South Caucasus & Turkey

Itinerary

• Days 1-3: Baku (Azerbaijan), Gobustan

  Explore Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital and a bustling business center for the Caspian oil industry. Wander the narrow stone streets of the UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town, stroll modern Fountain Square, and admire the dramatically lit Flame Towers skyscrapers. Take a day trip to see the UNESCO-listed petroglyphs of Gobustan and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Surakhani village, originally built over a flaming gas vent.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • The winding streets, mosques, and tiny shops of Baku’s walled Old Town
  • Vivid hand-loomed carpets at the State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets and Applied Folk Art
  • Baku’s Beaux Arts mansions – the byproduct of an early 20th century oil boom
  • The swooping architecture of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, designed by famed Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid
  • Gobustan’s petroglyphs, which provide a surprisingly rich portrait of daily life in ancient times
• Day 4: Maraza, Shemakha, Lahij

  Head west out of Baku to spend the day getting a sense of Azerbaijani village life. In Maraza, climb to the landmark Diri Baba Mausoleum, set on the side of a hill. On the outskirts of Shemakha, visit a farm to learn how locals make yogurt and butter. And stop in Lahij, an ancient, almost untouched village that seems worlds away from Baku. Coppersmiths here are renowned for their beautiful plates and samovars, made using techniques passed down from the Middle Ages. Visit the studio of a copper master to see how it’s done.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • The 15th century Diri Baba Mausoleum, adorned in decorative carvings
  • Shemakha, former capital of the once-powerful Shirvan Khanate from the 6th to the 15th centuries
  • The UNESCO-listed traditional coppersmithing techniques of Lahij village
• Day 5: Sheki

  Spend a day exploring historic Sheki, one of the oldest towns in Azerbaijan; its historic center and Khan’s Palace are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Stop at the caravanserai, an inn from the days of the Silk Road that still accommodates travelers today. Visit the workshop of a local artist who creates vivid stained glass windows called shebeke, and then tour the Khan’s Palace, where such windows were used to great advantage.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • The mosaic-covered Khan’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site
  • A walking tour of Sheki’s Old Town – also UNESCO-listed – with a chance to visit the crafts market and sample renowned local halvah
  • A visit to the workshop of a traditional stained glass maker
• Days 6-7: Nij, Baku

  Return to the capital today, stopping along the way at the small town of Nij. Nij was part of a historical region known as Caucasian Albania, a once predominantly Christian territory with origins that can be traced as far back as the 5th century BC. Its residents are primarily Udis, a small ethnic group with ancient roots that maintains its own language and practices a distinct form of Christianity. Visit the Orthodox Albanian Church of St. Elesei, Nij’s main spiritual center. Upon returning to Baku, spend an evening sightseeing and preparing for departure the following day.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Nij, home to Udis, direct descendants of ancient Caucasian Albanians
  • The Orthodox Albanian Church of St. Elesei, given away to the Armenian patriarchy by Czar Nicholas I in the 19th century, and returned only in 2003
  • A final evening in Baku