Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is a fiery land of customs and heritage. You will see a red flame on Azerbaijan’s state emblem. Walking through Baku – you will observe the Flame Towers as the city’s focal point which dominates the skyline. There is a close relationship between the country and fire – hence, it has earned the nickname as ‘The Land of Fire’. Throughout history there were endless flames dominating the mountains, due to which, the ancient Persians named the place Aturpatakan translating to ‘A place where the sacred fire is preserved’.
Modern day Azerbaijan:
The historical implication of fire runs deep in Azerbaijan culture. Yanar Dag, or burning mountain, and Ateshgah Fire Temple near Baku are magnificent sites that are flocked by thousands of tourists now. Heading south to Astara, adjacent to the border of Iran, you can see Yanar Bulag, a spring where the water burns when ignited. Even in the 21st century, ‘The Land of Fire’ still lives up to its name, making Azerbaijan a unique place for travellers to enjoy and savour!
Carpet Weaving – A tale of knots:
Famous for its knotted carpets, the traditional art of weaving carpets called knotting is still practiced abundantly today throughout the country. It is not only a source of means of livelihood but also an extensive part of Azeri culture. In 2010 UNESCO too accredited the storytelling value and cultural significance of carpet weaving as part of Azerbaijan’s intangible cultural heritage. Tourists stop and stare at the intricate knots and painstakingly laborious process of the final carpet.
From Storytelling to Miniature Books:
An immensely interesting thing about Azerbaijan is that Baku holds the record of being the only city in the world to have a museum of miniature books. Settled in the old part of Baku, called Inner City, The Baku Museum of Miniature Books has an impressive collection size of 5600, founded by Zarifa Salahova and attracts flocks of tourists to view the stunning collection! Young children and old alike pay the museum a visit to be enchanted by its unique collection of miniature books!
Role in International Tourism and Travel:
Azerbaijan’s tourist sector is a case study for thriving tourist industries. In 2017 the country was categorized as the world’s rapidest developing travel and tourism economy (a staggering 46.1% increase). To encourage and stimulate the tourist industry, Azerbaijan sponsored Atlético Madrid jerseys reading “Azerbaijan – Land of Fire” which were an overwhelming success. In 2018 a completely new and revamped tourism brand and slogan “take another look” were launched to boost tourism in the country and to take the already thriving tourist industry to new heights.
High Season: Summer (June through August):
June – August is the busiest season for the booming tourism in Azerbaijan, so lodging and other accommodations may cost slightly more than usual in the peak season.
High Season: Summer (June through August):
The best time to visit Azerbaijan is between April to June and September to October, which lets you forgo the 40°C summers and subzero winters – particularly in the mountains. You can also participate in the Novruz Bayrami celebrations each March, which mark the Persian New Year.
Success stories of women from Azerbaijan
The story of Sara Rajabli from Azerbaijan is just one of the numerous inspiring ones! Sara Rajabli began with taking part in European projects at the tender age of 17 ,aimed to amass young people together to cultivate their minds and ideas. She took a special interest in the EuroVillage – 2014 project and began volunteering in it for a model EU in the city center of the thriving city of Baku annually.
In 2016, she proceeded to become a part of the Young European Neighbors network, a digital platform bringing together more than 800 young minds from the EU and the Eastern Partnership region. Here she found herself surrounded by activists and was honored with the prestigious status of a Young European Ambassador from Azerbaijan. Sara Rajabli strived to help children and young minds back home to understand the concept of the EU that had given her so many possibilities to explore and to leave her village and travel extensively. She believed every girl could excel if she understood the importance of collaboration. She aimed to amass compatible minds on one platform just like the European projects had done so for her to succeed in securing better education and development opportunities in the near future! Welding together her two passions, travel and being a young European Ambassador, she launched an online blog which listed all the possibilities free of any fees and highlighted low cost travel opportunities for other youngsters of Azerbaijan who were on a budget like she once was! The blog garnered much attention, with a steadily swelling subscriber list and featuring stories from over 60 travellers. Sara’s main aim was women empowerment and she often says how she would never have believed how her fate had turned out if she hadn’t left the comfort of her home and stayed in according to the age old tradition of girls not being allowed to travel without relatives to escort. She managed to travel more than eight European countries and see progress up close and that too on a meager budget due to her collaborations. Her mindset and vision was broadened due to the opportunity to meet new travel and she hopes to do the same for other girls as a Young Ambassador for her country of Azerbaijan.
Sara Rajabli became endeared locally as a hero due to her ideas to empower women and launching social enterprises for them that could lead to more success stories like hers. Sara structured an online platform in the city of Baku that began retailing traditional Azerbaijani desserts all made by women with special needs at their homes, allowing them freedom and money of their own. This project #womenofbutaartandsweets became a local sensation with over 20 partners queuing up in less than half a year, who regularly place huge orders for pastries for corporate proceedings and international events both!
The Manat (code: AZN ; symbol: ₼) is the currency of Azerbaijan
There is a simple E-Visa process for Pakistani Passport holders. It takes about a week for the visa to be approved.