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Photo: Azərbaycan Respublikası Ekologiya və Təbii Sərvətlər Nazirliyi, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
A popular national park within the reach of Baku that allows for day trips. It houses a variety of flora and fauna, including tigers and loads of snakes that escaped from their cages a couple of years ago. After the entrance it is another 7 km to the park office, where you can see snakes and the rough coast. However, the snakes a mostly active between April and summer. It is better to go in the morning or evening to see other animals. During the day, you will be mostly out of luck. Also, a 4WD is a good idea to go through the dunes. Bring your passport.
About 500 m before the park entrance there is a nice spot for a dive into the sea with a sheer endless shallow sea, allowing you to walk in several 100 meters.
Absheron National Park is a national park of Azerbaijan in the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests' ecoregion. It was established on 8 February 2005, on an area of 783 hectares (7.83 km2) in the administrative territory of the District of Azizbeyov in the City of Baku, on the base of Absheron State Nature Preserve. Absheron was the country's most visited park by foreign tourists in the first three months of 2024.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
This was built in 1187. The rectangular fortress is 22 m high. Its 76-step tower has two drinking water and 60 food wells. There is a circular tower 500 m away, is known as a "round fortress". It is also called the "Six fortress" after Sheikh Abu Said Abulkheir. It is 12 m high. The Arabic inscriptions on it suggest that it was built by architect Abdulmajid Masud in 1232.
Azerbaijani: Tuba-Şahi məscidi
Built in 1481.
Ateshgah of Baku
A fortified religious pentagonal temple located in Suraxanı near Baku. Declared the country's historic-architectural state reserve in 2007. It stems from ancient Indians who moved here and used the natural gas coming from the ground for religious purposes. In the 1960s so much gas and oil extraction had been done that an artificial gas pipe had to be created to feed the fire, which is still burning.
Yanar Dağ, Burning Hillside
Yanar Dagh is a mountain whose natural gas vents have been aflame for a thousand years, even when it rains. Flames jet into the air from a thin, porous sandstone layer. A large touristy complex with small museum has been built around it, charging almost 5 times the price of 2017.
Last erupted in 2001, but nice for a visit and with a great view.
Отман-Боздаг
Far from the highway, but near the road. Last erupted in September 2018.