By Akash Sinha
There are some destinations in this world that would make globetrotters wonder why they haven’t put these spots on the top of their list. “The Land Of Fire”- Azerbaijan, is one of them, located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, Russia and the Middle East, having the European tinge quite dominant in terms of culture, architecture and cuisines.
Ranging from Medieval landmarks to oil and gas reserves fueling the modern architecture, this country has all what tourists need to see and experience. Azerbaijani is the official language of Azerbaijan that belongs to Oguz sub-group of the south-west branch of the Turkic language. ‘The Land of Fire’ also has different dialects that are spoken by the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western ethnic groups.
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan is situated on the shores of the Caspian Sea, also rich in attractions. The growth and development is rapid for this urban city, along with keeping the ancient culture preserved as in that of the Old city of Icheri Sheher, showing a perfect blend of oriental past with high-tech future. Primorskly Bulvar is the main attraction and one of the most beloved spots for travelers in this city, which stretches along the coast of Caspian Sea. Nagorny Park, on the other hand, offers a magnificent view of the city. The Flame Towers, a group of three towers including offices and residences, dominate Baku’s night sky with a neon display of flames and patterns resembling that of a kaleidoscope. Watching this artistic display from the terrace of the Palace of Shir vanshah would remain as an amazing moment of a lifetime.
The Ancient Walled City of Baku is a UNESCO World Heritage Site apart from being one of the largest walled cities in the world. It is vast area to roam around, the Throne Room holds the limelight, with beautiful furnishings and carpeting. The Gyz-Galasi or Maiden Tower hails from the oldest buildings in Baku, offering itself be the symbol of the city that previously used to be a Zoroastrian temple and then a reinforcement center for defense troops. The Multani Caravanseria served as shelter for Indian Merchants in the early 1400s, while one of the first hotels of Baku, the Bukhara Caravansei was called “Bukharskiy”. The Juma Mosque, Sinik Kala Mosque, Bibi-Heybat Mosque, Gates of Murad and Baku Baths are other places of historical, cultural and archaeological interests.
Azerbaijan is also known for being a Wedding and Honeymoon destination, with decent and luxurious resorts for both summer and winter seasons. It is an ideal place for music lovers, especially for folk and modern music, dominating their presence. Baku and other cities offer a lot of hotels, ranging from luxurious to semi-luxurious hotels, like, the Chirag Plaza Hotel and Business Center has itself redefining elegance in all means while the Kempinski Hotel offers an amusement park feeling, with a built-in water park.
Baku attracts a lot of customers for the city’s exceptional carpet weavers, producing numerous products like carpets, bags, and so on, serving as excellent souvenirs to take back home. The Sadarak Shopping Centre attracts a lot of tourists for its ambience and versatile goodies it offers to the buyers.
Sports is rich in Azerbaijan as many visitors invest their time hopping on golf carts, cruising the fairway to reach the putting green, at the Dreamland Golf Club (near Baku International Airport) and the National Azerbaijan Golf Club (near Quba). The latter is also the HQ of the National golf Federation, which is also open to visitors who call and fix their tour beforehand. Tourists in Baku also can choose activities depending on their moods, from adventure sports like skiing at the Tufandag, to paintball in Asheron.
With other places like Heydaraliyev cultural centre, Azerbaijan carpet museum and Gobustan rock art adding on to mark this country exceptionally vibrant among the rest, Baku holds its essence, by becoming the Phoenix in “the Land of Fire”.