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Tour programm |
7 days/ 6 nights
(Baku-Absheron peninsula-Shamakhy-Gabala-Sheki-Baku)
ITINERARY:
Day 1. Baku-Arrival
Meeting tourists at the Baku airport after Heydar Aliyev. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation at the hotel. Dinner in the local restaurant. Free time. Overnight.
Day 2. Baku city tour (5 hours)
Breakfast at the hotel
Panoramic view of the city and Baku bay from Mountain Park.
Full sightseeing tour in Baku:
- Visit to the medieval part of the Old City (11-19 cc) (Fortifications, Shirvanshakhs Palace (14-15 cc., entrance), Karvansaray complex (14-15 cc.), old mosques (11-19cc.), old bath, narrow small streets, art shops and bench of Handicraf, “Gyz Galasi” (Maiden Tower) - the oldest construction of Baku under UNESCO protection (entrance).
Lunch in the local restaurant (Azerbaijan cuisine).
Sightseeing walking tour around Baku and acquaintance with the history and architecture of city (XIX- XX c.c.): Nizami street /shopping/, “Fountain Square”, monument to Nizami Ganjavi, Rasul-zade Street, leading to the Seaside Park - Boulevard
At favorable windless weather – 0, 5 hour boat cruise through the Baku bay. Walking tour along Baku sea-side boulevard.
Dinner in “Caravanserai” restaurant with Azerbaijan traditional cuisine and show program. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3. Baku- Apsheron Peninsula (5 hours)
Breakfast at the hotel
Acquaintance with sightseeing in Absheron Peninsula: (15 km away from Baku).
"Ateshgah" Fire-Worshippers Temple (XVII c.) is located within Baku in Surakhany village (9 miles from Baku). The historical roots of the monument go back to the days when Azerbaijan state was only taking shape and establishing itself, and Zoroastrism, in which the main role in rituals belonged to fire, was a dominant religion in the country. People worshipped fire, seeking its protection against adversity and oppression and begging it for happiness and well-being.
Azerbaijan’s territory is rich with examples proving it to be the home to ancient inhabitants. Absheron Peninsula has special importance in terms of historical monuments. Absheron Peninsula, the ancient settlement, has the history dating before century. Barrows, fire traces and tombs found here during archeological excavations prove this fact once again. One of the oldest settlements in Absheron is Qala village that is located in the northeast of the Peninsula. There are 215 architectural and archeological monuments in Qala village and the surrounding regions. The environment which is dated back to 3rd millennium BC is preserved here. There are several architectural monuments – 5 mosques, 3 bathhouses, 4 water houses (ovdan), houses, agricultural buildings, sepulchers, tombs, barrows, remnants of castle, etc. - of historical importance in Qala which belong to the period between 3rd millennium BC and 20th century. Qala village with its history of five thousands years old had several districts. Of those, Tarakama, Balaverdi, Haji Ramazan, Chambarakand are preserved till today.
Yanar Dag (Azerbaijani: Yanar Dağ) translated as "Fire Mountain", is an ancient and visually stunning fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea.
“Yanardaq” State Natural Preserve
Flames shoot into the air 10 feet (3.0 m) from a thin porous sandstone layer at the base of a 30-foot-wide scarp (9.1 m) below a hillside known as Yanar Dag near Baku, the capital of oil-rich Azerbaijan.[1] Only a handful of fire mountains exist today in the world, and most are located in Azerbaijan. Due to the large concentration of natural gas under the Absheron Peninsula, natural flames burned there throughout antiquity and were reported by historical writers such as Marco Polo.
The naturally occurring fire burns most impressively at dusk, when both tourists and locals sit at a nearby teashop deriving inspiration from the spectacular sight. The numerous links to fire in the folklore and icons of Azerbaijan are attributed to a connection to the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism, which first appeared in this region over 2,000 years ago.
Lunch in the restaurant.
“Gala” State Natural Preserve. Return back to hotel. Free time. Dinner. Overnight.
Day 4. Baku-Shamakhy-Lahij-Gabala
Breakfast at the hotel, check out.
Passage to the rout Maraza-Shamakhi-Lahij (195km.)
On the way visiting “Diri Baba” mausoleum in Maraza village. Photo stops on in the most picturesque places in the mountains.
- Arrival at Lahij mountain settlement of national handicraft. Lunch in local restaurant.
- After lunch panoramic tour to “Lahij ” Historical- Ethnographic reserve /IV-XIX c./:
Architectural monuments, handicrafts and manufacture of carpets, workshops and benches of handicraftsmen: braziers, smiths, chasers, metal engravers, ancient mosques, baths, and also original architecture of streets and apartment houses of the ancient mountain settlement.
-Visit to History Museum of Lahij (entrance)
Visit to Carpet workshops and information about Azerbaijani and Lahij carpets.
Continue trip to Gebele cityand on the way to Gebele visit to small step falls 7 Gozel (“7 beauties”) in Ruskyan settlement, panoramic view of Nohur mountain lake in Nohurgishlag Gebele,
Arriving to Gebele, accommodation at hotel and dinner at hotel restaurant.
Free time. Overnight
Day 5. Gabala-Sheki
Breakfast at the hotel, check out
Sightseeing program in Gabala:
Nich settlement (Medieval Christian temple of Caucausian Albania - Chotari church after reconstruction VII-XIV c.c.) - Oguz - Sheki (about 170 km.) Continuation of the trip to Sheki. On the way to Sheki lunch in restaurant. Arriving to Sheki city
Sightseeing program in Sheki (excursion and museums):
- Survey of fortifications, caravanserai in the Old city (XVII-XIX c.c.)
- Visiting History Museum (entrance) - Visiting “Sheki Khan's palace” XVIII c. under UNESCO protection (entrance)
- Survey of the exposition of the National Applied Arts museum in the old round Christian temple (IX-XVI c.) and acquaintance with works of handicraftsmen on manufacturing stained-glass windows - “shebaka” (network) in their workshops.
- Panoramic view of Sheki city from the mountain
Dinner in the local restaurant with Azerbaijani traditional cuisine. Accommodation at hotel. Overnight in Sheki
Day 6. Sheki-Gobustan-Baku
Breakfast at the hotel, check out
Drive back to Baku. Lunch at one of the restaurants on the way.
Visiting Gobustan National Historical - Artist Preserve (65 km. away from Baku). Gobustan (the territory of Gobu) is famous for its archaeological monuments. Travel 30 miles southwest of Baku along the Caspian shore to the volcanic desert where rocks are covered with carvings, standing amidst the scattered stones and mountains. There are more than 6,000 rock carvings left by the artists of the Paleolithic period. Acquaintance with archaeological exposition of the museum, lifestyle of ancient people of “Stone Age” epoch (XVIII-VIII mln.B.C). Survey of Gobustan petroglyphs. Under UNESCO Protection
Return to Baku city. Dinner in local restaurant. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7. Baku-Departure
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time. Departure to Baku international airport.
“Azerbaijan. History and cultural heritage” |
Baku-Shemakha-Sheki-Baku
5 days/ 4 nights
Day 1
Meeting tourists at the Baku Heydar Aliyev airport.Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.
14:00-15:00 Lunch at the local restaurant.
15:00-16:00 Visiting of National History Museum of Azerbaijan (acquaintance with the exposition)
16:00-18:00 Sightseeing tour in Baku – walking tour and acquaintance with the history and architecture of city ( period XIX- XX c): Nizami street /shopping/, “Fountain Square”, Nizami Gancavi monument, further Rasul-Zade street , leaving to Seaside Park–Boulvar (at the favorable windless weather, for an additional payment, for interested persons – 0,5 hour hour boat cruise through the bay of Baku. In the conclusion of excursion moving by bus to “Mountain Park” , visiting of memorial “Alley of Martyrs” and survey of a panorama of Baku).
19:00-20:30 Dinner at the local restaurant. Returning to the hotel. Overnight.
Day 2
08:00-09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
09:00-11:30 Sightseeing in an “Old City” - medieval sight of Baku:“Shirvashakhs palace” (XV c. under UNESCO protection), ancient quarter mosques (Mohammad’s mosque- XI c.), bath, samples of residential buildings, “Market Square” and Caravan Saray “Bukhara”(XVI c.) and “Multani” (XIV c.),“Giz Galasi” (Maiden Tower – Entrance) – the oldest construction of Baku (under UNESCO protection)
11:30-12:30 Lunch at the restaurant “Caravan Saray” (XIV-XVI c.)
13:00-14:00 Returning to the hotel. Check- out (the personal luggage of tourists can be partially leave in a hotel left-luggage office)
14:00 Departure on a two days trip: Baku – Shamakhi – Sheki (about 305 km)
16:00-17:00 Short stop in Shamakhi (about 120 km. from Baku). Survey of mosque “Djuma” (IX- XX c.). Easy lunch at the local restaurant (tea, soft drinks, national confectionery products).
17:00-20:30 Moving to Shamakhy-Ismayilly-pass Mughanly (panorama of mountains big Caucausis ridge)- Sheki (about 180 km.)
20:30-21:00 Arrival in Sheki. Accomodation at the hotel.
21:00-22:30 Dinner at the restaurant. Overnight in hotel.
Day 3
08:00-09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
09:00-11:00 Survey excursion in Sheki: visiting Sheki Khans’ Palace (XVIII c. under UNESCO protection), ancient circle Christian temple (IX c.) / visiting to museum and masterful handicraftsmen.
11:00-11:30 Check out in the hotel. Moving from Sheki to Kurdamir -Alat – Gobustan (about 305 km.)
13:30-14:30 On the way lunch at the local restaurant
17:30-18:30 Visiting of historic - art reserve Gobustan. Survey of archaeological exposition of the museum, visiting of inhabitants and acquaintance with the lifestyle of people of an epoch of the “Stone Age” (7-8 thousand years B.C). Studying of the remained petroglyphic painting.
18:30-20:00 Moving to Baku (about 65 km.) and accommodation at the hotel
21:00-22:00 Dinner at the local restaurant. Overnight in hotel.
Day 4
09:00-10:00 Breakfast at the hotel
10:00-14:00 Sightseeing excursion of Absheron Peninsula (35-40 km.):mud volcanoes, acquaintance with the extraction of food salt on lake “Masazir”, visiting of natural reserve “Yanardag” (exit of natural gas) , survey of the oldest oil fields in Balakhani settlement (XIX- XX c.), medieval castle in Ramana settlement (XIV c.) and “Ateshgah” Fire-Worshippers’ Temple in Surakhani settlement (XVII c.)
14:00-15:00 Lunch at the local restaurant. (During the summer period after the excursion it is possible moving to the nearest resort settlement Mardakan, rest on the beach and to have lunch at the restaurant on seacoast)
15:00-17:00 Returning to Baku and excursion in Carpet Museum
17:00-19:00 Free time
19:00-23:00 Farewell dinner at the restaurant with the Azerbaijan traditional cuisine and show program. At returning to hotel by bus, short survey excursion “Fires of Baku” (Nights excursion: Azadlig area, Music Academy, Heydar Aliyev Palace, Bakikhanov street, Inshaatchilar- H.Gavid avenue, N.Narimanov monument, panoramme of Baku Night’s, Istiglaliyyat street, Niyazi street, Neftchilar avenue). Overnight in the hotel.
Day 5
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time. Transfer to the airport Heydar Aliyev. The end of the program