Land of Fire’s beautiful cities you should visit
By Durdana Yusifli
Azerbaijan is an Eurasian country having a unique nature and culture which attracts tourists attention from all over the world. According to the tourists’ reviews it combines the ancient world’s cultural buildings with the modern world’s skyscrapers.
Nevertheless, which cities should a tourist choose to visit if he/she has a limited time to think about the sightseeing places in Azerbaijan?
Following are the five cities which majority of tourists tend to travel in Azerbaijan.
Baku
Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan and is one of the most important tourist cities of the country, which combines the old and modern character, where the tourist finds the atmosphere of modernity in addition to the fragrant history.
One can visit here the Old Town, called “Icherisheher”, where the historical castles, including Maiden Tower, and the old quarter will show you the tiny details of the city.
You can also visit the palace of the kings of Shirvan, which
dates back to the age of the Shirvani in the 13th century, as well
as the historic Bab al-Hiba Mosque with spectacular views of the
sea as well as the gothic-style life.
You can also visit Flame Towers which lights turn on after sunset
and make the city look like a fairytale.
Guba
Guba is the northeastern city with its ancient historical buildings, mosques ad temples combining several religions such as Jewish and Muslim. The city is famous for its hiking adventures as it has a beautiful landscape called Khinaliq Village which lets you see the beauty of the city from 2,350 meters. In Guba you can visit the 15th-century archaeological tombs, the World War I museum, the old castle and the museum, which includes historical artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age.
Hiking lovers should also visit Afurdja Waterfall which is one of the highest waterfalls in Azerbaijan.
Gabala
The city which was the capital of Caucasus Albania (Modern Azerbaijan) several times. Visitors to Gabala find pleasure in exploring the fascinating nature of the waterfalls, springs, valleys and green meadows, including the “Yeddi Gozel Shelalesi” which is translated into English as Seven Beauties Fall.
This ancient city also has small amusement city called Gabaland. Due to its size and attractions it is also called “Azerbaijan’s Disneyland”.
Tufandagh Summer and Winter Complex is one of the most-visited part of Gabala. It has a number of attractions for kids and grown-ups too.
Sheki
Famous for its art and history Sheki is situated in the west part of Azerbaijan. Visitors can find ancient castles, mosques, bathhouses, and handicraft shops here.
Sheki Khans Palace is a must see palace in this city, which was
built without the use of nails. That is a city for backpackers with
its new and old towns.
It wouldn’t be Azerbaijan if you did not see a major Mosque in the
town and the Juma Mosque is the most noticeable from a tourist’s
perspective.
Also do not forget to taste Sheki Halva and piti which are the attributes of Sheki cuisine.
Ganja
Ganja is also a western city which has also been capital city several times throughout the history. Javad Khan Tomb is a good place in order to start to explore Ganja. This tomb is set on the site of the grave of Javad Khan and is performed in the style of medieval architecture school.
Ganja is also the home of a great poet of Azerbaijan- Nizami Ganjavi, one of the greatest representatives of literary heritage of Eastern world. So you can visit the great poet’s Mausoleum too.
Another landscape that comes to one’s mind when we say Ganja is Lake Goygol. A deep blue mountain lake surrounded by dense forest can be reached in just over an hour from Ganja. Lake Goygol is often rated as Azerbaijan’s most beautiful lake. So do not forget to visit it if you have time.
To sum up, Azerbaijan is a country that makes you wonder why more people do not visit it after you have seen its beauties. So by visiting Azerbaijan you can both have fun and enhance your world outlook at the same time.
Have fun!
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