Have you ever wanted to visit a peaceful country in the Middle East? We went to Azerbaijan and it was the best trip of our lives! (ethos) Azerbaijan's location between the Caspian and Black Seas has allowed it to remain secluded from terrors occurring in the rest of the Middle East. Azerbaijan is 33,436 square miles of well-preserved middle eastern culture and history. In the capital city of Baku, you can visit the Heydar Aliyev Cultural center and familiarize yourself with the culture and art of Azerbaijan.
Another cultural event you must attend while in Azerbaijan is the Baku International Jazz Festival. Since it takes place for a one week period in late October, you should reserve tickets and schedule your trip to fit the festival's time period. Azerbaijan' Flame towers, located in Baku, light the city up at night, with realistic flames enveloping their glass. These towers aren't the only notable monuments in the country, for the National Flag Square also located within Baku, displays Azerbaijan's national flag, which was attached to the tallest flagpole in the world when it was built (161 m or 531 ft high)! Why would you not want to see one of the biggest flags in the world?! (rhetorical question)
Azerbaijan has a premier soccer league that plays against other teams around the Middle East. The current champions of this league are the Qarabag who have claimed the title 3 times, most recently in the 2014-2015 season. The attendance of these games has rarely surpassed 1,500 spectators per match, but the matches are still worth your while. Azerbaijan is also home to the Carpet Museum, a museum in which you will be given an extensive but rich history of carpets in the Middle East.
Another popular tourist destination in Azerbaijan is the amazing Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature, here you can fill up on Azerbaijan's 25,000 pieces of scientific, cultural, and historical texts. Another museum you can visit in Baku that deals with literature is the Tiny Book Museum. The Tiny Book Museum is truly exotic, because it is the only museum in the world that exhibits miniature books. The exhibits in the museum were all collected by Zarifa Salahova over a 30-year period. She has over 6,500 books in her possession, and she will share them with you. Azerbaijan has its fair share of history, and you can access that history by attending the Taghiyev History Museum and learn all about Azerbaijan's modern, medieval, scientific, and art history.
Azerbaijan is also a great tourist destination because of its geographical landmarks and national parks. These include the Yanar Dag, a natural gas fire that has been continuously blazing for thousands of years (courtesy of a steady seep of gas from below Earth's surface). A notable national park in Azerbaijan is Gobustan National Park, a hill and mountain site located in the southeast end of the greater Caucasus Mountain Range in the eastern part of the country. It was declared a world UNESCO heritage site in 2007. It will captivate all who go there with its stunning views, lakes, unique fauna, and prehistoric inscriptions dating between 5,000-40,000 years ago.
Despite all these wonderful displays of culture, history, art, and nature, Azerbaijan has memorials in which you can remember family members, friends, and loved ones. Martyr's Lane serves as remembrance of the Azerbaijani people who were killed by the Soviets during Black January (When Soviets massacred many Azerbaijani), and those killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh War. In conclusion, There is a sense of tranquility and beauty in Azerbaijan not previously seen in other middle eastern countries. With its pristine beaches, amazing nature preserves, deep history, culture, and tradition Azerbaijan is a place well worth your time! (emotional language)
The blog of a trip to the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan stemed from a book club meeting.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Day 13-14 October 28-29
Today we woke up very late, we were out really late last night. We packed up our stuff and checked out of the hotel at 10:30 am. When we stepped outside it felt the same as yesterday but not too bad. We put our stuff in our rental car and drove around downtown Baku looking for trinkety souvenirs and where we could. We also managed to get some pictures of the skyline here in Baku:


After looking and driving around the city we ate a quick bite from a kabob cart, beef this time, I think. The next step was to return the rental car and catch our plane ride home! We checked in to the airport and received our boarding passes. An hour was spent trying to get through security, the language barrier was finally becoming a major hindrance, its hard to explain what you need to someone who has no idea what you are saying. Security let us through, finally! We then tried to find our gate, did you know that it is very hard to navigate an airport when you can't read the signs! We reached our gate with 12 min. to spare, a close one! Which was surprising because we had 4 hours to get there.
We are boarded on the flight and are now off to London!
I really enjoyed this trip and I am glad I decided to go to the exquisite country of Azerbaijan! This trip will be remembered for a long time!
Budget
One thing that everyone is always worried about when they travel is the costs and your budget. We had saved up $5,500 each, so a total of $27,500 for our trip. Our budget analysis can be viewed at this link: Budget Analysis.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Day 12 October 27
History
Today we decided to go the Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature. We woke up and ate breakfast quickly, it was another complementary one, delicious and free! This is our second to last day in Azerbaijan, we couldn't waste it! We chose the old museum for its historic value and importance. Outside it was around 57 degrees and was getting colder, just barely!
The building itself was not always a museum, and was opened in 1939.
One major item we found in the museum was Nizami’s manuscript of “Sharafname and Isgendernam” (WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN 1413!). These were two important epic poems written by Atabəylərindən Nusrateddin. All of these are ancient and are valuable cultural artifacts.We saw the famous poem about Pushkin’s decease called Bangu-Bade. Pushkin was a Russian poet who supported reforms. Supposedly there are more than 3000 different manuscripts form all over!While we were inside we noticed that the museum was fairly big, it was over 2500 square meters (nearly 27,000 square feet). In that big space there certainly was a lot of poems and books, but there were also a lot of sculptures, some are shown in the pictures below. We found many sculptures by the famous sculptors Muhammad Fuzuli, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, and Jafar Jabbarly. There is actually a total of 120,000 artifacts in the museum, we looked at many of them, but could only remember a few. All the things mentioned above are a part of Azerbaijan's history, just like back home in the U.S.
After visiting the museum we went to get lunch at the Fountain Square. It was a pretty sight with many options to shop. One bonus was the good food there. After lunch we returned back to the museum and continued exploring.
We went on the tour of the museum, which helped us learn some interesting facts. One important thing we learned is that the museum only allowed visitors after the Second World War. The building was originally used as a hotel and was only later transferred into a literature museum, turning into what we see today.


The exterior is covered in statues of great local authors, we had no idea who they are but they were apparently very important to the locals. You can see pictures of them above.
For our dinner we decided to splurge and eat at a Fresh Italian Kitchen. The food tasted like it was fresh from Italy and we enjoyed it a ton! We then ventured to a bar named Finnegan's to have a beer. We really enjoyed the time that we were able to spend out, but returning to the hotel was sketchy. Our hotel was on a street with no street lights and the street was dark, so we hurried inside. Still, it is a great vacation.
Today we decided to go the Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature. We woke up and ate breakfast quickly, it was another complementary one, delicious and free! This is our second to last day in Azerbaijan, we couldn't waste it! We chose the old museum for its historic value and importance. Outside it was around 57 degrees and was getting colder, just barely!
The building itself was not always a museum, and was opened in 1939.
One major item we found in the museum was Nizami’s manuscript of “Sharafname and Isgendernam” (WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN 1413!). These were two important epic poems written by Atabəylərindən Nusrateddin. All of these are ancient and are valuable cultural artifacts.We saw the famous poem about Pushkin’s decease called Bangu-Bade. Pushkin was a Russian poet who supported reforms. Supposedly there are more than 3000 different manuscripts form all over!While we were inside we noticed that the museum was fairly big, it was over 2500 square meters (nearly 27,000 square feet). In that big space there certainly was a lot of poems and books, but there were also a lot of sculptures, some are shown in the pictures below. We found many sculptures by the famous sculptors Muhammad Fuzuli, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, and Jafar Jabbarly. There is actually a total of 120,000 artifacts in the museum, we looked at many of them, but could only remember a few. All the things mentioned above are a part of Azerbaijan's history, just like back home in the U.S.
After visiting the museum we went to get lunch at the Fountain Square. It was a pretty sight with many options to shop. One bonus was the good food there. After lunch we returned back to the museum and continued exploring.
We went on the tour of the museum, which helped us learn some interesting facts. One important thing we learned is that the museum only allowed visitors after the Second World War. The building was originally used as a hotel and was only later transferred into a literature museum, turning into what we see today.

The exterior is covered in statues of great local authors, we had no idea who they are but they were apparently very important to the locals. You can see pictures of them above.
For our dinner we decided to splurge and eat at a Fresh Italian Kitchen. The food tasted like it was fresh from Italy and we enjoyed it a ton! We then ventured to a bar named Finnegan's to have a beer. We really enjoyed the time that we were able to spend out, but returning to the hotel was sketchy. Our hotel was on a street with no street lights and the street was dark, so we hurried inside. Still, it is a great vacation.
Day 11 October 26th
Today we started out by eating another complementary breakfast, I must admit, they are getting slightly old! The temperature took a downward turn and reached 59 degrees, still not bad though.
The National Flag Square, Martyr’s Lane, and the Flame Towers are all located fairly close to each other, each about 10 minutes apart, so we decided we could do all three in 1 day.
History

We started our day off by heading to Martyr’s Lane, which is a Memorial Street dedicated to the soldiers killed during Black January,(a day when Soviet Union killed massacred Azerbaijan) and the Nagorno-Karabakh War, an ethnic conflict in the 80’s. This was a very somber location and a great way to honor the people who were slain.
Culture

We then went south and made our way to the National Flag Square. The National Flag Square is actually 150 acres long! That is equivalent to 100 football fields! This site was beautiful because the Azerbaijani Flag was huge, and the trees around the flag were spectacular.

Technology
The Flame Towers are probably the most popular place in Baku. The Flame Towers are the three huge hotels in Baku (East, South, West). With a 5 year construction progress, the 190 meter tall towers cost about 350 million U.S. Dollars. It was a massive undertaking to engineer and design the three towers to be as beautiful as they are, and for them to be structurally sound, able to withstand earthquakes and strong wind shear. The coolest part is that the outside of the building is covered in over 10,000 LED screens that make it look like the building is burning at night.

In 2014, Azerbaijan had its first Lamborghini Dealership. It was actually put in the East Tower. If you were to stay in a room at the Flame Tower for one night, it would cost over $200 U.S dollars. To stay in the best hotel in Azerbaijan, you will most certainly pay for it!
We perused and admierd the downtown area of Baku and it was most spectacular and beautiful. We ate a quick dinner at the Lala Restaurant and then went back to the hotel for some sleep before tomorrow.
The National Flag Square, Martyr’s Lane, and the Flame Towers are all located fairly close to each other, each about 10 minutes apart, so we decided we could do all three in 1 day.
History
We started our day off by heading to Martyr’s Lane, which is a Memorial Street dedicated to the soldiers killed during Black January,(a day when Soviet Union killed massacred Azerbaijan) and the Nagorno-Karabakh War, an ethnic conflict in the 80’s. This was a very somber location and a great way to honor the people who were slain.
Culture
We then went south and made our way to the National Flag Square. The National Flag Square is actually 150 acres long! That is equivalent to 100 football fields! This site was beautiful because the Azerbaijani Flag was huge, and the trees around the flag were spectacular.
Technology
The Flame Towers are probably the most popular place in Baku. The Flame Towers are the three huge hotels in Baku (East, South, West). With a 5 year construction progress, the 190 meter tall towers cost about 350 million U.S. Dollars. It was a massive undertaking to engineer and design the three towers to be as beautiful as they are, and for them to be structurally sound, able to withstand earthquakes and strong wind shear. The coolest part is that the outside of the building is covered in over 10,000 LED screens that make it look like the building is burning at night.
In 2014, Azerbaijan had its first Lamborghini Dealership. It was actually put in the East Tower. If you were to stay in a room at the Flame Tower for one night, it would cost over $200 U.S dollars. To stay in the best hotel in Azerbaijan, you will most certainly pay for it!
We perused and admierd the downtown area of Baku and it was most spectacular and beautiful. We ate a quick dinner at the Lala Restaurant and then went back to the hotel for some sleep before tomorrow.
Day 10 October 25
We woke up to another complimentary breakfast, got ready and left. We have a very exciting day ahead of us. With the temperature around 66 degrees it is a good day to watch some sports!


The stadium holds up to 5,000 people. It's not the biggest stadium but it is well kept. The captain of the AZAL team is Seymur Asadov. Seymur is a 21 year old midfielder born in Azerbaijan. He is worth 100,000 € (Euros). It was a blast to see him play. But during the middle of the game it was kind of boring so we came up with some puns:
What kind of Tea do soccer players drink?
PenalTea!
Where is the best place to buy a soccer shirt?
New Jersey!
How do athletes stay cool during the game?
They go by the fans!

Culture
Before the game we went to see the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center. The architecture of the center was magnificent. This building was designed by Zaha Hadid, a distinguished architect. The center is named for Heydar Aliyev, who was the leader of the Azerbaijan when they were part of the Soviet Union. He was elected into presidency after Azerbaijan gained its independence from 1993-2003.
There is a very extensive exhibit about the culture of Azerbaijan. The main exhibit covered all three floors and covered the life of the president (Heydar Aliyev) and how Azerbaijan struggled against the Soviet Union. This was a very 21st century exhibit and it had many touch screens and sound clips. Part of the way through the exhibit there was a map of Azerbaijan and its oil lines. These oil lines had the current flow for each pipeline displayed by the color of the line. The exhibit was concluded by showing all of the gifts that other nation have given to Azerbaijan, these included gifts of porcelain, a golden watch, and some ornate platters.
Because of the timing and we had to go the the socer game, we did not get lunch but we did eat a meal at the game.
The second exhibit we went into was the “Legend of Arms” exhibit that contained real, local, knights armor and weapons from the 16-18th centuries. This highlighted the capabilities of the area’s knights and other military powers.

The Armor of warriors from the medieval period.

Two knights set up to joust in a tournament like setting.
We ate dinner at the Casual Brasserie Cafe Bar, which had a nice small dish of pastries that we ate at. I have been very surprised by how much global food we have been able to eat in Baku.
Sports
I was so excited to see the Azerbaijan Premier League play today. There are three stadiums/arenas in Azerbaijan, but we decided to go to the one in Baku because it was closest. It was called the Azal Arena.
I was so excited to see the Azerbaijan Premier League play today. There are three stadiums/arenas in Azerbaijan, but we decided to go to the one in Baku because it was closest. It was called the Azal Arena.
The stadium holds up to 5,000 people. It's not the biggest stadium but it is well kept. The captain of the AZAL team is Seymur Asadov. Seymur is a 21 year old midfielder born in Azerbaijan. He is worth 100,000 € (Euros). It was a blast to see him play. But during the middle of the game it was kind of boring so we came up with some puns:
What kind of Tea do soccer players drink?
PenalTea!
Where is the best place to buy a soccer shirt?
New Jersey!
How do athletes stay cool during the game?
They go by the fans!
Culture
Before the game we went to see the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center. The architecture of the center was magnificent. This building was designed by Zaha Hadid, a distinguished architect. The center is named for Heydar Aliyev, who was the leader of the Azerbaijan when they were part of the Soviet Union. He was elected into presidency after Azerbaijan gained its independence from 1993-2003.
There is a very extensive exhibit about the culture of Azerbaijan. The main exhibit covered all three floors and covered the life of the president (Heydar Aliyev) and how Azerbaijan struggled against the Soviet Union. This was a very 21st century exhibit and it had many touch screens and sound clips. Part of the way through the exhibit there was a map of Azerbaijan and its oil lines. These oil lines had the current flow for each pipeline displayed by the color of the line. The exhibit was concluded by showing all of the gifts that other nation have given to Azerbaijan, these included gifts of porcelain, a golden watch, and some ornate platters.
Because of the timing and we had to go the the socer game, we did not get lunch but we did eat a meal at the game.
The second exhibit we went into was the “Legend of Arms” exhibit that contained real, local, knights armor and weapons from the 16-18th centuries. This highlighted the capabilities of the area’s knights and other military powers.
The Armor of warriors from the medieval period.
Two knights set up to joust in a tournament like setting.
We ate dinner at the Casual Brasserie Cafe Bar, which had a nice small dish of pastries that we ate at. I have been very surprised by how much global food we have been able to eat in Baku.
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