7 WONDERS OF !

Perhaps, every corner of the world has its own amazing objects that possess only their inherent properties. And what features 7 wonders of Azerbaijan possess, namely: The Historical and Architectural Complex Inner City ("Icheri Sheher"), Pink Lake "Masazir", "Tower Castles" of Absheron, "Cities of Masters" Nij-Gabala-Sheki, Lake "Nokhur", Yeddy Gozal Waterfall (Seven Beauties), Gobustan Mud Volcanoes, Khizi Agate Mountains, Masazir Pink Lake, Gay Gel Lake, you will learn with us.

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TOUR PROGRAM (7 Days / 6 Nights)

1 DAY - Airport Transfer Arrival in , meeting at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport with a professional English - speaking guide

Transfer to the hotel Information about the city and the country on the way to the hotel Check in and hotel accommodation Lunch in the restaurant Free time for leisure Dinner in the restaurant Overnight at the Hotel

2 DAY - Baku city tour Breakfast in the hotel Walk through the historical part of Old Baku - Icheri Sheher. If the city has an , then it has a heart. And it doesn’t matter how the metropolis is built and grows, this little piece of antiquity, like the roots of a tree, contains the entire crown of history. The historical complex includes many architectural monuments that have survived to

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our times: mosques, towers, churches, squares and other important buildings of the Shah's reign. You will visit:  Museum and palace complex of the Shirvanshahs (XV century)  Maiden's Tower (XII century) . The Maiden’s Tower is the oldest symbol of the city of Baku. Most scientists believe that the tower was built in two stages: half in the V century, and the upper part in the XII century. But there are versions with dating that hint at the construction of the tower BC.  Museum of miniature books. The world's only museum of miniature books is located on one of the streets of the Old City (Icheri Sheher) in Baku. All books are smaller than a palm. The size of many publications is not more than 1 centimeter, and the "area" of the smallest book in the collection is 2x2 millimeters.  Workshop of Ali Shamsi. Tourists, walking along Kichik Gala street, have to stop near a 90-year-old tree with three female faces, take a picture with a lion on the facade of the workshop and go through the open door to admire Ali Shamsi's paintings, talk with the master and take a picture with him as a keepsake.

Lunch in the restaurant Walk along the Seaside Boulevard and a boat trip (depending on weather conditions). Coming to Baku you should definitely visit the Seaside Boulevard. Visitors to the city will find ______

many attractive places here: museums, attractions, parks, cafes, restaurants and much more. The boulevard itself is unusually beautiful and diverse. Its central part amazes with the richness of greenery and flowers, and the steps of the coastal strip end right at the sea water.

Visit to the Carpet Museum. It is a sort of fairytale place that promises you a journey in time full of enjoyments. The first charm that grabs the attention is the shape of museum being a rolled carpet on the seaside park. It’s a museum displaying carpet culture of Azerbaijan throughout the centuries. Here you can see mainly carpets, jewelries, traditional clothes and many other crafts, which represent Azerbaijani culture. As Azerbaijan has strong historical background, the carpet culture contains various schools and techniques with variety of motives and ornaments covering all parts of Azerbaijan in a different timeline. Walking through the museum allows traveling across the country as the exhibits in the museum are divided by regions. Apart from that, the structure of museum gives an opportunity of seeing carpets and other exhibits closely

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Visit to Highland Park, from where a beautiful view of the city opens. Climbing the stairs higher and higher, you seem to climb the mountain. Your chest is filled with the cool and refreshing air of the highlands, your wings are spread, and you, like a bird, fly over this ancient, majestic city Highland park, well known as ‘’Viewing Square’’, and earlier in Soviet era as ‘’Sergei Kirov park’’ is one of the most favorite places in Baku to have walk, rest, and enjoy the sea view. There you can take rest by breathing fresh air, viewing the city, drinking tea in the Highland Park Café, while listening to the classic lounge music. It’s the best place to relax, that is located right in the heart of Baku. Transfer to the hotel Overnight at the Hotel

3 DAY – «Masazir» Lake and Absheron’s «Tower Castles» Завтрак в отелеBreakfast in the hotel Meeting at the hotel lobby with a friendly tour guide Transfer to Masazir lake Masazir is a small village located 15 km north of Baku along the road to Sumgayit, and the large salt lake bearing the same name as the village is its main attraction. Masazir Lake is the Dead Sea of Azerbaijan. Its area is 10 square meters. km The concentration of salt in it is very high,

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so there are no flora and fauna. The pink color of the water provides large amounts of chloride and sulfate, concentrated in the composition of the water.

Starting Absheron tour Firstly, to Atesgah (Fire Temple) it is the first main settlement of worshippers in Azerbaijan since the second century. Ateshgah often called the "Fire Temple of Baku" is a castle-like religious temple in Surakhani town, a suburb of Baku, Azerbaijan. Based on Persian and Indian inscriptions, the temple was used as a Hindu, Sikh, and Zoroastrian place of worship. Ateshgah – is temple of fire exotic of Azerbaijan. It is known almost all over the world. It is situated 30 km away from Baku, in Surakhani district. This territory is well known with it is phenomen - natural gas which comes from ground and and burns. The temple was built in XVII-XVIII centuries. It was built by a Hindu community in Baku, belonging to the Sikh caste. But the history of Ateshgah is more ancient. Long ago in this territory was located the sanctuary of Zoroastrians - fire worshipers (approximately the beginning of our era). Lastly, we will visit: Yanar Dag (Azerbaijani: Yanar Dağ, meaning "burning mountain") Fire mountain — is one of the most incredible natural sightseeings of Absheron peninsula. This is a mountain hill which is impossible to put out neither with rain nor with sand. And it is several thousand years that it burns. The frightening and simultaneously mesmerizing fiery landscape are actually explained very simply: From the

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upper layers of the soil natural gas is released, and when it comes into contact with oxygen, it turns into a flame.

Lunch in the restaurant Transfer to Gala The trip will start with a visit to Gala open-air museum. Gala Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum Complex is situated in the historical part of Gala village. There are 216 monuments in the territory of the village. You will see petroglyphs (stone carvings) dating back to the third and second millennia B.C and the Middle Ages, household ceramics and archaeological artifacts discovered in the Absheron Peninsula. Merchant’s house is a magnificent example of medieval dwelling houses existing in the village. Furthermore, tombstones, kurgans, various tools, such as “khana” (tool for carpet weaving) are demonstrated in the museum.

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Then we’ll continue with the trip to see the tower in Mardakan village. Mardakan toponym is related to the name of tribe “Mard”. With the consolidation of the Shirvanshahs many towers were built in Absheron Peninsula. In addition to its historical significance, Quadrangular Tower in Mardakan is one of the majestic castles and a part of Absheron’s integrated defense system. The tower was located in such a convenient place, that seashore, Gala and Ramana fortresses were easily visible from the Tower. There are two castles in Mardakan and both have played an important role in Azerbaijan' history duting the 13th and 14th centuries. They are known as Mardakan Towers and they have different tower shapes, one is round and the other one is rectangular. The Quadrangular Tower is bigger than the Round Tower, being 22 m in height. It was built in the 14th century and it has 5 floors. Its purpose was defensive, its inner courtyard of 28m X 25 m could not host many people at once. It was mainly used for defending Mardakan on a temporary basis.

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Dinner in the restaurant Overnight at the Hotel

4 DAY – «Cities of the Masters». Visiting the reserve cities of Lagich, Nij - Gabala and Sheki Breakfast in the hotel Meeting at the hotel lobby with a friendly tour guide. Check out from the hotel in Baku On the road you can visit Maraza village known for its unique monument - two-storied mausoleum-mosque of the 15th century called Diri-Baba, located across from the old cemetery Transfer to Shamakhi Visiting the oldest mosque in the South Caucasus – Shamakhi Juma Mosque; Yeddi Gumbez Mosque, the Shirvan Shah's family grave yard  Diri-Baba Mausoleum-Mosque - On the way from Baku to Shamakhi there is Maraza village known for its unique monument - two-storied mausoleum-mosque of the 15th century called Diri-Baba, located across from the old cemetery. For a long time, the local residents have kept the legend that their imperishable Saint Diri-Baba had been buried.

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 On the way, you will have a stop in Shamakhi Juma Mosque that is built-in 743 which is the most ancient known mosque in the Caucasus region. This oldest and largest mosque in Azerbaijan, Shamakhi Dzhuma, according to the legend was built in the 8th century when Shamakhi was chosen as residence by an Arabian caliph. The initial Arabian inscription on the portal of the mosque said that the mosque had constructed in 744

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 At the foot of Gulistan Fortress is located Yeddi Gumbez Mausoleum or “Seven Domes”. This is how people named Shamakhi tomb of Shirvan Dynasty rulers. There the notorious representatives of Shirvan Dynasty were buried. The monument's name is defined be the number of gravestones in the crypt. Today the gravestones look like half-destroyed stone domes as if grown directly from under the ground in the middle of deserted graveyard. Therefore, the atmosphere of this district seems a little mysterious.

Transfer to Lahij If you are ever touring in Shamakhi, do not miss a visit to a historical-architectural landmark in its surroundings – village Lagich built in the 5th century B.C. on the canyon of the river Girdimanchai (Upper Caucasus). The village is small, but very picturesque. The territory is recognized as a cultural reserve and is considered a popular touristic destination of the Great Silk Road. Lagich has preserved its trade and craft center up to now. You can meet there unique hand-made items from copper, adorned with carving in the form of oriental ornaments, knitted and weaved goods, wood and leather ware, souvenir knives and many other. As soon as Lagich received the status of the cultural object, its population started to grow. Azerbaijani village did not lose its colorful historical look. Wandering streets, one might hear rumble of ancient workshops coming from somewhere. Copper, leather and carpet crafts are

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still flourishing, with only one difference that main merchants today are tourists. Moreover, local goods are supplied to many foreign shops too. The little town is decorated with paved squares, accurate houses, and hand-made crafts shops full of interesting pieces created by the Lagichians. People here are kind and friendly, and the air is literally filled with the atmosphere of calm, coziness and unlimited talent of the locals.

Lunch at the restaurant After lunch, start a Gabala tour Transfer to Nidj On the way, visit the first Albanian church in Caucasus, dating back to the 1st century AD. The Church of the Udi is located near Gabala, in the village of Nij. This small church is special. It belongs to the native people of this part of the world – The Udi people. One of the most ancient of the Caucuses with mentions dating back to 5BC. There are only a few thousand Udi people in the world today and the majority, approx. 4.000 live in this area and village in ______

Azerbaijan. Today they practice Orthodox Christianity and you will be welcomed with their kindness to see their church, renovated and used. In their homes, a flame always burns and the moon plays a great part in their beliefs. All signs that they followed much more before Christianity. They have kept their own language but of course, most are bilingual. Farming plays an important role in the Udi language naming calendar months after things like grapes and seeds

Transfer to Gabala Visiting “Nohurgol” (lake) - Lake Nohur in Gabala is one of the most popular tourist destinations in our country and you will tale a tour this lake during our Gabala tour. The lake is unusual, beautiful, surrounded by mountains and reed beds, and resembles a mirror in which wooded slopes look. The peculiarity of this reservoir is that although it is located high in the mountains, it is easily accessible, you can get here by car and even stay in a local recreation area. Located 3km east of Gabala with its unique nature, the lake Nohur resembles a ring spur, located in a natural hole between the Gullurun, Goydag and Yumru mountains. At times of severe winter, the surface of Nohur Lake is completely frozen. In the winter of 1953, the ice cover on the lake surface was 40-50 cm. It was. The residents of the nearby village of Nohurqishlag using this force brought fire and building materials from the sky to the north of the lake, passing through the force of live power and technology. The fact that the surface of the dam was completely covered with ice was repeated in the winter of 2007-2008.

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Visiting “Yeddi Gozel” (waterfall) - Seven Beauty Waterfall. iT is located in the outskirts of Gabala, near the village of Vandam. The waterfall consists of seven cascades, hence its name. If you want to admire this natural wonder, then you should go there very early. A waterfall is a place of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world, the pedestrian route is usually crammed with cars and buses, and there is always a crowd of admiring spectators on a narrow wooden staircase. Some consider this place holy. Hypertensive patients and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, before visiting the waterfall should consult a doctor because at the height is breathtaking. Tourists are allowed to climb only to the fifth step, and only brave souls risk climbing to the fifth, sixth, seventh steps.

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Complex of Summer-Winter Recreation Zone "Tufandag", including Tourist Complex "Tufandag". Tufandag Winter-Summer Tourist Complex is located 4 kilometers far from Gabala city. The resort allows visitors to enjoy different extreme sports and tourism activities in the harmony with nature. Tufandag complex provides skiing in winter, going up to the mountains by cable cars in summer, mountain climbing by ATV quad bikes and other types of entertainment. “Tufandaq”Winter-Summer Tourism Complex offers cable car rides at any time of the year, skiing on the ski tracks of different difficulty level, ski training and ski school, catering service (cafe and restaurants), entertainment centres for kids, hotel and other services. Ski lifts are placed to serve the available ski terrain in the most efficient manner, while considering a myriad of factors such as wind conditions, round –trip skiing and access needs, skier connectivity between other lifts and trails and the need for circulatory space at the lower and upper terminal sites. Additionally, it is recognized that the vertical rise and length of ski lifts for a particular mountain are the primary measures of overall attractiveness and marketability of a ski area. Generally, there are 4 rope ways in the complex. Guests can beautiful natural landscapes of Tufandag chain of Great Caucasian with rope ways. General length of rope ways is 5.8 km. The trail system concept is designed to take advantage of every opportunity to creating Intermediate and lower ability level trails along the ridges and in the valleys will prove to be successful and would create a good ski experience. The trail network minize cross-traffic and provide the full range of ability levels consistent with market demand. Total of 17 km slopes length.

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Transfer to Sheki Check in and Baku hotel accommodation Dinner in the restaurant Overnight at the Hotel

5 DAY – Sheki - Kish Tour Breakfast at the hotel Meeting at the hotel lobby with a friendly tour guide. Starting tour in Sheki City. During the trip you will take a walk-in historical place, see the work of craftsmen in craft workshops, and visit the Winter and Summer residences of the Shyakin khans, built without a single nail and considered one of the most valuable monuments of the XVIII century. You'll also taste the famous Sheki halva. Sheki Khan’s Palace, a medieval fortress, and local History Museum. Sheki’s pearl is the Palace of the Sheki Khans, built in the 18th century without a single nail. The unique in its beauty the two-story building of the palace amazes with the magnificence of its decoration, both external and internal. The facade of the palace is richly painted with plot drawings depicting

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hunting and war scenes, as well as intricate geometric and floral patterns. In front of the palace, at one time a marvelous garden was divided; sixteen tall Italian poplars arranged symmetrically divided it into four alleys. On the sides of this garden – when the outbuildings were located, in which the court, the Khan’s wives lived, their servants followed them a big terrace of one and a half human height. A small two-story building used to be part of a vast complex and was the summer residence of the Sheki Khans. The entire palace is painted with beautifully preserved drawings, in the center of the building there is a large, stunningly beautiful stained-glass window made of multicolor glass mosaic. The palace is under the protection of UNESCO and is among the most valuable architectural monuments of Azerbaijan.

The Caravanserai one of the attractions of Sheki during the Sheki tour. Caravanserais were built in the form of locks with a closed courtyard, with one gate, which closed in case of danger, resulting in an impregnable fortress. The complex consists of two caravanserais, called “Yukhary” (Upper) and “Ashagy” (Lower). Their construction dates back to the XVIII-XIX centuries. Part of the caravanserai is now used as a hotel. Then you walk along the streets of the city, admire the panorama of the city from the mountainous part. You will get acquainted with the manufacture of stained-glass windows “shebeke,” visit craft workshops and pastry shops with sheki sweets. ______

Visit the colorful Sheki Bazaar. Here, you can find virtually everything you may want to eat: local fruits and berries, spices, freshly-baked bread, honey, cheeses, and Sheki sweets. Visiting local mosque, handicrafts workshop, madrasah, and bazaar Panoramic view of the town Dinner in the restaurant Visiting Kish Village. In addition to the first Albanian church in the village of Nij, on the territory of Azerbaijan, there is another church belonging to the ancient people of Udin, which is located in the village of Kish The church itself is located on a hill above the river of the same name Kish. The structure has an original shape. In particular, the building has a narrow shape and ends with an abs (round projection) of a round shape. Inside the building, in front of the mentioned abside, one can distinguish a domed square, which is decorated with two arched ledges. The dome drum has a strictly rounded shape. Moreover, both inside and out. The drum is decorated with six narrow windows. The structure of the church is made of shireme - stone hewn squares. The village of Kish, which is located 5 kilometers from the city of Sheki in the region of the same name, is proud of its main attraction - the ancient Christian temple of the XII century.

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The results of the analysis of various objects found during the excavation showed that the cult site, which is located under the altar of the church, dates back to about 3000 BC. And the church building itself, as indicated above, was erected in approximately 990-1160 years of our era. Thus, the church was built on the site of even more ancient religious buildings. Dinner in the restaurant Overnight at the Hotel

6 DAY – Naftalan tour + Transfer to Baku Breakfast at the hotel Meeting at the hotel lobby with a friendly tour guide. Check out from the hotel Transfer to Naftalan We want to introduce you to Naftalan oil, which is an unrivaled unique medical factor in the world. Naphthalan oil, or simply naphthalan, is absorbed through the skin, has a positive effect on capillary blood flow, improves blood circulation in small vessels, dilates blood vessels, reduces blood coagulation, increases the activity of enzymatic processes and has an anti- inflammatory effect. , Its effectiveness in various diseases is confirmed by the results of more than 1600 scientific papers and monographs, including 270 theses. Therefore, its use is justified in diseases of the musculoskeletal system, musculoskeletal system, peripheral nervous system, skin, gynecological and chronic prostatitis. Naftalan promotes resorption of inflammatory processes, pain reduction and improved blood circulation as a result of exposure to the nervous system, which plays an important role in the body's defenses. The most pronounced therapeutic effect is observed with complex spa treatment, including naphthalanotherapy, massage and physiotherapy exercises.

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Lunch in the restaurant Transfer to the hotel

Check in and Baku hotel accommodation Free time for leisure Dinner in the restaurant Overnight at the Hotel

7 DAY – Art Cultural Landscape Breakfast in the hotel Meeting at the hotel lobby with a friendly tour guide Starting Gobustan tour - There are about 800 mud volcanoes and 350 of them are located in Azerbaijan. Moreover, some of these volcanoes are quiet. During your trip to Azerbaijan, we will take you to the place of Gobustan, where one of the most famous fields of mud volcanoes is located… Tour of the Museum (closed exposition) and the reserve (open part). The petroglyphs Museum (Museum under the open sky). Gobustan origins from the words Gobu and Stan. Thus, Gobustan is a country of ravines. Ravines there really a lot and the rivers were, but dried up, and the valley of mud volcanoes is, but the main thing is not this. The main thing in Gobustan is its famous petroglyphs. Therefore, scientists call images on a stone and consider it rudiments of writing. The age of these images is different-from the 12th century BC to the middle ages. In this area from time immemorial lived people who have left us traces of ______

their ancient and powerful culture. There are traces of such antiquity on the globe in many places, but Gobustan is one of the unique places in both the number and preservation of such images, and in the coverage of such a large historical period. People settled in these places for thousand years– one generation after another, and each left traces of their stay.

Visiting the Mud Volcanoes - Azerbaijan takes the first position in the world in terms of the number of mud volcanoes. There are as many as 350 pieces (in the world about 800). The dirt there began to spill out of the ground in this particular place only 50 years ago. To the East of the Gobustan Museum is a group of active volcanoes Dashgil. You will be able to visit and climb up close to the craters of mud volcanoes and watch the bubbling of liquid clay. A beautiful landscape, as if you are on the planet Mars (scientists have drawn an analogy and the surface in the area of Gobustan is very similar to the surface of the planet Mars) and the constant mud gurgling creates a feeling of unearthly surface.

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Lunch in the restaurant Leisure time Dinner in the restaurant Overnight at the hotel

8 DAY – Farewell Day Breakfast in the hotel Departure from the hotel Airport transfer

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Tour Price:

Hotel 2 pax 4-6 pax 6-10 pax

Qafqaz Baku City 4* Sheki Palace Hotel 4* 855 USD 590 USD 505 USD Qafqaz Baku City 4*

Boulevard Baku Hotel 5* Qafqaz Sport Hotel 5* 1010 USD 740 USD 655 USD Boulevard Baku Hotel 5*

* Price is per person in the double room category

INCLUDES:  6 nights in a hotel with breakfast (3n Baku+2n Sheki+2n Baku)  Transportation service  Guide service (English)  Sightseeing tour in Baku  Sightseeing tour in Absheron Peninsula  Sightseeing tour in Gobustan  Sightseeing tour in Shamakhi-Lahij-Nijd-Gabala  Sightseeing tour in Sheki-Kish  Sightseeing tour in Naftalan

NOT INCLUDES:  Personal expenses such as tips, porterage, telephone calls, room’s service, etc  Flight  Travel Insurance  E-Visa (30 USD per person)  Any Meals other than specified in inclusions  Surcharge will be applicable on particular events, festival, exhibition & fairs  Any security deposit asked by the hotel during check in

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:  Rates are quoted in US Dollar

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 Rates offered are non-commissionable  Rooms subject to availability on the actual date of booking  Check-in and Checkout Timing of the Hotel will be according to the timing of the respective Hotels.  Check-in time is 1500 hours and Check-out time is 1200 hours.  Early check-in and late check-out are subject to availability.  Late check-out from 1200 hours to 1800 hours will be charged 50% of the Best Available Rate of the day.  Package rates are subject to change without prior notice  The package cannot be combined with any other offer  The above package is not valid during national holidays, festivals, long weekends and New Year  MWA reserves the right to change/modify or terminate the offer any time at its own discretion and without any prior notice

PAYMENT  Confirmation of the Packages is subject to receipt of 100% payment (50 % payment advance & balance before arrival)

CANCELLATION POLICY  Refund on cancellation depends upon concerned hotel's cancellation policy

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