Azerbaijan

About Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is located on the southern parts of the Caucasus Mountains. The Caspian Sea cover the eastern side of this country. The neighboring countries of Azerbaijan are, Iran on the south and Armenia on the west.

On the other hand, Russia and Georgia border the country on the north and northwestern parts. The capital of the country is the ancient, yet high tech and modern city of Baku by the Caspian Sea.

What the country has got to offer

From the prehistoric sites to medieval alleys and modern structures, Azerbaijan has much to offer. Aside from the cultural, historical, and UNESCO sights, the country offers an incredible nature. In this post, we will be giving you an overall travel guide to Azerbaijan. Accordingly, we can see what the ‘land of fire’ and oil has got to offer. Also, we will be listing the top attractions and things to do in each city. Plus, we will talk about the dress code, transportation system, Currency of Azerbaijan, Visa and more.

Baku
old Azerbaijan

The History of Azerbaijan

The antiquity of Azerbaijan’s lands dates back to the first millennium BC and the first millennium AD.  During those eras, states such as Manna and Albania ruled over these lands. In the 3rd century AD, the Persian Sassanid Empire occupied these lands. After the advent of Islam, Islamic traditions entered the customs, language, and culture of Azerbaijan. During the following years, several Iranian commanders expanded the boundaries of this country. However, in 18th century, the country broke into smaller states. Notably, it was during that time that Iran and Russia’s war began which resulted into Treaty of Golestan and Turkmenchay. According to these agreements, Russia took the northern Azerbaijan, leaving the southern parts to Iran. However, Azerbaijanis fight for liberation continued in the northern Azerbaijan. Back then, the main conflicts were with their Armenian Neighbor over Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan after its first conflicts with Armenia

  • Gaining the first democratic republic in 1918 with the help of
  • The brief existence of Azerbaijan Democratic
  • Creation of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in 1920.
  • Joining Georgia and Armenia under the Transcaucasian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic in 1922.
  • Becoming an independent state in 1991.
  • Renewed and resolved conflicts with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020.

Azerbaijani Cuisine, Local Food & Signature Dishes

What better place than Azerbaijan to have a taste of the Azeri cuisine. To begin with, the signature dishes of this country are divers and rich in flavors. Plus, you can find some touches of Middle Eastern and European cuisine in different local dishes. Below, is a list of some of the signature dishes and local food of the country:

Traditional Dishes:

  • A variety of 40 Plov dishes ( flavored rice)
  • Dolma ( rice and meat stuffed in cabbage leaves)
  • Seafood dishes such as Baliq
  • Lavangi ( stuffed chicken)
  • Azerbaijani Kebabs such as Lyulya Kebab and shashliks
  • Piti Soup and Bozbash Soup as the national soup of the country
  • Sadj (Azerbaijanian Barbecue)
  • Dushbara ( smaller version of Russian dumplings)
  • Qutab ( vegetable of meat pie)
  • Different types of dumplings such as Khangal and Dushbara
  • Dovgha ( sour mild soup)
  • Kufta Bozbash ( meatballs)
  • Mangal Salaty ( Salad)
Azerbaijan traditional food

Drinks:

  • Azerbaijani Black Tea
  • Azerbaijani Sherbet ( cooled boiled water with fruits)

Sweets:

  • Pakhlava (the word famous Azerbaijani Baklava)
  • Halva ( a kind of sweet made of fried dough)
  • Azerbaijan jam

Cities and Historical & Natural Attractions of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a country with a bit of everything from history, culture, and modernity to spectacular nature. In this post, we will be listing the top ancient, historic, modern and natural attractions of different towns in Azerbaijan. For more information about different cities, regions and each attraction, you can check out our blog’s posts.

Baku museum

Baku, the Capital of the country

  • Highland Park and the Martyrs Lane cemetery
  • The eternal Flame Memorial Complex
  • National Flag Square
  • Seaside Park (Baku Boulevard) and Mini Venice region
  • The mud volcanoes near Baku
  • National Carpet Museum
  • Fountain Square, (Fevvarelar Meydani)
  • Nizami Ganjavi Monument
  • UNESCO sites of Shirvanshah Palace and Meidan Tower
  • Azerbaijan History National Museum
  • The UNESCO recognized Baku’s old city of Icheri Shekher
  • Modern structure of Heydar Aliev Center
  • The Marandi winery

Shamakhi

  • Center of winemaking and carpet weaving
  • Dzhuma Mosque
  • Cobblestone streets and historic monuments of Lahij Village
  • Diri-Baba Mausoleum-Mosque near Shamakhi in Marza village
  • Yeddi Gumbez Mausoleum (seven domes)

Gobustan

  • UNESCO site of Rock Art Cultural Landscape of the Gobustan National Park
  • Petroglyphs Museum
  • Bibi-Heybat Mosque
  • Fire mountain known as Yanardagh and Zoroastrian Fire Temple
nakhchivan

Lankaran

  • Black-Sand Beaches of Lankaran
  • Lankaran Fortress
  • Kichik-Bazar mosque
  • Fortified village of Khanega
  • Pir Hussein Mosque and Mausoleum
  • The House of Mirakhmad khan

Qabala

  • Tufandag Mountain Resort
  • Gabaland Entertainment Center
  • Yeddi Gozal Waterfall (Seven Beautiful Waterfall)
  • Udin Temple near Gabala
  • Nearby Nohur Lake
Sheki Azerbaijan

Mingechevir

  • Mingechevir Archeological Complex
  • More than 200 burial places and mounds

Sheki

  • Caravanserais
  • Juma Mosque
  • Gileili Minaret
  • Traditional Bath
  • Sheki History Museum
  • New Sheki Fortress
  • village of Ilisu
  • Sheki Khans’ Palace
  • Nearby Kish Village and the Kish Albanian Church

Ganja

  • Ganja Shah Abbas Caravanserai and mosque
  • The Mausoleum of the great Azerbaijani Poet, Nizami Ganjavi
  • Ancient Ganja Gate
  • Imam-zade Mausoleum
  • Old Ganja Fortress
  • Ganjevi Mausoleum
  • Javadkhan Mausoleum
  • Sheikh Bahauddin Complex
  • Ancient Settlemen of Ganja

Nakhichevan

  • Mausoleum of Yusuf ibn Kuseyir
  • Alindzha-Kala Fortress
  • Dzhulfa Caravanserai
  • Gulistan Mausoleum
  • Health Resorts and salt therapy programs
  • Alinja’s fabled castle
  • Noah’s Tomb
  • The Nakhchivan Khans’ Palace
  • Lake Batabat
  • The Ashabi Kahf Cave
  • Ordubad City
Azerbaijan Attractions

Mingechevir

  • Mingechevir Archeological Complex
  • More than 200 burial places and mounds

Need to Know

Things to Consider Before Traveling to Azerbaijan

Before setting your travel plans to Azerbaijan, you might want to consider a few things about this country. Below, we have gathered some information about Visa, Dress Code, mobile service, internet, and more in Azerbaijan. At any rate, if you have more questions about traveling to Azerbaijan, do not hesitate to contact us at Travelopersia. We would be happy to guide you to your trip to this interesting country.

Visa for Azerbaijan

Most nationalities can apply for an e-visa for entering and staying at Azerbaijan. Moreover, Visa-Free countries that can enter the country without obtaining a visa. Even more, residents of the Gulf Cooperation Countries can apply for a visa upon their arrival. Accordingly, these countries are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and, Oman. Keep in mind that there is a registration rule for staying more than 15 days in the country. Therefore, tourists have to get registered with the State Migration Service by their accommodation provider.  We will talk about ways of applying for an Azerbaijan Visa, its rules, documents, and more in another blog post.

Dress code in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijanis are mostly the followers of Islam. However, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Hindus, and the followers of other religions also reside in Azerbaijan. Therefore, as a secular country, there is no dress code expected from the locals or the tourists. Accordingly, locals and visitors wear different European types of clothing. Overall, you should only keep in mind the following if you want to visit any mosques around the country.

  • Women should wear a head scarf and a long dress with leggings for visiting the mosques.
  • Men should wear modest clothes and long trousers for visiting the mosques.

What is the language spoken by the locals in Azerbaijan?

Azerbaijani or Azeri is the official language of the country. This language has similarities with the Turkish language. This is due to the reason that it is an Oghuz branch of the Turkic language. Interestingly, locals of South Russia and Northern Iran speak different dialects of this language outside Azerbaijan. Also, Russian and Armenian (in Nagorno-Kharabakh region) are other popular languages. Other languages spoken in Azerbaijan are:

  • English as a foreign
  • Lezgian in northern
  • Avar in north-western parts and
  • A type of Iranian language called
  • A number of endangered languages such as: Budukh, Juhuri, Cek, Tat, etc.
  • Immigrant languages such as: Assyrian, Georgian, Polish, Ukrainian, etc.

Mobile Service and Internet

4G Mobile Network is available by main Mobile and Network providers in Azerbaijan. Each network provider offers a variety of inexpensive Mobile Internet Bundles. Still, the mobile network and coverage is pretty much the same in Baku and other cities. Also, you can use the WI-FI in business centers, cafes, restaurants, parks, and hotels.

Exchange and currency

The Azerbaijan Manat is the national currency of the country. Notably, the abbreviation for the Manat is AZN. While traveling around Azerbaijan card payments are available. However, we recommend you to carry cash too. You can exchange money at Currency exchange offices and banks. Moreover, you can also use MasterCard/Visa ATMs in major cities and towns.

Country Map

What is the best time to travel to Azerbaijan?

The Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian Sea moderate the weather conditions of the country. Plus, whether in winter or spring, all year round, there are plenty of things to do. However, travelers for a more ideal weather mostly plan their trip during:

  • Mid-April to June 10th.
  • Early September to October 28th.

Below, you can find a season by season weather guide to Azerbaijan. Accordingly, depending on the purpose of your visit, you can travel to this country during different seasons.

Season by season weather guide to Azerbaijan

  • Spring (March to May): the weather is still moderately cold during spring. For that, this season is one the least busy seasons for tourism. Notably, Azerbaijanis celebrate the Novruz Bayrami in spring.
  • Summer (June to August): with high to warm temperatures, this season is the busiest for tourism. Accordingly, it is the best time to visit Azerbaijan for enjoying the hot long beaches of the country.
  • Fall (September to November): the second busiest season for traveling to Azerbaijan. Accordingly, the temperatures are much cooler, making it great for mountain walks and city explorations.
  • Winter (December through February): the coldest and the best time for enjoying a Ski Trip. Some of the most famous Ski Resorts of the country are Shahdag and Tufandag which are ideal for sport enthusiast.

What is the best way to get to Azerbaijan?

You can find flights to Azerbaijan which land at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Besides, Shuttle Buses are availed by the airport which can take you to the center of Baku city. Also, you can travel to this country by land through Georgia and Iran. In Georgia, you can take the night train from Tbilisi to Baku. Currently, Russian and Armenian borders are closed due to the recent conflicts in 2020. Interestingly, you can also reach the country by the Caspian Sea. Accordingly, with a 24-hour boat ride, you can reach Baku from Aktau in Kazakhstan. Also, if you have a Turkmen visa, you can catch a boat to Azerbaijan from Turkmenistan.

How to get around Azerbaijan?

You can get around each city in Azerbaijan by using the public transportation. Accordingly, you can use the Subway system in Baku which has two lines. Bus services, Taxis, and online Taxi apps such as UBER and Bolt are available in each city. For city to city transportation you can take ‘marshrutkas’ which are local buses and minibuses. Also, Train lines are available to Sheki, Gabala, Ganja, Shamkir, Lankaran, and other major towns and cities. As another option, if you have an international Driving Permit, you can rent a car for getting around.

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