Azerbaijan is a country of ancient culture and modern tourism
Azerbaijan is an amazing country with a centuries-old history. Parking sites of Stone Age people were found on the territory of Kazakh, Karabakh, Nakhchivan and other regions of the country. The cave paintings found in Gobustan ReserveIt is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. During its existence, Azerbaijan has experienced the rise and fall of empires. Caucasian Albania, the Arab Caliphate, the Armenian Kingdom, Persia – these ancient states influenced the formation of the multiethnic composition of the population.
The Azerbaijanis did not have a unified statehood until 1918, when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, later the Azerbaijan SSR, was formed in connection with revolutionary events.
Today, Azerbaijan is a presidential republic, a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional, but primarily a secular state. Islam and Eastern traditions are not dominant, but are manifested more in the family way of life, folk music, carpet weaving and cooking culture.
Kitchen
The cuisine of Azerbaijan is diverse and original. Thanks to the year-round harvest of fruits and vegetables, it has a lot of plant foods. Lavash is usually used as bread. Meat dishes are made to fill with dried apricots, chestnuts, kishmish and greens.
In the north-west of the country, you can try hingal - a flour dish with meat filling, pickled onions and kurut - dried cottage cheese. National dishes of pilaf, khash and dolma (more than 30 types) are simply a must try every tourist.
Resorts
The tourism industry in the country is only in its infancy, but now many people know and appreciate the balneological resorts of Azerbaijan. Treatment with thermal and mineral waters, therapeutic muds are widely spread due to the unique nature, because there are 350 people here. mud volcanoes out of 800 in the world.
In particular, a unique type of oil - naftalan, is found only near the city of the same name in Azerbaijan and is widely used in medicine. Naftalan is a resort city with a century and a half history. In the legendary Naftalan hospital, representatives of the party elite were treated with the help of oil baths in Soviet times. Now in Naftalan built many hotels of different stars with different levels of service, but indispensable spa services with oil baths. Tourists from all over the world come to the sanatoriums of Azerbaijan to improve their health and enjoy this natural wonder.
Baku
Oil is the natural wealth of the country. The world’s first oil well was drilled in Azerbaijan near Baku in 1846.
The capital of the country. BakuA very interesting and diverse city in terms of architecture and cultural traditions, it is the largest city in the Caucasus, the largest port of the Caspian Sea, as well as the most important economic and industrial center of the whole Transcaucasia. At the same time, it is a city with an ancient history, where tourists can discover many attractions.
In the very center of the city there is a historical ensemble of the fortress of Icheri Sheher, called "Baku Acropolis" or "Baku Acropolis".Old town.? It was from this quarter, where the indigenous Baku residents still live, that the city began to develop. Since 2000, Icheri Sheher has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The dilapidated fortress walls have preserved to this day beautiful mosques and eastern caravanserais, the Maiden Tower, which melts a lot of legends, the palace of the Shirvanshahs and much more.
As in any modern metropolis, in addition to the historical part, hotels, entertainment and shopping centers, cafes and restaurants are waiting for guests in Baku. The capital looks especially bright and colorful during the holidays of Ramadan Bayram, Novruz Bayram and Gurban Bayram.
There are taxis around the city, called "eggplants", and most of all resembling purple English cabs. After leaving the city, tourists are likely to encounter colorful taxi drivers on the old "Zhiguli". Fortunately, the roads in Azerbaijan are good, so the trip will be pleasant. You can also travel between cities and regions of Azerbaijan by bus and minibus.
For example, in the coastal resort village of Sahil from Baku you can get less than 1 manat (Azerbaijani manat is about 35 rubles).
Caspian Sea Resorts
The resorts of the Caspian Sea are gaining popularity every year. You can swim here from the end of May to mid-October. One of the most popular resorts - Amburan, located on peninsula. Beach complexes in Amburan are paid, but the beaches are well equipped. In addition to standard sun loungers with umbrellas, toilets, changing booths and children's slides, you can rent kayaks and water motorcycles here.
Ski resorts
In contrast to beach holidays, tourists can choose ski resorts of Azerbaijan. The Tufan complex, located in the city of Gabala, can accommodate up to three thousand guests. The resort "Shahdag" ("King of Horus") is quite comparable to the ski complexes of the European Alps.
Looking at the map of Azerbaijan and marvelling at the diversity of its climatic zones, remember: it is worth visiting here more than once to enjoy the variety of holidays offered by this hospitable country.