Highlights of Baku :

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 1. SHIRVANSHAHS’ PALACE : Built in the 15th century, just right at the time when Baku became the capital of Shirvanshahs kingdom, it is one of a few good remaining old buildings in Baku. In 2000 it was inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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2. THE MAIDEN TOWER : Maiden Tower (“Qiz Qalasi”) is the top tourist attraction of the city. It is the second most visited building of Baku, just right after the airport. As soon as you get to the top of it, you will be amazed with the spacious view of Baku and its all beauty. Read more about the monument here.

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 3. MARTYRS’ LANE AND FLAME TOWERS :  During the Soviet Union this alley was known as Kirov Park, named after the Soviet Bolshevik leader. After the massacre of 1990 by Soviet troops, which is annually commemorated by all Azerbaijanis on 20 January, this park has become an alley of martyrs (“Shahidlar Xiyabani” in Azerbaijani). Now it is a symbol of pride of Azerbaijan and its independence. From here you can get another beautiful view of Baku Bay and see the Flame Towers to its fullest and closest.

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4. CITY BOULEVARD : Go to boulevard if you’re tired of the very hot weather of Baku and want to get some fresh air coming from the sea. Most importantly, take a boat tour and dive into the best feelings. The best time to go here is at evenings as you’ll not only get the fresh air coming from the sea, but also observe the beautiful Baku lights.

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5. HISTORY MUSEUM : Once the family house of Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, the famous Azerbaijani oil magnate,  The museum is divided into 3 sections. The first section covers prehistoric and medieval objects varying from ancient coins, wears, military objects to human bones and tombs. The second section covers the personal possessions of the famous people of Azerbaijan history. The third section holds the mansion of Taghiyev family.

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6.MUD VOLCANOES : Yes, you heard it right. Mud volcanoes. They lie about 10 km south of Gobustan. These volcanoes are quite unique as they are not as high as usual volcanoes, with height getting maximum 2 meters. Still, nearly half of the mud volcanoes in the world are located in Azerbaijan (more than 350 out of 800 in the world) and the greatest mud volcano in the world is also in Azerbaijan (1000 meters high). The mud bubbles right from the inside of the volcano and it is usually cold, rather than hot as you might think. Also, the mud is said to be good for face and is commonly used for medical reasons.

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 7. HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER : Built by Zaha Hadid, this center won the “Design of the Year” award on July 1, 2014. The center includes memorial gallery of Heydar Aliyev (ruler of Azerbaijan during Soviet era in 1969-1982 and president of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003), art gallery, concert and library halls, restaurant and conference hall.

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8. ATESHGAH TEMPLE (ZOROASTRIAN FIRE TEMPLE) : Located 30 km away from the city center in Surakhany district, this temple is known as a place of eternal fire. The history of this temple goes back to 18th century when Hindu traders were coming to Baku and selling Indian medicines and wooden materials. As Baku was situated in the Silk Road, 

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9. GOBUSTAN NATIONAL PARK (PETROGLYPH RESERVE) : Gobustan is famous for its rock drawings dating back to 40,000 years. This site is considered as the one of earliest inhabited settlement of people in Azerbaijan and reflects the activities of ancient people such as dance rituals, hunting scenes, carpentry and the images of animals. It is located a bit further from Baku – 64 km to southwest of Baku.

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10. YANAR DAGH (BURNING MOUNTAIN) : Yanar Dagh is situated 25 km northeast of Baku. The reason that this place is worth checking out is its continuous fire, which never extinguishes. The flame derives from the gas reserves beneath the land and there are no pipes making it burn.