salam hello Content History 2 Activities 4 Culture 6 Food 8 Landscape 10 Welcome to Azerbaijan, home of the Karabakh horse. Architecture 12 Our national animal is famed for its speed, stamina and Baku 14 intelligence – we like to think that it represents us well! One country, millions of flavours 16 It gallops through an amazing landscape of creativity, Experience Azerbaijan 18 trade and culture. Ride with us as we take you on a City experience 20 journey to a land you’ll never forget. Culture experience 22 Wellness experience 24 Nature experience 26 Practical Information 28 1 HISTORY Our land shows evidence of the earliest civilisations. But the Great Silk Road contemporary nation brought a constant stream of travellers, all leaving criss-crossed by history traces of their passing. And our history is still being rewritten today, giving us a never-ending supply of fascinating stories. Gobustan Rising out of the semi-desert here is the UNESCO Cultural Landscape of more than 6,000 rock engravings, which go back 40,000 years. You can also see graffiti by a Roman legionary - the furthest east it has ever been found.. Ateshgah The fire-worshipping Zoroastrians left their mark at Ateshgah, where the Fire Temple amazes visitors with its spouts of flame. The present temple only dates from the 19th century, though, as the site was adopted by the Hindu merchants trading in nearby Baku. Shamkir and Goygol There’s no better place to see the influence of the Great Silk Road than the towns of Shamkir and Goygol, where German settlers lived in the 19th century. The beautifully restored Germanic streets, and Lutheran churches, make this a must- see destination. Black Gold In the first years of the 20th century, Baku supplied half of the entire world’s oil production, making the fortunes of the Rothschilds, the Nobel brothers, and the Taghiyevs. Thanks to the oil barons of Baku, a new city was born out of the old, and it’s fascinating to discover the stories behind every façade. Today Modern Azerbaijan is a thriving contemporary nation, with cutting-edge cultural, leisure and business facilities. Our hospitality is as warm as ever, and our history is still being shaped by our many guests. 2 3 Azerbaijan has the perfect ACTIVITIES landscape for every kind of holiday you can think of, from the relaxation of land of leisure a spa or beach, to more energetic pursuits. buzzing with energy Kitesurfers You’ll find perfect conditions to learn kitesurfing at the flat-water lagoon at Shurabaad, close to Baku. Once you’ve mastered it in the shallow waters of the lake, take your board out into the open Caspian. Beach It’s not far from Baku to the Amburan Beach Club, one of the best resorts and beaches in the area, where you can get a splendid view of the Caspian from the comfort of a poolside lounger. Golf If you’d rather spend the day avoiding the sand, Baku has a challenging and enjoyable course close to the city centre, or you can travel to Quba to play on the National Federation course, which has breathtaking mountain views. Hiking The views in the mountains are stunning in summer, especially the area of Qakh. Ilisu village was once its very own tiny sultanate, and you can hike from the photogenic ramparts to amazing viewpoints and spectacular waterfalls. Skiing The classy resort at Shahdag has first- class amenities, 14 well-prepared slopes and friendly and accommodating teachers and staff. For more challenging pistes, try the black runs at Tufandag. Sport From Chovqan, a traditional Karabakh horse-riding game, to freestyle wrestling, we’ve always prided ourselves on staying healthy and strong. We’re into gymnastics, boxing, futsal, and football. But we also host events, from the 1st European Games in 2015 to Formula 1, the UEFA Europa League Final 2019, and the UEFA European Football Championships 2020. Our beautiful sports venues are well worth visiting! 4 5 CULTURE From the latest cultural experiences, to traditions that haven’t changed modern art in hundreds of years, our country shows the traditional masterpieces influence of all the artists that have passed through and called it home. Art The collections at the Heydar Aliyev Centre and Yarat Contemporary Art Centre show the incredible diversity and energy of Azerbaijani art today. We’ve always been famed for decorative arts like weaving, silverwork and metalwork. But Faig Ahmed has taken carpets to a new level with his mindbending designs! Fashion The traditional Kelaghayi silk scarf is still a strong expression of our cultural identity. But these days, we’re at the forefront of contemporary chic, with our own fashion week in its seventh season, and our style even providing the inspiration for Leonie Mergen’s “Karabakh” collection at Berlin fashion week. Music Here, we love to sing, dance and play music. The classic form of Azerbaijani music, the mugam, is so good it represented World Music on the Voyager space probe! Our jazz mixes mugam with blues, African music and modern Western styles. But our new favourite is the Eurovision Song Contest. We started competing in 2008, and it only took us until 2011 to win! You may have seen it in 2012, when it was broadcast from Baku. 6 7 Azerbaijan’s unique FOOD geography and location have resulted in a cuisine influenced not just by its latest cuisine own varied ingredients, but the tastes of many classic dishes peoples travelling along the Silk Road. So it’s full of surprising flavours and combinations! Plov Our favourite dish is plov - rice served with meat, fish or fruit. Every family has its own recipe - there are books with 40 different versions in! There is even an International Plov festival. Pakhlava Pakhlava, symbolizing stars in the sky, is a festive dish made for Novruz, the traditional celebration of the coming of spring. Our classic pakhlava is cut into diamonds, but in Sheki they have halva, which comes in squares, while in Gabala it is triangular and called “uchgulag” (3 ears). Wine We’ve been making wine for thousands of years. The varied terrain of our fast- improving wineries across the country results in a myriad of flavours and bouquets. Our most famous are Caspian Coast, Fireland Vineyards, Yarimada, Hacihetemli, Savalan, Hillside, and Agsu pomegranate wine. Caviar and Fish Caspian fish has its own special taste and is best served with narsherab (pomegranate sauce). Our most famous fish is the Beluga sturgeon, which don’t reach reproductive age till they are around 20 years old. No surprise then that beluga caviar is now one of the world`s most expensive delicacies. Caravanserai The ultimate way to experience traditional Azerbaijani food is at a caravanserai. These were the hotels of the medieval merchants travelling on the Silk Road, and now offer sumptuous banquets. 8 9 LANDSCAPE If you are imagining any one kind of terrain, you’ll be surprised! The Azerbaijan summer hillsides climate has 9 distinct zones, and every kind of geography, winter slopes from the mountains and plateaus to the lowlands and coast. Sand It’s not just in the desert! The shores of the Caspian sea have plenty of excellent beach clubs to enjoy, from the Absheron Peninsula resorts, which are easily within reach of Baku, to the water sports at Shuraabad. Snow Azerbaijan is nearly surrounded by mountains, so we get great summer hiking and winter skiing. Our best ski resorts are at Shahdag and Gabala, while in the summer you can get up to Khinalug, which is so isolated it has its own language! Fire You’ll be amazed by Yanar Dag, which is a hill that has been blazing away with a 10 metre wall of flame since the time of Marco Polo. It’s no wonder people here used to worship fire! Mud We have about half of the world’s discovered mud volcanoes - 400 of them! Dashgil area is wonderfully lonely and atmospheric, unsigned and unfenced. There’s a good variety of regularly active but gentle features including many high plopping mud nozzles and a bubbling mud pool. Flowers and trees The flora of our country is impressive all year round thanks to the variety of habitats. Wild flowers are particularly impressive in late spring, with massed poppies giving a splash of colour to the young, emerald green corn fields. In June it’s the turn of the mountains to bloom. The Lankaran forest has even been the inspiration for a perfume made from the native ironwood tree. 10 11 The buildings of Azerbaijan ARCHITECTURE are a glorious mixture of styles, reflecting the cultural shifts and fluid simplicity changing trends of hundreds of years. From intricate details minarets to mosaics, medieval to modern, every corner reveals something different. Momine Khatun Mausoleum The dramatic, semi-desert mountain landscapes of the Nahkchivan Autonomous Republic stretch from brooding Mt Aghri to the historic town of Ordubad. This stunning 25-metre high decagon of red brick and turquoise enamelled tiles is the finest example of the Nakhchivan architectural tradition. Shirvanshakh Palace You can see a fascinating variety of medieval Islamic architecture in this part of Baku’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, because the complex was built gradually, over the course of centuries. Haydar Aliyev Centre World-famous architect Zaha Hadid designed the crown jewel of our architecture in central Baku. It flows seamlessly from the plaza around it, joining the exterior and the interior to represent the inclusion of everyone in a place of shared ideas. A museum, exhibition halls and an auditorium are housed together in this single eternally flowing shape.