Breakfast at the hotel. Panoramic view of the city and Baku
bay from Mountain Park
Full sightseeing tour in Baku: - Visit to the medieval part of
the Old City (11-19 cc) (Fortifications, Shirvanshakhs Palace
(14-15 cc., entrance), Karvansaray complex (14-15 cc.), old
mosques (11-19cc.), old bath, narrow small streets, art shops
and bench of Handicraf, “Gyz Galasi” (Maiden Tower) - the
oldest construction of Baku under UNESCO protection
(entrance).
Sightseeing excursion on Absheron Peninsula: Absheron
Peninsula, extension of the Caucasus Mountains, juts 35 miles
into the Caspian Sea, the largest inland sea in the world,
covering 386,400 sq. km. (149,200 sq. miles). Wide plain
contains ravines and salt lakes, and its some parts are
frequently flooded with tides. Vineyard plantations are
located here, but the region is particularly marked for its
oil deposits.
On this excursion you will be informed about the story of oil
development in Azerbaijan. Already at ancient times oil was
known to exist on Absheron Peninsula, and there were various
religious cults connected with oil and gas fields. Your guide
will tell you about different methods of oil extraction, both
ancient and modern. You will be introduced to non-traditional
use of oil, present situation of the oil industry in
Azerbaijan, and oil development prospects in the country.
Atashgah Fire -Worshippers’ Temple (XVII c.) is located within
Baku in Surakhany village (9 miles from Baku). The historical
roots of the monument go back to the days when Azerbaijan
state was only taking shape and establishing itself, and
Zoroastrism, in which the main role in rituals belonged to
fire, was a dominant religion in the country.-entrance).
“Qala” State Historical-Ethnographic Preserve. Azerbaijan’s
territory is rich with examples proving it to be the home to
ancient inhabitants. Absheron Peninsula has special importance
in terms of historical monuments. Absheron Peninsula, the
ancient settlement, has the history dating before century.
Barrows, fire traces and tombs found here during archeological
excavations prove this fact once again. One of the oldest
settlements in Absheron is Qala village that is located in the
northeast of the Peninsula. There are 215 architectural and
archeological monuments in Qala village and the surrounding
regions. The environment which is dated back to 3rd millennium
BC is preserved here. There are several architectural
monuments – 5 mosques, 3 bathhouses, 4 water houses (ovdan),
houses, agricultural buildings, sepulchers, tombs, barrows,
remnants of castle, etc. - of historical importance in Qala
which belong to the period between 3rd millennium BC and 20th
century. Qala village with its history of five thousands years
old had several districts. Of those, Tarakama, Balaverdi, Haji
Ramazan, Chambarakand are preserved till today.
“Yanardaq” State Natural Preserve Flames shoot into the air 10
feet (3.0 m) from a thin porous sandstone layer at the base of
a 30-foot-wide scarp (9.1 m) below a hillside known as Yanar
Dag near Baku, the capital of oil-rich Azerbaijan.[1] Only a
handful of fire mountains exist today in the world, and most
are located in Azerbaijan. Due to the large concentration of
natural gas under the Absheron Peninsula, natural flames
burned there throughout antiquity and were reported by
historical writers such as Marco Polo.The naturally occurring
fire burns most impressively at dusk, when both tourists and
locals sit at a nearby teashop deriving inspiration from the
spectacular sight. The numerous links to fire in the folklore
and icons of Azerbaijan are attributed to a connection to the
ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism, which first
appeared in this region over 2,000 years ago. Dinner at the
local restaurant. Returning to hotel. Overnight in Baku
