Must see attractions in Azerbaijan

Escape the heat of the city beneath the deep shade of these thickly wooded gardens, where a mix of conifers and ivy-wrapped palms create a balmy sub…

The former palace of the Naxçivan khans has been so enthusiastically restored that it might as well be new. It's an attractive structure, however, and…

Worth a quick stop en route to Qobustan, this 1998 neo-Ottoman-style mosque replaced a 13th-century original demolished by the Soviets 'for road widening'…

This pair of gigantic brick gateways dates from 2014 but is designed to evoke the idea of ancient Gəncə's long-lost citadel portal. The portal's original…

With nearly 20 varietals, Savalan is Azerbaijan’s best-known wine brand. Visits, which must be pre-arranged, include an explanation of production, a…

A superb collection of carpets from the Naxçivan region are clearly labelled, illustrating a remarkable range of styles. The rugs are interspersed by old…

This remarkable rural site comprises over a dozen close-packed grave excavations from the 2nd to 7th centuries BC, presented underground in the states…

One of the most dramatic stretches of the Quba–Xınalıq road starts when it enters a deep, narrow canyon at around Km 34.5. It emerges over 2km later at an…

Designed like an eight-petalled flower but five stories high and made of steel and glass, this giant project has been under construction since 2007 and…

Tahir Salahov is probably Azerbaijan's greatest living painter, best known for bringing deep emotional intensity into Soviet Realism. The Baku house where…

Azerbaijan's 'oldest' and most splendid mosque has been a place of Islamic worship since 743 AD, and although though the current version dates mostly from…

The Şəki Khans' little-publicised 'other' palace is a slightly smaller, older version of the Xan Sarayı set in its own rose garden. While five of the six…

One of rural Azerbaijan’s best-preserved castle ruins, Çirax Qala's spindly, three-storey keep rises on a forested bluff, high above Qala Altı, a big,…

Several gleaming towers are under construction at Crescent Bay opposite Port Baku, including a potentially phenomenal architectural attention-grabber in…

Housed in two century-old oil-boom mansions, Baku’s foremost collection of classical art ranges from 17th-century French landscapes to Meiji-era Japanese…

This 200-year-old mosque is easily spotted thanks to its tapering octagonal minaret, freestanding with red-brick patterned facets. The mosque itself is a…

Though it appears relatively squat seen from outside, the interior of the Old City's carving-festooned 'Friday' mosque contains beautifully patterned…

The grandest historic mosque in central Baku, Təzə Pir was built between 1903 and 1914, funded by a female philanthropist. More-recent renovations added…

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…

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…