AZERBAIJAN - DISCOVERING THE ETERNAL FLAME

Famously known as Land of Fire, Azerbaijan’s most recurring symbol is the eternal flame. Fire features prominently with its burning mountains, image of fire in the national emblem, fire-worshipping population, thermal springs, tower that resembles fire flames and a burning flame that honours soldiers. A popular legend says the name Azerbaijan is a combination of Persian words azar (fire) and baygan (protector).

Independent since 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, today Azerbaijan is majority Muslim with cultural presence of Zoroastrian traditions, architectural styles, and history. Nowruz (Persian New Year) is widely celebrated here.

I visited Baku and Gabala cities of Azerbaijan in December 2024 over four days.

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is a blend of the modern built on heritage, with fire as its central element and symbol. It has carpets, spices, bazaars, alongside cafes and malls. It has abundant oil & gas reserves and hosts Formula One races. It has delicious cuisine and cultural diversity.

Baku, built along the coastlines of Caspian Sea, faces dangers of human-induced climate change and when I visited, had just hosted the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference in November 2024.

The first two days were spent exploring the city and its landmarks. We began with Martyr’s Lane which is a memorial to Azerbaijanis who perished fighting for independence against the Soviets in the 1990s. It holds a wall with names of those who perished and an Eternal Flame that honours the martyrs. Located on a hilltop, it provides a beautiful view of the Caspian Sea coastline, panoramic city view, and the Flame Towers.

Flame Towers are deemed the city landmark with three towers built on a common platform architecturally designed to resemble burning flames. Paying homage to Azerbaijan’s association with fire worship, the buildings are covered with LED screens that display flames in its night view.

Azerbaijan Carpet Museum is shaped like a rolled up carpet and was established in 1967. The current building was opened in 2014 and displays Azerbaijani carpets, rugs, and weaving techniques, becoming the only specialized museum dedicated to the art of weaving carpets. It has live demos of carpet weaving and information about carpet designers. The museum is regarded as a treasury of national culture displaying about 6000 traditional carpets, costumes, artworks, as well as contemporary works of ceramics, glass, wood.

Little Venice is a canal-side tourist attraction built in 1960 at the Baku Boulevard. Inspired by Venice, it has several small islands that are connected by stone bridges and you can go for a gondola ride in the canal. Along the Boulevard is the Baku Eye. A 95 metres tall Ferris wheel, it has 30 cabins and offers 20-minute ride with panoramic view of the city and its landmarks.

Nizami Street is the central commercial street which has large pedestrian and shopping avenue. Named after the romantic poet of Persian literature, Nizami Ganjavi, the street is dotted with landmarks including the National Art Museum, the Armenian Church and the Nizami Museum of Literature, Fountain Square, and the Maiden Tower. It is also recommended if you want to shop for branded goods, traditional handicrafts, souvenirs, and carpets.

Maiden Tower was built in the 12th century and is a landmark monument in Icheri Sheher (Old City) Baku, which is part of the UNESCO Heritage sites list. Deemed a watch tower and part of the city’s fortifications, Maiden Tower is a 29-mt, 8-storied cylindrical structure that give a vantage view of the city skyline and Caspian sea coastline. Alongside is the Shirvanshah Palace which was the seat of north-eastern Azerbaijan’s ruling dynasty during the Middle Ages. Built in 15th century with limestone, the complex houses 9 buildings and the main building acts as a museum, now open to visitors.

Azerbaijan is also known for its city circuit for Formula One. Baku City Circuit runs through the city, along its winding roads and old town walls. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was first held in 2017 and is regarded as one of the most challenging circuits in F1.

Heydar Aliyev Center is an architectural landmark built in honour of their national leader Heyday Aliyev in 2012 to commemorate his 89th anniversary. It is a modern masterpiece designed by renowned Pritzker Architecture prize winning architect Zaha Hadid. It uses flowing, curved style design with no straight lines and the building’s aerial view resembles his signature.

Day 3 was a trip to another city Gabala, 200 kms from Baku. Blessed with flora and fauna and scenic landscapes, Gabala is most known for the Tufandag mountain resort which is used predominantly for skiing and winter activities including quad biking and mountain swings. Enroute to Tufandag, we stopped at Nohur Lake to take in the serene views, walk along the lake, and to witness autumn giving way to winter with trees in orange hues almost shedding their leaves.

Along the way is Shamakhi Juma mosque, the first mosque built in Azerbaijan in 743 AD. Shamakhi was the capital city under the Shirvanshah rule and the mosque has ornamental facades, large prayer halls and landscaped gardens, which were restored in 2013.

At Tufandag mountain resort, if you do not ski, the cable car is the recommended way to soak in the natural beauty and incredible mountain views. You board at Yatmish Gozal station to reach the Yatmish Gozal Peak at 1,920 meters. Since we visited in December, we were greeted with abundant snow and the view at the top was spellbinding. It was white wonderland with both the valley and the peak engulfed in snow. At -2°C, we were thrilled to walk through the snowy pathway, exploring the frosted trees, and the cold hitting our bones as we stood witness to the most spectacular winter sunset. This visit became the highlight of our trip.

Our last day saw us visiting Yanar Dag, a natural wonder hillside with a 10-mts never-extinguished burning wall of flames that has earned it the name - the Burning Mountain. Formed as a result of tectonic changes and volcanic material below the surface, Yanar Dag has natural gas leaking from the rocks and the fire has been aflame for around 4000 years across all weather conditions. On the day of our visit, it was raining and it left us awestruck to see the mountain burning so to say while we stood soaking in the rain. Local folklore believes the mountain has healing powers and is seen as an epitome of the country’s natural resources.

Atashgah is the Zoroastrian fire temple with naturally burning fire till the 1960s, making it a sacred place of worship. Atash is the Persian word for fire and Atashgah means House of Fire. It was used by Zoroastrian monks and later by Hindu worshippers of Shiva. Rebuilt in 17th century, its large courtyard has chambers with relics and artifacts; the main altar holds the eternal flame at the centre of the complex; and there are informative displays in the temple premises. Today, piped gas lines keep the flame burning. It is one of the few fire temples open for public view.

With its cobblestone streets, impressive building facades, art on the streets, Baku is an interesting blend of contrasts of both ancient bathhouses and modern art galleries. You could enjoy endless cups of tea, shop for shawls and carpets, take long walks along the boulevard and savour the stunning sea view all in a day!

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(Suggested spots: Nizami street, Sabunchu Flea Market, Taza market)