When you arrive in Baku, you will doubtlessly understand the reason it was named Badu-Kuba in ancient times, transforming to its current name Baku over the centuries. The city of winds does not disappoint its ancient name givers! Discovering the breathtaking streets of the Azerbaijani capital, Khazri, the cold wind blowing from the Caspian Sea will cool you down in a hot summer day. Check out the below places of interest to visit in Baku!
Places of Interest
Icherisheher, also called Old City or Inner city of Baku, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was once the historical core of Baku City. Surrounded by old city walls, this ancient settlement dates back to the 12thcentury. Now offering various types of restaurants, cafes, hotels, museums and cultural centers to the tourists, a walk in Icherisheher will take you back in history, where you can the spirit of Middle Ages with its stone pavements, old houses and mosques.
Located in Icherisheher, in the heart of Baku, Maiden Tower is the largest tower in Absheron Peninsula, with its height of 28 meters and diameter of 16-16.5 meters. This mysterious tower, of which purpose of use is still unknown until today, is the ancient symbol of Baku city.
Fountain Square – Fəvvarələr Meydanı in local language, that is also called Nizami Street, is the central street of the city. Here you can find many restaurants and cafes, as well as brands.
Carpentry is ancient art in Azerbaijan, practiced for thousands of years. Thus, it is not surprising that one of the places that you should definitely visit is Carpet Museum. Displaying unique examples of the art of carpentry, the Carpet Museum amazes the visitor with the vibrant colors of the artifacts, deep meaning of the elements and symbols, as well as different schools of carpentry in Azerbaijan, with the product of each school embracing the characteristics of the region it belongs to via its colors and motifs. Located in Baku boulevard, Carpet Museum should be part of your Baku city tour.
Heydar Aliyev Center is a Zaha Hadid architecture that amazes the visitors with its futuristic design. Apart from the center’s museum that is distinctive with its cutting-edge technology, there are also periodical exhibitions and events held in Heydar Aliyev Center. The working hours of Heydar Aliyev Center are as follows: Tuesday to Friday 11:00 am-7:00 pm, and on Saturday-Sunday 11:00 am-6:00 pm. The Center does not operate on Mondays. Heydar Aliyev Center is located in Heydar Aliyev Avenue, which is 10 minutes’ drive from the city center.
Ateshgah is the ancient temple of Zoroastrians in Baku. Known as “Fire Temple of Baku, Ateshgah is a religious building belonging to 17-18th centuries. The building is a unique monument in Baku, considering the importance of fire element in the country, even the name of Azerbaijan meaning “the Land of Fire”. Located in Surakhani village, 30 km from the city, Ateshgah Temple was visited by Zorastrians from all over the world in the ancient times. Now this building stands tall in its place, as the symbol of multiculturism, tolerance and ancient history of this land.
Gobustan National Park, this open-air museum consisting of the prehistoric rock carvings by ancient people will definitely amaze you. As you observe artifacts of ancient people depicting battles, rituals, dances, hunting scenes, you will find your mind wondering about the age of the place you are standing on and the human stories it has witnessed. The museum is located 64 km southwest of the center of Baku, which is takes around an hour’s drive from the city center.
Do you know which country has the most Mud Volcanoes? It is Azerbaijan. Now it might not be something on your to do list to visit the country with the greatest number of the mud volcanoes in the world, yet here you are, in Azerbaijan. So why not to visit this wonder of the nature, to see mud boiling from the ground, that is believed among local people to have healing effect on skin, and indeed, it is currently used as raw material for pharmacology. Allow us to combine your tour to Mud volcanoes with Gobustan National Park, as Mud Volcanoes are located half an hour’s drive from Gobustan National Park.
Restaurants
There are a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and clubs in Baku that address to every taste and sense. Scroll below to find your choice of place for the next food adventure in Baku:
Local restaurants for Azerbaijani Cuisine in Baku:
Restaurants for International Cuisine in Baku:
Restaurants for Indian Cuisine in Baku:
