AZERBAIJAN’S tag-line, ‘Feel the Diversity’ definitely holds true in every sense. A diverse country rich in ancient culture and history in old towns in Baku to modern buildings and dense lush country side in North Azerbaijan, the country has something for everyone.
Although I had seen some photographs and was told by the GCC representative for Azerbaijan, Atlantis Holidays that the country had so much to over, I didn’t realise just how much more until I was able to see it for myself recently.
Just two and a half hours away from Dubai, (flyDubai offer four weekly flights) guests land at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. This modern airport, located 20 km northeast of the capital Baku, is one of the five international airports serving Azerbaijan serving close to one million passengers a year. Other flights from the GCC include Qatar Airways daily connections from Doha and Azal Azerbaijan Airlines daily connections from Dubai.
Baku at night is spectacular with all the buildings lite up including the new Cristal Hall which was built for the EuroVision held in the city earlier this year. The event staged several celebrities including musical celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Rihanna. The spectacular Flame Towers, whose façades are turned into gigantic display screens with the use of more than 10,000 high-power LED luminaires. You can see one of the world’s tallest flag poles flying high at 162 m and held the record as the world’s tallest by the Guinness Book of Records until it was recently overtaken by the 165 m Dushanbe Flagpole in Tajikistan.
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The popular Flame Towers in Baku City. |
Baku is an extremely safe and very much a walking city with families strolling down the boulevard, a five km promenade that runs along the Caspian Sea starting at National Flag Square and ending at Freedom Square, with plans to extend it to as much as 33 kms joining the adjacent cities.
I would also recommend a walking tour of the Old Town ‘Icheri Shekher’ which translates to Inner City. Many ancient architectural treasures still stand tall such as the Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs in the walled City of Baku. These monuments built in the 12th-15th century are inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage list of historical monuments. Within this walled city, tourists can enjoy shopping for traditional artifacts; or a meal at restaurant’s which are run within the historical buildings.
Other recommended sites include the Azer-Ilme, one of the Azerbaijani Carpet Gallery’s and the Museum of Mini Books, a private collection of over 6,000 miniature books by Zarifa Salakhova collected over two decades.
As tourism really only just started to recover since 2000, several new international branded hotels have recently emerged in the capital with more in the pipeline. Some of the notable luxury hotels in the city include Hilton Baku Hotel, JW Marriott Absheron Baku, Four Seasons Baku and the recently opened Jumeriah Bilgah Beach Hotel. The Fairmont Baku - part of the iconic Flame Towers complex is expected to open early 2013.
Exploring North Azerbaijan
North Azerbaijan boasts of breath taking mountain scenery. Over half of Azerbaijan’s land mass consists of mountain ridges, crest and plateaus. The highest peck is that of Mount Bazarduzu on the boarder of Russia and Azerbaijan at 4,466 m. On the way you will find locals selling fresh and dried fruit, fresh and bottled vegetables spices and tea.
We visited Sheki and Gabala (five hours from Baku) with a side trip to Lahich Village. The trek to Lahichin includes an un-paved 11km road which could take up to an hour, but well worth the trip for its scenery and breath-taking views. The Village of Lihich is one of the most ancient human settlements in Azerbaijan. The Lahij District is located in the Ismayilli region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range at a height of 1,211 m above sea level. With a population of only 860 people and you can find authentic handicrafts particularly made of copper as well as carpets and rugs.
Sheki has preserved its ancient city-build structure and it is rich in beautiful architectural monuments. Here we visited an Albanin Christian Church and Sheki Khans Palace. This is considered the pearl of the Azerbaijan architecture. Built in 1762, the Palace has the most impressive artwork on the walls and ceiling which represents scenes from that period from hunting and battles. There are two 481 year old trees in front of the palace which are meant to protect it from the natural influences.
With its proximity to the GCC, convenient flights and five-star accommodation options, the country is looking to attract more Arab travellers to Azerbaijan. The state recently appointed Atlantis Holidays as their Middle East representative and is looking to introduce an online application system to ease the application process.
By Kim Thomson