Azerbaijan

By Sheeba Muskaan

Surround yourself with nature, culture and history.

Azerbaijan is a country that gives one a blend of history, nature, the east and the west because of its borders that include Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran and Turkey. There is not one single reason to visit this astonishing beauty; it in fact has multiple reasons to take a visit. Azerbaijan is located at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and South-eastern Europe.

It is also very economical in terms of stay, food and travel as they are well-known for their Oil Industries. From high mountains, hot deserts and green meadows to old historic towns, it covers them all. If one is a big fan of seeing barren lands of volcano, Azerbaijan has 50% on mud volcano in the world. People of this place might not know English but they sure are very welcoming and helpful.

Baku

Baku is a mixture of old and new, Baku being the capital surprises one with their fine dining restaurants, clean roads, and a few historic towns as well. The place is very modern yet retains their cultural heritage thoroughly. Baku is popular for their weaving industry and carpets, the very famous Carpet Museum will leave every tourist in awe.

The museum gives enough knowledge on their various carpets and the growth of it over the years.  The candy Cane Mountains are just unbelievable and lie between Baku and Quba. These mountains are picturesque; it is a view of beautifully red and white striped peaks that look like candy. These peaks are a part of the Great Caucasus mountain ranges.

Shamakhi

Shamakhi, an ancient capital of Azerbaijan is filled with stunning mountains, forests and meadows. A few places to visit in Shamakhi are Fortress Gulistan, a structure representing the history of the place; Yeddi Gumbez or the seven domes are the tombstones from ancient times; Diri Baba, an individualistic monument from historic times that is very famous for its architecture and lastly; The Juma Mosque, a place of worship from the 8^th century. These places represent traditional aspects and surely fulfils ones trip to this stunning destination.

Lake Goygol

This lake is the most beautiful places and is surrounded by dense forests. The lake was created because of an earthquake many years ago. The Lake is best to see during the summer. The nearby villages keep the tourists entertained during their visit to the lake.

A few other places to visit in Azerbaijan would be Ganja, Ateshgah & Yanardag, Quba & Xinaliq, Laza and so on.

Azerbaijan is absolutely loved by all people; a trip to a place that has it all is definitely worth the money!