When the long weekend loomed ahead at the end of November, we made a last minute decision to travel to Baku and in less than 24 hours, we were on the flight. Not many people have heard of Azerbaijan. I had first heard of it when in the early 2000s, I chanced upon a book called 'Ali and Nino' in a library. I was intrigued by the description on the jacket copy, 'Ali and Nino is one of literature's foundlings'. Foundling because the identity of the author is unclear and remains debated till date. It was published in 1940. So the book was a love story set in Baku, and that was the first time I heard of this little country which was located on the Caspian sea, and how it was plagued into turmoil because of the interest of Russia and England in its oil. Now after many years, I was travelling to the land of Ali and Nino.
Having travelled to neighbouring Georgia, I was a bit fearful that Azerbaijan might also be a poor country, with old people begging. I needn't have worried. Baku, at least, appears quite rich. Like Dubai. It is also extremely cosmopolitan. It is more European in appearance and character than Muslim, even though the majority population is Muslim. However, it appears to be one of the most secular countries in the Muslim world. Neither men, nor women, wear the hijabs and xxx that people in the middle east wear. They do not observe Friday as the weekly holiday. and I never heard any public calls for prayers as I do in Dubai.
In fact, I was strongly reminded of Paris by the buildings. Baku is, in fact, called the 'Paris of the East'. Dominating the skycape are the Flame towers- a trip of buildings that together look like flames. In the night, these are lit up like flickering flames on their LED facade. They are clearly meant to impress. As is the Haider Aliyev centre, which is built to resemble a rising sea wave. This building has the distinction of not having any straight lines!
But the modern is not what is most charming about Baku. The old city is charming. It's a fairly spread out, enclosed between impressive walls on three sides and Caspian sea on the fourth. The tallest structure here is a seventh century tower called 'Maiden tower'. It is austere and military-like in appearance. It's raison d'être is not definitely known- it was probably used for multiple purposes. Inside is a narrow stair case through which you can climb up to the top, from which you get great panoramic views of the city.
Outside the Maiden Tower is a small outdoor museum which has some intricately craved tombstones. You can trek up to the Shirvanshah palace and take a tour inside. There are some charming restaurants serving Azerbaijani cuisine inside the old city and lots of shops to pick up souvenirs and knick-knacks.
You can head out of Baku to a place called Gobustan. This is famous for mud volcanoes- tiny volcanoes that spew mud. They are not dangerous, at least the ones where the tourists are taken are not. Unlike what issues forth from geysers, the mud is cold. The volcanoes are gentle and quite fun. They sometimes emit a gentle rumbling noise, quite like the ones that come from your stomach. It's fun to watch for the bubbling mud that trickles through at regular intervals. Mud volcanoes are rare, they're found only in places that are rich in oil and gas, and 40% of the world's mud volcanoes are located right here in Azerbaijan, so they are a must see on your itinerary.
The other thing to see in Gobustan is a pre-historic settlement. This dates from 15000 to 40000 years ago, so we're really talking cavemen here. These are these rock formations which have been used as shelter by ancient humans and they have left some drawings carved on the rocks as souvenirs for us. The drawings are of a boat carrying people, which the guide explained is a funeral scene- dead bodies being taken out for burial at the sea, and of animals- bulls in particular. Quite fascinating.
There is also a museum full of artefacts at Gobustan.
Azerbaijan is not very expensive. Uber taxis, in fact, are shockingly cheap. Talking of taxis, beware that normal taxis plying on the road have to be bargained with and can cheat you, so if data permits, stick to Uber. The local food is tasty, and the fish is fresh. As Indians, we were always greeted with 'Raj Kapoor? Amitabh Bacchan?'. Old bollywood cinema certainly had a connect with people in Russi and CIS countries, new Bollywood needs to up its game to establish a connect like this.
To my delight, Ali and Nino do live on in Azerbaijan. There are famous cafes and bookshops with their names.
Baku is a must-visit for anyone living in Dubai.
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