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)
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