Azerbaijan
Travel Guide > Europe > Azerbaijan
In this Article
- Introduction
- Brief History
- Geography
- Regions
- Cities
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Red Tape
- Money
- Work
- Study
- Language
- Eat
- Sleep
- Drink
- Health
- Safety
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
Placed attractively along the western coast of the Caspian Sea between Russia and Iran, you'd naturally expect Azerbaijan to be a place of some internal unrest with neighbours like that. But in recent years, the tension has been with western neighbour Armenia, over Nagorno-Karabakh, an area placed under Azeri control by the Soviets despite Armenian protests. For this reason, it's best to avoid the western reaches of Azerbaijan, where the tension is greatest.
But despite this setback, Azerbaijan still offers its visitors a heady combination of history and culture. Azerbaijan was settled as early as 1000 BCE, and the signs of a long past are everywhere. At Baku, the capital, the hustle and bustle of a country eagerly awaiting a economic boom (Azerbaijan's got plenty of oil riches within its borders) is underscored by a decidedly historical look. Elsewhere, visitors are drawn to ancient temples, ancient rock-art drawings, or brand new embroidered textiles.
Brief History
Geography
Azerbaijan shares international borders with Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran and little bit with Turkey. There is also ferry service to Kazakhstan.
Regions
- Baku Region
- Ganja Region
- Nagorno-Karabakh
- Nakhchivan
- Northeastern Azerbaijan
- Sheki Region
- Southern Azerbaijan
- Talysh Region
Cities
- Baku - The capital on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
- Ganja
- Lankaran
- Nakhchivan City
- Zaqatala
- Sumqayit
- Shaki
Sights and Activities
Caucasus Mountains
The north of Azerbaijan is a beautiful region and the Caucasus Mountains is one of the natural highlights of the country. The Sheki Region is of particular interest and several days in the mountains is a welcome relief of the hustle and bustle of Baku. Gateway is thehe small city of Sheki which also has many things to offer itself, including, like the Palace of the Sheki Khans (Khansarai) which is a magnificent work of Islamic architecture. Sheki is located in the northeast of the country and getting here is half the fun, along mountain roads with terrifcit views. To th enorth are the dramatic, snow-capped peaks of the Greater Caucasus.
Gobustan
The Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape is on the Unesco World Heritage List and is located immediately east of Baku. It contains three areas of a plateau of rocky boulders in the semi-desert and has an outstanding collection of more than 6000 rock engravings dating back to almost 40 000 years ago. There are remains of inhabited caves, settlements and burials, which all reflect an intensive human use by the inhabitants of the area. It is possible to visit this area on a day trip from Baku.
Xachmaz Region
Believe it or not, but Azerbaijan has its own beaches along the Caspian Sea and the most popular ones with the locals are located in the northeast of the country, around the city of Xachmaz. But The Xachmaz region has to more to offer and on top of the beaches is very rich with monuments of history, culture and architecture. Some of the most significant are Sarkartapa, the ancient city-fortress Khudat, a fourth century Albanian mosque and the sixteenth century mosque-madrasa of Shah Abbas.
Other sights and activities
Events and Festivals
Weather
Getting There
By Plane
Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) (website currently not working) is the busiest airport in the Caucasus. It is located near Baku, the capital, and services flights primarily to destinations in Central Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe. Azerbaijan Airlines, the national airline, has its main hub here.
There are smaller airports at Ganja and Nakhichevan, both of which serve flights to Moscow. Turan Air also operates flights between Istanbul and Ganja.
By Train
The only international train connection is the direct train between Baku and the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi.
By Car
By Bus
Buses travel west to Georgia and south to Iran. There are even directly masochistic bus connections to Istanbul, taking something like 3 days...or more.
By Boat
Ferries, both cargo and passenger, travel across the Caspian Sea from Baku in Azerbaijan to Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan and Aqtau in Kazakhstan. Services are erratic though, but the crossing to Turkmenistan is the most popular and reliable. Some ferries go to Russia as well, which is mostly used because as a foreigner, you can't travel overland between the two countries.
Theoretically, ferries also cross the Caspian Sea to Iran, but these are unreliable and infrequent, no schedules exist, they are not comfortable and it's slow. It is adventurous though!
Getting Around
By Plane
Azerbaijan Airlines flies between Baku and Ganja and Nakhchivan City (exclave).
By Train
There are a few rail connections, most notably the one going west towards Georgia, linking Baku with Tbilisi. It's comfortable, cheap, but slow and not suitable for going to some more remote areas.
By Car
Although several companies offer cars, it is best to rent one with a driver if you feel the need. Roads are not always in a good shape and driving can get on your nerves in some bigger cities and towns or in the moutains of the north. You need a national driver's licence (EU countries) or international driving permit.
By Bus
Buses and minivans are the way to go in Azerbaijan with frequent, reliable and cheap connections going literally everywhere in the country. It is also generally faster (or less slow) than trains, but also not as comfortable. Minivans leave when full, buses run on a timetable somehow.
By Boat
Few boats are available for passengers, but sometimes there are services from Baku going south to Lankaran.
Red Tape
Money
See also: Money Matters
The Azerbaijani Manat (AZM) is the official currency of the country. One manat is divided into 100 qəpik. Banknotes are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 manat. Coins in circulation are 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 qəpik.
Work
Study
Language
Azerbaijani (or Azeri Turkish) is the official language. Dialects of the language are also widely spoken in parts of Iran and in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, south-eastern Georgia, northern Iraq, and eastern Turkey.
English and Russian are both used in the education system. Lezgi, Armenian, Talysh, Avar, Tatar, Ukrainian, Georgian, Turkish, Tsakhur, Kurdish, Tat, Udi, Greek and Chechen are spoken by minorities.
Sleep
Drink
Health
Safety
References
- 1 2007 Estimate. Source: The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan
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