Admiring Azerbaijan

Eclectic Baku 

Azerbaijan’s capital is an interesting mix of Icheri sheher, or the Old Town, whose parts date as far back as the 12th century, classical Soviet architecture, and ultra-modern glass skyscrapers. All of these intertwine beautifully into a unique kaleidoscope of styles and colors. Icheri sheher is crowned with the Maiden Tower, a 12th century 30-metres-tall tower which probably had a defensive function, but its construction is also linked to a range of legends such as the one about a young princess whose father wanted to marry her. She promised to marry him if he would build a tall tower in her honor, but when he did, she climbed to the top, jumped and killed herself. While walking in the Old Town, it is easy to spot a magnificent trio of curved glass buildings atop of a hill. These are the Flame Towers, whose shape resembles flames and embodies fire as a symbol of the country. The towers can be reached by a combination of a short walk from Icheri sheher and a ride on a funicular. The views from the Flame Towers area are stunning: banks of the Caspian Sea have been turned into a boulevard, a several-kilometer-long walkway lined with trees, fountains, patches of grass and occasional cafes and restaurants. There is still a lot of construction going on at either end of boulevard – one end will soon be enriched with the Sun Building while the opposite one is going to have a building in the shape of the Moon. These extravagant construction plans underway illustrate the importance of oil for country’s economy.

Xinaliq, a village from a fairytale 

Although only about 5 hours away by car, Xinaliq, the highest lying village in Azerbaijan, feels light years away from the splendor of modern Baku. About a thousand people are said to live here, most of them in modest houses made of stone. The fact that there is not much to do in Xinaliq – you can visit a school, a tiny post office, a supermarket or a one-room museum – contributes to its charm. Nested about 2,300 m above sea level, the village is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, endless hilly pastures with herds of cattle, sheep and donkeys, and pure mountain streams. Children are particularly eager to meet foreigners. I met a boy of about seven who was trying to show off his knowledge of English by naming all the possible social networks. Although the Internet has reached the village a while ago, it feels like globalization has not yet managed to damage the genuine spirit of the locals. Nobody speaks much English, but they are happy to chat in Russian, Azeri or Xinaliqi, a local language specific to the village. Children love to wander around the village, play volleyball using a fence as a net, or, as on the day of my visit, go door-to-door to collect their treats for Eid, a festive day following the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. On the last day of Ramadan, many people who had moved to the city return to the village and visit the graves of their families, so the village swells with joy and celebration.

On the last day of my visit, a driver should take me and two other travelers back to the city invited us over to his home for lunch. His wife served plov, a traditional dish made of rice and lamb served with yoghurt on the side. Many people were visiting the house at the same time as us, but the atmosphere became particularly cheerful when a certain man entered the room. They showed us, the foreigners, a photo of a Western woman, supposedly from Canada and much younger looking than the gentleman who had just arrived, and cracked a few jokes how she was about to marry him when she visited Xinaliq! It was a good laugh for all of us before we had to jump into an ancient Lada, the only car that seems sturdy enough for the terrain of Xinaliq, and head to the city of Quba.

Lahij for copperware, Sheki for sweets

West of Baku, tourists (mostly Azeri) flock to Lahij, a village known for its coppersmiths. While only a few workshops are still active today, the copperware they produce is considered top quality and often reaches astronomic prices. You can get a giant plate, for example, which takes several months to be made, for about 2,000 USD. No wonder the shop owners proudly display a photo of the president’s daughter who received one of such plates as a wedding gift! Other than the main street full of shops, there is an interesting mosque which has been turned into a museum. There, you can find some pieces of equipment traditionally used in copperware production.

A few hours further west, there is a city of Sheki famous for two things: desserts and caravanserai hotels. Azerbaijani’s most famous baklava is made here: some types are quite similar to the Turkish version, but others are made of rice flour and have a much lighter texture although they are still equally high in sugar content. Various other sweets, including coated nuts and jellies, are also omnipresent. If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, Sheki is still worth a visit for its traditional caravanserais, inns with a central courtyard that used to welcome travelers, especially merchants, as they moved from one place to another in Central Asia. A typical caravanserai housed animals and supplies on the ground floor and people on the first floor. Interestingly, one of them has been turned into a modern (yet cheap) hotel, so you can spend a night there and get a feel of how it was like to travel in the region in the 18th century.

Although Baku has established itself firmly on the world map, the rest of the country is still relatively unknown in the West and therefore remains a true gem to explore. Nature-lovers will enjoy mountain villages such as Xinaliq or Laza, gourmets will splurge on desserts in Sheki, sport enthusiasts may enjoy skiing in Gabala or hiking pretty much all over the country, and art aficionados will sooth their soul with Lahij’s unique copperware.