival. 

Aliyev, who is both an architect and artist, 

built all of the festival furniture with 

the villagers and helped them to develop 

new building skills. Rahim collaborated 

with the villagers to develop new options 

for their handicrafts. Using traditional 

weaving techniques, they made 

sachets that were then filled with the tea 

and medicinal plants that grow around 

Khinalig. More than 50 tea bags and 

about 30 necklaces and accessories were 

offered for sale at the festival, and now 

these unique items can be purchased by 

visitors who want to take a part of the 

culture home with them. 


Ibrahimova described the experience 

as “one of the best projects I was lucky to 

take part in! We were able to host, feed 

and amuse hundreds of guests who came 

to listen to music in the mountains and 

celebrate the results of the three-week 

project with our participants. The most 

pleasant thing is that local residents 

made a significant contribution to the 

success of the festival.” 

Rahim, who is also a theatre and costume 

designer, worked with the local 

children to stage a musical piece from 

the opera Arshin Mal Alan, penned by 

Azerbaijani master composer and playwright 

Uzeyir Hajibeyov. In preparation 

for their debut at the festival, the children 

rehearsed every day. Rahim said “it 

was a beautiful moment for me.” 

Sabir Meherremov joined the group to 

teach English to the children in the village. 

The three-week session was transformative. 

For Meherremov, “Khinalig 

was a marvelous adventure – it changed 

my perspective on life. The people who I 

miss the most are the students.” 


6. Photo: Vusal Garibov 




Tourists in Azerbaijan can also look forward 

to such adventures on their own 

trip to this special village. Overnight visitors 

can stay in Khinalig’s comfortable 

guesthouse or at one of the homestays, 

and enjoy the local fare and gaze up 

at the Milky Way before heading off 

to sleep. Camping is also popular with 

visitors who wish to sleep in the open. 

Aside from the village itself, the area 

has numerous hiking trails in the nearby 

national park on the border with Russia 

and hidden mountain waterfalls to visit, 

on foot or on horseback using sturdy 

Azerbaijani horses that easily traverse 

the rocky landscape. Because the area is 

home to various wildlife including bears 

and wolves, a local guide is recommended. 

There are even rumours of a legendary 

bigfoot-type creature who lives in 

the hills – a sign of the mysticism that 

still inhabits this land. 

Lesley Gray 

is a Dubai-based art curator, writer and a 

frequent traveller to Azerbaijan. She has 

been collaborating with VarYox since 2018, 

focusing on art and culture. 


The Ultimate 

Guide 

to Baku’s 

Nightlife 

by Alla Garagashli 

1. Photo: Shutterstock/RAndrei მუშაო 


Azerbaijan is known not only for its 

terrific nature and delicious food, but 

also for having an atmosphere of endless 

celebration. Here, you can feel 

the legendary Caucasian hospitality 

everywhere you go. 

While in Baku don’t miss an opportunity 

to go out, because the city’s 

nightlife is full of bright lights and unforgettable 

memories. Here you can 

find something for every taste, be it 

a cozy wine spot or clubs with all-out 

dancing. 

The epicentre of Baku’s nightlife 

is spread across the following districts: 

Nizami Street (or, Torgovaya, 

as it’s lovingly called by locals), 

Icherisheher (Old City), the Boulevard 

and Flag Square. Here you can find 

bars, clubs, restaurants and even 

galleries. 


2. Hashtag bar 

For local atmosphere 

While there are plenty of drinking 

establishments that almost exclusively 

cater to tourists and expats, if 

you’re looking for new experiences 

and willing to try something different 

then Baku can still surprise. The 

following list can spice up your stay 

with the uniqueness each has to offer: 

some with the way they serve; others 

with the accompanying atmosphere. 

But each has its own zest, so go and 

try them out: 

Hashtag 

@hashtagbar.now 

This tiny but very homely place is 

famous for its weekly live DJ sets and 

cozy atmosphere. No tables, no official 

dress code, only bar stools, the bar 

counter, a good mood and friendly 

vibes. The bar crew offers a cocktail 

card for every taste – a balance between 

the general must-haves and their 

own inventions – and the delivery will 

pleasantly surprise. For example, one of 

the cocktails is served in a light bulb and 

another is a tea set with armudu glasses 

(used to serve black tea in Azerbaijan). 

Barfly Social Hub 

@barfly.social.hub.baku 

Are you familiar with Charles 

Bukowski’s Barfly book? References to 

the main character (Henry Chinaski) 

and his preferences are found here 

in the names of the cocktails. Henry 

knows a lot about having a good time 

and this is what makes him such an 

iconic character for weekend warriors. 

Barfly tries its hardest to live up to 

the name with its crowds and hip-hop 

sounds on Thursdays in the historic 

heart of the Old City (Icherisheher). 

Madrid Bar 

@madridrestaurantbar 

Fancy a glass of wine or a cocktail 

after a long walk along the Seaside 

Boulevard? Maybe you long for a rest 

after immersing yourself in art in 

famous galleries near Flag Square? 

Then look no further than Madrid Bar. 

Rumours have it that the bartender 

works wonders and, as James Bond 

would approve, he is ready to shake, but 

not stir, the best cocktail of your life. 

BarDuck 

@barduck.az 

Usually it’s pretty crowded here, which 

means that the party is under way 

and the fun has only just begun! The 

cocktail card will impress, and the guys 

at the bar will gladly take into account 

all your wishes, adjusting drinks and 

passing you some real magic in a glass 

or shot. If you catch the right time, you 

can dance to DJ beats. Tables are scarce 

here, so it’s better to book in advance. 

Bool Bool Dog 

@boolbooldog 

This place is quite far from the main 

touristy part of the city. So what makes 

it worth the trip? It has all the usual 

suspects on the cocktail menu with 

some special additions and there are 

some decent food choices as well, but 

what really makes Bool Bool Dog stand 

out is the incredible shisha selection. 

The combination of exquisite drinks 

and exotic shisha make for very chilled 

evenings, so try it out! 

Bunker Mixology Bar 

@bunker.mixology.bar 

This is a relative newcomer aimed at a 

younger crowd. It’s always filled to the 

brim with laughter and genuine emotions 

so if you want to meet new people 

and have engaging conversations this is 

where to go. 


For wine 

Winemaking in Azerbaijan has a long history and is well known around the 

world. If you plan to surprise your friends, a bottle of local pomegranate wine 

is sure to do the trick. Take the opportunity to treat yourself to a glass or two 

of Azerbaijan’s finest in these local wine bars: 

Enoteca Meydan 

@enotecameydan 

A small cozy place lost in the alleys 

of Icherisheher (Old City) that oozes 

charm and warmth. Aziz Gazimov really 

loves the work he does and will gladly 

help you not to get lost in the variety of 

wine bottles, and even offer you a sparkling 

wine made with their own recipe. 

Advice from connoisseurs: try the local 

white grape variety called Bayan Shira; 

it’s used to produce sparkling wine. 

Boho Tea Room 

@bohoteaandwine 

If you want to spend an evening with 

your friends in an authentic place with 

its own band of regulars and a summery 

atmosphere all year long, then grab a 

table in Boho Tea Room’s courtyard. The 

team focuses on local wines, but there’s 

also a huge selection of teas, as the establishment’s 

name suggests, and Boho 

manages to maintain a great blend of 

locals and foreigners so you can switch 

back and forth between blending in and 

standing out as you see fit. 

Kefli 

@kefliwinebar 

Probably the favourite place among 

local wine lovers, Kefli was created 

specifically to educate both locals and 

foreigners alike about Azerbaijani wine. 

If you want to know more about the history 

of local wineries, the staff here will 

be more than happy to talk with you 

in great detail. Each item on the menu 

is hand-picked by the owners, and the 

selection is very thorough – they often 

visit wineries themselves to make sure 

they pick what’s best. 

ROOM 

@roomfineartwinedine 

If it’s the crowd you’re after, look no 

further than ROOM. While the selection 

of wine and other drinks is nothing to 

scoff at, the main attraction here has 

always been the patrons. The face 

control might seem excessive at first, 

but soon you’ll grow to appreciate the 

unique culture ROOM has successfully 

cultivated. As a nice bonus exhibitions 

are occasionally held here, and on 

weekends things gets louder with guest 

DJs taking over. 

Gurmania 

@gurmania_baku 

Finally, some advice: if you plan to hold 

a house party with wine and snacks, 

then Gurmania can help you with both. 

Here you can find wine from small 

domestic wineries under the thoughtful 

guidance of Konstantin Khachishvili, 

the owner. In addition to the cheese 

and wine, there’s also a good selection 

of chocolate and meat. Follow them on 

social media so you won’t miss tasting 

events, usually on Fridays. 

3. Enoteca Meydan 

4. ROOM 


For beer 

If you’re more of a beer person, Baku 

has a long-standing and unique 

beer-drinking culture you can enjoy. 

And here is a list to help you out: 

Hops is a pub with history. The walls of 

the interior of this small place are decorated 

with scarves displaying the logos 

of different football teams and currency 

notes from all around the world. The 

owner, Eldar Mamedov, is very hospitable. 

Everything you see on the walls 

was once gifted to him from international 

visitors, which should tell you all you 

need to know about his character – the 

man has some interesting stories to tell! 

Somewhat fittingly, Hops also serves 

as the headquarters of the Hash House 

Harriers running club whose members 

do mini-marathons dressed in red from 

bar to bar combining two great things: 

beer and sport, all while collecting 

money for charity. 

5. Sofar Sounds 

Finnegans was established in 1997 

and has a claim to being the oldest Irish 

bar in Baku. It’s had different owners 

throughout the years and many consider 

its current phase not so great, but the 

impact it’s had on all the other bars is 

hard to deny. One example could be 

Eldar from Hops, who used to be a waiter 

here back in the day. Unfortunately, 

they don’t serve Guiness anymore, but 

it’s still worth a visit for its history spanning 

more than 20 years. If you want 

to experience a similar atmosphere 

elsewhere, you can visit Phoenix bar 

as well. 

Beerbasha, The Brewery 

and Paulaner Baku 

are places with their own breweries, 

which means they offer the great taste 

of handcrafted beer. And what do we 

love about that? The rich and deep 

taste, complex and often quite intense, 

with varying amounts of hops and malt. 

So, no need to wait! Grab your friends, 

order some delicious snacks and share 

your impressions of the day! 

For something different 

When it comes to atmospheric 

evenings and cultural experiences, 

Baku offers possibilities aplenty for 

everyone and anyone adventurous 

enough to answer the call: 

Maybe you have already heard about 

Sofar Sounds (@sofarbaku), 

a music event startup based in London, 

UK which invites selected artists to 

play in different venues all over the 

city with a secret limited number of 

invitations and hidden lineup. There’s 

a catch though: you can’t just buy your 

ticket, you have to be selected first. 

This allows for a completely different 

atmosphere at every event and a different 

level of appreciation as well. Such 

parties happen once or twice every two 

months. Try your luck and enjoy the 

best local music Baku has to offer! 

Located in a historic Molokan prayer 

house built in 1913, Salaam Cinema 

has been reviving this place with art 

exhibitions, documentary films, and 

performances dedicated to equality, 

inclusion and celebrating diversity. The 

building itself has just recently received 

a special status as a place of historical 

significance. If not for Salaam Cinema’s 

passion and love for Baku’s history this 

building would have been destroyed, 

but now it stands tall as a symbol of 

what the new wave of Azerbaijani intellectuals 

strives to be. 

Another important mission of Salaam 

Cinema is to support and popularize 

local filmmaking and film history. As 

the crew try to attract more people to 

this place of historical heritage, they’re 

also working with urbanists to build a 

beautiful garden in the yard to create 

an open social space. Overall, this is 

a must-visit for anyone who wants 

to know what the creative youth of 

Azerbaijan is really like. 


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100 6. Photo: | EXPERIENCE Eldar Farzaliyev AZERBAIJAN

For music 

And let’s not forget about music. 

Azerbaijan is blessed with hot summers, 

which creates great opportunities for 

outdoor parties. The most recognized 

of them are Luna Project and Barrel 

Playground. Both are hidden away from 

the noisy, busy streets of the city centre 

and each has its own advantages. 

Luna Project 

@lunaprojectbaku 

is located in an abandoned amusement 

park and everything there reminds 

you of it: the silence, old rusty swings, 

untrimmed alleys, creepy statues. All of 

it makes for a unique trippy atmosphere 

you won’t be able to find anywhere else. 

There’s no better place to escape the 

city centre and enjoy a piece of never-ending 

summer. Here you can have a 

beer or cocktail, listen to the invited DJ, 

watch a film at the open-air cinema and 

experience a genuine nightlife where 

the party can continue well into the 

next day. 



Some of the same can be said about 

Barrel Playground. This 

smaller place near Flag Square is very 

urbanistic and creates a different vibe 

altogether: it attracts fancier crowds, 

has strict face control and drinks can 

be pricey. The location close to the sea 

on an open expanse, however, allows 

for an ever-present breeze, a welcome 

reprieve for guests on the hot dance 

hall. When the DJs are not blazing the 

night with their red-hot musical mixes, 

Barrel sometimes hosts yoga events, 

jazz evenings, movie nights and things 

of that nature. 

You’ve probably already heard about the 

beauty of Azerbaijan’s nature, so it was 

only a matter of time before nature and 

music were mixed together. Enter 

Into the Wild and Night in 

the Forest, outdoor festivals organised 

by a couple of enthusiastic young 

people who want to introduce different 

experiences and music connected with 

nature. Expect camping, mosquitos 

and campfires, and be prepared for cold 

nights and an absence of WiFi. This is 

one of the best alternatives for those 

who feel stuck in the city routine. 

When it comes to an evening indoors, 

you can always count on 

Etud, Le Château Music Bar or 

Moon Blue Jazz Club. 

The musicians at these places will 

amaze with live performances; a lot of 

young talent has already found their 

audience here. Moon Blue Jazz Club, 

as you can deduce from the name, 

is happy to treat you to a jazz night. 

Inspired by the old jazz school of Vagif 

Mustafazade, this place continues the 

tradition of blending national music 

with incendiary jazz rhythms. 

And if you’re more of a dance person, 

try the music nights at 

Enerji, Electra or Pacifico. 

They can seem a bit posh and pricey, 

but you can be sure of the quality of 

your evening there. Enjoy DJ sets, 

dancing crowds, and thematic music 

evenings with a sea view. 

In Azerbaijan we believe that a good 

rest leads to a better and more productive 

life, and as the saying goes: “When 

in Rome…” So enjoy all we can offer – 

and come back for more! 

Alla Garagashli 

is a storyteller who grew up in Baku 

and writes a blog called Cellar Door to 

help visitors discover the city’s secrets 

and experiences. 

7. Barrel Playground 

8 - 10. Enerji Club 


Reza Deghati 

Correspondent 

of Peace 

by Nonna Muzaffarova 

translated by Tom Marsden 

photos by Reza Deghati 

Attempting to catch Reza 

Deghati for an interview meant 

having to unwittingly observe 

his movements. There he was 

in the mountains of Pamir, 

and sometime later – in sunny 

Bukhara, a little later – in 

austere Afghanistan... The 

point of departure, however, 

for this photojournalist’s bright 

and eventful life was Tabriz, a 

city in Iran populated largely 

by Azerbaijanis, from where his 

odyssey began. 

1. The Khinalig River seen through the window 

of a house in Khinalig village. 

May 2012 

EA – The photographer Henri Cartier- 

Bresson admitted that the decisive 

factor in his choice of profession was 

the deep impression Martin Munkácsi’s 

“Boys Running into the Surf at Lake 

Tanganyika” left on him. What led you to 

photography? 

RD – The reason for my choice of becoming 

a photographer is by no means 

connected with art, but sooner with 

a desire to study the city of Tabriz, 

where I was born and where I spent my 

childhood and youth, and this passion 

of mine started when I was 12. At that 

time photographs or, more like, shapes 

and forms played an important role for 

me. I wanted to express my emotions 

visually; the joy and wonder of those 

that surrounded me. 

Given that I grew up in a bilingual culture 

– among Azerbaijanis from Tabriz 

who spoke in their native Azerbaijani – 

after some time I began to pay attention 

to the fact that the country’s official 

language (the language of writing, 

the mass media, education, etc.) was 

Persian and that those that knew it best 

were certainly not Azerbaijanis. And I 

understood: languages only separate 

people, whereas photography has no 

need for verbal explanation. 

Then, at the age of 12, I read an article 

in the monthly magazine Daneshmand 

(Scientist – Ed.). It spoke about how in 

the 21st century ideas would be communicated 

through photography. This 

thought, I remember, really surprised 

and excited me. 

I was also influenced by the art of Persian 

miniatures with their landscapes 

and depictions of people. They surrounded 

me during my childhood. 


2. A young woman prays at Kurmuk 

Church, Gakh, during the Kurmukoba 

Festival, a joint Muslim-Christian holiday 

in honour of Saint George. May 2013

EA – Looking at your photos it’s quite 

hard to determine who influenced your 

vision, although you too must have felt 

the influence of one master or another. 

Who are they – your idols in the art of 

photography? 

RD – It’s important to understand that 

in Iran in the years of my youth there 

wasn’t any information about the art 

of photography – there weren’t any 

specialist magazines or books... I didn’t 

have a teacher or someone that could 

familiarise me with the fundamentals 

of photography. I was self-taught, and 

right up until the age of 20 I didn’t have 

access to the right literature, textbooks, 

knowledge of world photography. But 

I was inspired, firstly, by miniatures, 

and then by the great paintings of 

Rembrandt, Goya, de La Tour... For me 

they were real masters. 

I learnt about the masters of photography 

quite late. The work of Henri 

Cartier-Bresson, for example... I discovered 

his vision of composition and 

concept of the decisive moment when 

I was quite old, and then I also saw the 

works of Eugene Smith who was a great 

photojournalist too. But at the start of 

my career my greatest source of inspiration 

was pictorial art. 

EA – Your photo exhibitions dedicated to 

Azerbaijan often reflect the idea of tolerance. 

Why is this theme in particular at 

the centre of your attention? 

RD – Already in my early reportages in 

Azerbaijan, I noticed that this country 

where people of different nationalities 

and religious confessions live in accord 

could become an example for the whole 

world. That’s why I started to photograph 

here. I’ve produced a large body 

of work, which began in 1987. 

My first visit to Azerbaijan happened 

thanks to Ramiz Abutalibov – a diplomat 

working at the UNESCO Secretariat 

in Paris. He got in touch with me, 

and thanks to him I was able to visit 

Azerbaijan. Then followed the events of 

Black January, the conflict in Nagorno- 

Karabakh, and since then I’ve travelled 

here over 50 times. I’ve witnessed a 

genuine tolerance which couldn’t fail to 

amaze me. Then followed photo exhibitions 

dedicated to this theme in Paris, 

at the UN headquarters in New York, at 

the European Parliament in Brussels, 

at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance 

Centre in Moscow. 

I think it’s very important to show 

the world a country where the ideas of 

tolerance and respect towards cultural 

diversity have been embodied harmoniously 

for centuries. 

EA – You photographed in Azerbaijan 

during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, 

at the end of the 1990s, in the 2000s, 

and you continue to shoot here today. 

How does someone with a sharp visual 

perception of reality see the changes 

that have taken place and continue 

to take place in our country following 

independence? 

RD – I first came to Azerbaijan in 1987. 

Since then I’ve travelled around the 

country over 50 times with various 

projects, and I’ve witnessed great shifts 

in all areas. 

Since becoming a sovereign state 

Azerbaijan has demonstrated its 

ability to manoeuvre in the troubled 

waters surrounding it on all sides – the 

occupation of its territory, geographical 

proximity to countries with whom 

neighbouring can lead to destabilization. 

However, despite this, clear and 

independent policies continue to be 

carried out here. Azerbaijan, which was 

almost unknown to the world, is beginning, 

to some extent, to assert itself on 

the global arena. Fundamental changes 

in infrastructure can be seen here. 

3. Soldiers in Shusha use the school as their living 

quarters during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Soon after 

Armenian forces stormed the town and still occupy it 

today. 1992 


4. The Azerbaijani national Chovgan team competes near Sheki. Chovgan, an early version of polo, has been 

included on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. March 2012 



5. A local man rides through a field of wild flowers in the mountain foothills of Lerik. June 2011 



6. Dancers from the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre 

perform a dance inside the Shirvanshahs’ Palace. April 2012 



These are the first impressions that are 

obvious to me as a photographer. 

While I was preparing the book The 

Elegance of Fire (Reza’s photobook 

on Azerbaijan – Ed.), over three 

years I travelled around the cities of 

Azerbaijan at different times of the 

year, and reached mountain villages. I 

can say that I saw the winds of change 

everywhere. But I should add that there 

is nowhere in the world where changes 

happen at the same pace, and a lot of 

work lies ahead for Azerbaijan too in 

this respect. For example, to take away 

the dependence of the provinces on the 

centre; to eliminate the difference that 

exists between young people in the 

capital and the countryside. 

In the remotest corners of Azerbaijan, 

I came across exceptionally talented 

young people who nevertheless were 

deprived of the opportunities available 

to those living in the cities. 

EA – What would the world be like without 

photography? 

RD – Photography for me is an illustration 

of everyday life – the life of 

humanity. Today this illustration can 

be created using a camera. But if I’d 

been a contemporary of the author of 

the pictures on the walls of the caves of 

Lascaux or the rocks of Gobustan, then 

I would certainly have become an artist 

– one of those that depicted all these 

petroglyphs, drawings... The desire to 

photograph comes from the desire to 

illustrate our experience. 

EA – Every portrait of someone else is 

a self-portrait of the photographer, the 

documentary photographer Dorothea 

Lange once said. Do you agree? 

RD – Certainly, not just photography 

but every work of art is a personal 

statement by its author. To some extent 

– a self-portrait. Whether it be music, a 

picture, film... 

A person is not a copying machine or a 

scanner. When we see something, this 

something influences us, and we process 

it through our own filter. We reflect 

everything we saw and experienced. 

However, you shouldn’t forget: every- 


“I think it’s very important to show the world a country where 

the ideas of tolerance and respect towards cultural diversity have been 

embodied harmoniously for centuries 

thing we see – it’s just the surface. The 

role of the photographer or artist is to go 

beneath this surface. After all, behind 

every door exist dozens of other doors, 

and behind them – dozens, hundreds of 

stories. It’s worth trying to open these 

doors, even if doing so takes many 

years. 

Nonna Muzaffarova 

is a writer and journalist from Baku. 

7. The Molokan pastor leads traditional prayers in the village 

of Ivanovka, home to Azerbaijan’s last major group of Russian 

Molokans whose ancestors were resettled here nearly 200 years 

ago. May 2013 

8. The Torah is held up to the congregation during a Bar 

Mitzvah in Baku. May 2013 

9. A worker in the Sheki Silk Factory hangs newly dyed silk 

cloths to dry. April 2012 

about Reza 

Reza Deghati (b. 1952) 

began his photojournalism career 

covering the Islamic Revolution in Iran 

in 1979. Following this, he moved to 

Paris and spent the next few decades 

covering conflicts in Africa, Asia, 

Afghanistan and the Middle East, 

publishing many now iconic images 

in leading international publications. 

Azerbaijan has been a focus of his 

photographic attention for over 30 

years; he has published two photobooks 

on the country and held multiple 

exhibitions. Currently, dozens of 

his best photos taken across the world 

are on display outside Baku’s iconic 

Heydar Aliyev Centre. 


The Taste 

of Azerbaijan 

11 best food & drink 

experiences 

by Feride Buyuran 

If you have an open mind and an 

innate curiosity to explore new 

places through food, Azerbaijan 

should be high up on your list of 

travel destinations. While splendid 

landscapes, rich history, and 

curious customs alone are a strong 

enough reason to visit, it is the 

country’s distinct cuisine and 

diverse culinary traditions, with a 

beautiful fusion of East and West, 

that unveil the personality of the 

Caucasus the best. 

For someone completely unfamiliar 

with the local food scene, 

choosing from the many dishes and 

experiences may be daunting. The 

following selection will get you 

started on your delicious journey. 

Photo: Shutterstock/alisafarov 

116 



Photo: Shutterstock/Behruz Memmedli 

1 

TRY TOP 

TRADITIONAL 

DISHES 

In Azerbaijan, you will always find 

something to satisfy your interest in 

the local cuisine while keeping you full 

and happy! Here are the top traditional 

foods to try: 

Gutab – A half-moon-shaped sajcooked 

flatbread, in which thinly 

rolled out circles of dough hold various 

fillings. Must-try gutabs are: et gutabi 

(ground lamb gutab; served sprinkled 

with sumac), goy gutabi (fresh herbs 

gutab, served with plain yogurt to 

scoop on top), and balgabag gutabi 

(butternut squash gutab). 

Plov – The local cuisine boasts 

dozens of plov (pilaf) varieties with 

most of them featuring a golden crust, 

gazmag, cooked underneath the pile of 

steaming rice. The three most popular 

plovs to try on your visit are: turshugovurma 

plov (rice with meat, and dried 

sour plums and a chestnut topping), 

sebzigovurma plov (rice with a fresh 

herb topping), and shah plov, in which 

saffron-perfumed rice is completely 

encased in a golden and crunchy 

lavash crust. 

Photo: Shutterstock/lenakorzh 

Dolma – A versatile family of dishes 

in which leaves, vegetables, or fruits 

are rolled around or stuffed with meat 

or a vegetarian filling, including rice, 

fresh herbs, and even walnuts. Try 

yarpag dolmasi (stuffed grape leaves), 

kelem dolmasi (stuffed cabbage 

leaves), and badimjan dolmasi (stuffed 

eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes). 

Also, look for pip dolmasi, or stuffed 

hornbeam leaves, and, if you happen 

to visit the historic village of Lahij, 

enjoy the local delicacy – dolma from 

stuffed quince leaves. 

Kabab – Simple skewers of tender 

meats and vegetables cooked over a 

smoky mangal grill. Some of the musttry 

kebabs include tike kabab (lamb 

kebab), lule kabab (ground lamb kebab), 

and terevez kababi (grilled eggplants, 

peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes). 


2 

GET A TASTE 

OF THE BREAD 

CULTURE 

Chorek, or bread, is a revered food and 

an everyday staple, served at every 

meal. The most popular kind is tendir 

choreyi, a golden-crusted loaf with a 

chewy exterior and pillowy interior, 

baked in a tendir (tandoor) oven. There 

is also lavash, a paper-thin flatbread 

cooked on a saj, a domed iron pan used 

for cooking food on the hollow side and 

baking breads on the other. You can 

witness the making of these breads in 

certain traditional restaurants, on the 

roadside in rural areas, and, better yet, 

in people’s homes. 

Photo: Etibar Jafarov 

3 

EAT WHERE 

THE LOCALS 

EAT 


If you crave a deeper understanding 

of the local palate, avoid typical 

tourist-packed eateries and dine in 

hole-in-the-wall spots or even fancy 

restaurants frequented by locals only. 

Ask your hotel concierge or taxi driver, 

and even a passerby where they go for 

the most succulent lamb kebab, the 

tastiest home-style pot dishes (gazan 

yemekleri), and even exotic treats, 

such as khash, the infamous gelatinous 

soup made with cow’s feet (known to 

treat hangovers!), or jizbiz, fried lamb 

innards with potatoes. Are you feeling 

like an Azerbaijani yet? 

118 


4 

WARM YOUR 

BODY WITH 

PASTA AND 

DUMPLINGS 

Photo: Shutterstock/Chinara Guliyeva 

Yes, in Azerbaijan! Indeed, the country 

boasts dozens of hearty pasta and 

dumpling dishes known under the 

general name khemir khorekleri, or 

dough-based dishes. Although most 

pasta dishes are best on winter days, 

nothing should prevent you from 

trying them during all other seasons. 

Here’s the list to choose from. 

Dushbere – A warming soup, in which 

little pouches of dough, reminiscent 

of Italian tortellini but much smaller 

and more delicate, are filled with 

onion-flavoured ground meat and 

simmered in a broth. 

Yarpag khengeli – Diamond-shaped 

pasta leaves under a mound of succulent 

ground lamb or, for vegetarians, 

fried onions, drizzled with garlicky 

yogurt. 

Gurze – Hailing from the Absheron 

region, these are neatly pleated dumplings 

stuffed with ground lamb. 


Photo: Shutterstock/Faig Aliyev 

Surhullu – Another north-western 

specialty. Curled boat-shaped pasta 

served with dried meat broth and a 

drizzle of piquant sour plum sauce. 

5 

INDULGE IN A 

TRADITIONAL 

BREAKFAST 

While Azerbaijani breakfasts (seher 

yemeyi) are similar across the regions, 

the focus everywhere is on the quality 

of what is served. A must on the table 

is bread served with the following: 

home-churned butter (nehre yaghi), 

cheese of many kinds (pendir), including 

sheepskin-matured milk cheese 

(motal pendir), strained yogurt (suzme), 

farmer’s cheese (shor), clotted cream 

(gaymag), sour cream (khama), honey 

(bal), and fruit jams (jem). 

Some hosts or restaurant menus go 

a step further and add egg dishes to 

the repertoire: a simple sunny-side 

up (gayganag), a juicy tomato and egg 

scramble (pomidor chighirtmasi), or a 

fresh herb omelette (goyerti kukusu), 

in which copious amounts of chopped 

cilantro, dill, and green onions are 

bound with eggs then cooked like a 

thick pancake until golden and crisp 

on both sides. A breakfast table without 

countless glasses of tea? Not in 



6 

SATISFY YOUR 

SWEET TOOTH 


In Azerbaijan, baklava is called pakhlava 

and there are several regional 

varieties of it. All feature nuts, such as 

walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds. Go 

on a quest for this luscious sweet and 

try as many kinds as you can. Here’s 

your list. 

Baku-style pakhlava – Is known 

for its 12 thin layers, each encasing 

blankets of sweetened, spiced walnuts. 

Saffron-hued baklava diamonds are 

adorned with a single nut placed in the 

centre. 

Ganja-style pakhlava – Another 

multi-layered treat, perfumed with 

rose water, and stuffed with walnuts 

meticulously cleaned off their skins. 

This baklava is traditionally baked in 

a large copper tray (mejmeyi) placed 

on top of hot wood embers where the 

baklava cooks. 

Photo: Feride Buyuran 

Guba-style pakhlava and Shekistyle 

pakhlava – Somewhat similar 

in appearance, but differing in taste, 

these baklava varieties contain multiple 

rice-flour layers resembling nets, 

with nuts in-between. 

Gabala-style pakhlava – Called 

uchgulag, which means "three-eared," 

these are triangular parcels filled with 

nuts then fried in butter. 

Another traditional pastry worth trying 

is shekerbura, nut-stuffed halfmoon 

pies with delicate twisted edges 

and a surface marked with intricate 

patterns. Or, get a taste of badambura, 

a flaky multilayered pastry also encasing 

cardamom-perfumed almonds 

or hazelnuts. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Samir_Hajiyev 

120 


Photo: Shutterstock/Red Floyd 

Photo: Shutterstock/Red Floyd 

7 

EXPERIENCE A 

TEA CEREMONY 

Photo: Shutterstock/Chinara Guliyeva 

Chay, or tea is a big deal in Azerbaijan. 

A proper tea ritual in a chaykhana, or 

teahouse, is a must-try. If you are a 

large group, order samovar chayi, or 

tea made and served in a samovar, a 

special wood-fired metal container 

that boils water, keeps it hot for long 

periods of time, and can sate many. 

A good set of Azerbaijani tea comes 

with a bowl of cubed sugar (rest a 

single cube on your tongue and sip 

your strong black tea, allowing the 

sweet crystal to dissolve) and bowls of 

murebbe, or homemade fruit preserves 

(walnut, watermelon rind, sour cherry, 

fig, apricot, rose petal, and others), as 

well as traditional pastries and dried 

fruits and nuts. Watch as pear-shaped 

glasses, armudu istekan, sitting on ornate 

saucers, nelbeki, refill themselves, 

because as Azerbaijanis say, chay 

nedir, say nedir, or “drinking tea has no 

limits.” You will agree. 


8 

TAKE A WINE 

TASTING TOUR 

Azerbaijan is an up-and-coming 

winemaking country with a lot to 

offer wine aficionados. The industry, 

shattered during Soviet times after 

its earlier boom (particularly during 

the 19th-century German immigration 

to the country), is now reviving its 

former glory. 

Photo: Feride Buyuran 

9 

QUENCH 

YOUR THIRST 

WITH NON- 

ALCOHOLIC 

DRINKS 

You can sample local wines, or sharab, 

in restaurants and bars. But if you 

prefer to pair your indulgences with 

a dose of enlightenment, nothing 

can beat a guided wine tasting tour. 

Currently, there are several wine-producing 

regions including Tovuz, 

Gabala, Ganja, Ismayilli, Shamakhi, 

Goygol, and Baku. Many of the vineyards 

yield crops from local varieties 

suitable for making top-quality red, 

white, and rosé wines. 

Another Azerbaijani specialty not to 

miss – pomegranate wine made from 

local pomegranates! 

Meals in Azerbaijan, especially festive 

ones, are often accompanied with 

traditional non-alcoholic drinks that 

can be found on restaurant menus. 

One such drink is sharbat. Cool and refreshing, 

the most typical sharbats are 

concocted from herbs, fruits, or scented 

rose petals, mixed with chilled 

sweetened water. Lemon, basil, mint, 

tarragon, and pomegranate sharbats 

are a must-try. 

Compotes comprise another drink 

category. These are sweet juices, 

derived from fresh fruits simmered 

in sugar-sweetened water. Almost 

every fruit that grows naturally in 

Azerbaijan is turned into compote, including 

quince, berries, sour cherries, 

feijoa, peaches, and others. 

Photo: Shutterstock/Yasemin ARI 

122 


10 

SPEND A 

MORNING AT 

THE BAZAAR 

Whether you are staying in Baku or in 

the remote countryside, pick a morning 

to visit a local bazaar, or farmer’s 

market. This is a great place to learn 

about local produce (best in the morning!), 

to meet the people who grow it, 

and to observe what the jostling locals 

buy. 

Stroll through the abundant stalls 

brimming with seasonal produce, 

including generous piles of fruits 

and vegetables and stacks of aromatic 

herbs, all indispensable in the 

Azerbaijani kitchen. Don’t be shy – 

ask vendors if you can sample some of 

their wares – you will not be turned 

down! 

Photo: Shutterstock/Etibarname 

Also explore rows with dried fruit, 

dairy and cheeses, spices and dried 

herbs, meat and poultry, and in some 

places, fish from the Caspian Sea 

and local rivers. You can even look 

through the aisles of kitchenware 

and traditional household items – all 

offering clues to local tastes and ways 

of cooking. 

11 

SAVOUR THE 

POMEGRANATE 

FESTIVAL 

IN GOYCHAY 

Photo: Azerbaijan Tourism Board 

In October or November, the pomegranate 

harvest reaches its peak in 

Azerbaijan! Use the occasion and take 

a trip to the city of Goychay (about 

three hours west of Baku by car), the 

pomegranate capital of the country. 

Catch the annual Pomegranate 

Festival (check dates online), a popular 

event celebrating the fruit, which 

holds a prominent place in Azerbaijani 

culture and cuisine. 

At least 25 villages from the Goychay 

region participate in this festival, 

showcasing their traditional gastronomic 

creations – juice, wine, preserves, 

molasses narsharab, salads and 

even cakes adorned with glistening 

ruby arils – made from over 60 varieties 

of pomegranate, some endemic 

to the region. Go ahead and sample 

some, including guloysha with dark red 

and slightly sour arils, or veles, juicy 

and sweet. Expect your face to be 

juice-stained, but remember – it is all 

worth it! 


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