Azerbaijan
Old chaps in flat caps sip tea and slap dominoes all day long beneath shady chestnut and plane trees on this attractive, tree-shaded square. There's an…
Must-see attractions in Azerbaijan
Baku
Though it appears relatively squat seen from outside, the interior of the Old City's carving-festooned 'Friday' mosque contains beautifully patterned…
Baku
The grandest historic mosque in central Baku, Təzə Pir was built between 1903 and 1914, funded by a female philanthropist. More-recent renovations added…
Azerbaijan
Zaqatala's Old Town is centred on a pretty garden-square, above which rise two 30m tall çınar (plane trees) planted in the 1780s. To the south, there are…
Azerbaijan
An eye-catching area of vivid pink-and-white striped hills is commonly nicknamed the 'Candycane Mountains' by Baku expats. Look carefully and you find…
Azerbaijan
Even if you don’t stay here, do peep inside this historic caravanserai whose twin-level arcade of sturdy arches enclose a sizeable central courtyard…
Baku
Partly dating from at least 1079, this little mosque is considered the the oldest still standing in Baku. Its nickname, 'Sinıq Qala' (Broken Tower), was…
Azerbaijan
Old Town Qax is centred on cobbled İçəri Bazar, a streetscape where older houses have been given a faux-antique look on a lane guarded by castle-style…
Azerbaijan
This photogenic village was built for semi-nomadic shepherds whose families only live here during the summer. Get off the ropeway between the third and…
Baku
Changing exhibitions are necessarily a little hit-and-miss at this experimental art space, which gives a platform to young or emerging new Azerbaijani…
Azerbaijan
If you're intrigued by extreme hagiographical reverence, Azerbaijan's many museums to former president Heydar Əliyev can prove sources of inspiration. And…
Baku
Since 1948 this attractively tree-shaded graveyard has been set aside as the last resting place for Azerbaijan's foremost public figures. Many of the…
Archangel Michael Russian Church
Baku
Originally built in 1845 for worshippers from the Russian Imperial Navy, today the modest Archangel Michael Russian Church is the hub for Baku’s Orthodox…
Azerbaijan
Dating from 1876, this tile-roofed brick mosque is archetypal of the region with its coloured-glass windows set within large pointed arches. Its pair of…
Azerbaijan
The most impressive of Qırmızı Qəsəbə's surviving synagogues is a two-storey brick structure dating from 1888, pimpled with six spired minidomes.
Azerbaijan
The 1606 Cümə Mosque features a disconnected double minaret and is credited to Persian Shah Abbas, in whose reign it was built.
Azerbaijan
On a rocky outcrop at Ramana, this fortress tower is one of the Abşeron's most dramatic castles, but adding to the interest of the visit is the view of…
Azerbaijan
A facade like a stylised castle lures visitors to investigate this unusually professional regional museum, whose main appeal is the fine collection of…
Baku
Baku's most striking Soviet-era building is a gigantic stone construction fronted by an impressive series of layered stone arches and topped by rows of…
Azerbaijan
In the unofficial 'Top Park' competition between Azerbaijani cities, Gəncə's vast Heydar Əliyev Park wins hands down. Along with a fairground, modern-art…
Azerbaijan
In and around Lerik there are numerous points from which to savour wide panoramas over highland fields and serrated crags. One relatively central option…
Azerbaijan
Although lacking any real 'sights', this unique hilltop village is culturally Russian-Molokan and is about the last place in the country to maintain its…
Baku
Shoes walk across this gallery's fascinatingly off-beat front wall, whose centrepiece is a huge lion's face. Inside are paint splattered shirts and a…
Baku
Looking somewhere between an electricity pylon and an oil derrick, this digital clock forms a central Bulvar landmark.
Azerbaijan
This octagonal mosque is Quba’s most-distinctive historic building. Painted a dull red and topped with a metallic dome forming a central point like a…
Azerbaijan
Pop into this refreshingly air-conditioned centre to peruse the photographic exhibition on the life and times of the 'National Leader'. Or simply to cool…
Azerbaijan
There's nothing historic about this curious castle-like folly, an intriguing landmark on the ridge above town. It was designed to be a hotel but so poorly…
Baku
An arched gateway in the Old City wall leads from İçerişəhər metro station to a pretty handkerchief of garden. It's dominated by the superbly imaginative…
Azerbaijan
Lənkəran's grey-sand beaches aren't a big attraction if you want to swim and many are dotted with debris. Nonetheless, the coastal area around 1km north…
Baku
This 60m big wheel performs attractive light shows after dark. It spins very slowly, so a ride takes nearly 15 minutes including stops. Should you tire of…
Azerbaijan
A coven of museum ladies beckon unsuspecting tourists into this unusual building, a circular former church. A sign claims it dates from the 7th century or…
Baku
The snazzy little funicular whisks you up from near the restaurant Chinar to the Flame Towers area in just three minutes. Time between departures can vary…
Baku
Of all the free-to-enter commercial galleries in Baku's atmospheric Old City, Q has the finest collection of 20th-century Azerbaijani art. It often stocks…
Azerbaijan
Laza is a diffuse scattering of houses encircled by soaring mountains with grass-clad slopes and ribbon waterfalls cascading over perilous cliff edges. A…
Azerbaijan
Raised on a hillside high above the city, the WWII memorial is a vertical twist of concrete scroll fronted by a mourning woman with her head between her…
Azerbaijan
This spindly suspension footbridge was designed to help villagers reach the hamlet of Zərnava but these days its users are mostly selfie-snapping tourists…
Baku
The minimal remnants of what had once been the palace, bath-house and garden of Baku's 18th-century khans is to be rebuilt as a museum, with interactive…
Azerbaijan
This small museum is worth a five-minute glimpse to peruse faded photos of the area's attractions amid old pots, jewellery, jeweled horse equipment,…
İçәri Şәhәr Archaeological Museum
Baku
Closed for renovation at the time of research, this small museum has an excellent collection of prehistoric and medieval finds that underlines the…
Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator
Baku
The sturdy shell of this 1887 stone church remains disused for lack of Armenians, a reminder of the brutal cultural divide that remains as the fallout of…
