Many people visit Azerbaijan for its beautiful architecture, and they might not know about the ancient and natural wonders in the Islamic state. Since it is easy for Pakistanis to get the Azerbaijan visa, it has become one of the top vacation destinations for the country’s citizens. Here are the fantastic sites every tourist must go to during their next visit.
Palace of the Shirvanshahs
This beautiful complex of sandstone walls and domes was home to northeastern Azerbaijan’s ruling dynasty, the Shirvanshahs, from the 13th to 16th century. The palace consists of a courthouse, Shirvanshahs’ burial grounds, mosque, and Sayid Yahya Bakuvi’s mausoleum, among other things. This unique architectural site was declared a museum-preserve in ’64 and made its way to the UNESCO World Heritage List in the year 2000. It is considered a pearl of the country’s monuments and is famous among tourists.
Maiden’s Tower
This tapering 29m tower is the oldest structure in the old walled city, located in Azerbaijan’s capital. The museum in the tower exhibits and tells its great story. The exact purpose, completion year, and origins of its name are still a mystery. It is believed by many experts that it was completed in the 12th century, but the appearance of the lower portion suggests it might date back to 600 BC. Several variants of its story exist and have been conveyed through poems, plays, fairytales, and a famous ballet. Visitors can also go to the top of the tower for a beautiful view of the city and the bay.
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Imamzadeh Mausoleum
Among Azerbaijan’s Islamic architectures is this beautiful religious complex, which is located to the north of Ganja city. It exhibits lovely red bricks and central Asian-style blue majolica tiles. The Mausoleum hosts small mosques, a caravanserai, and other structures. It is also known for being the final resting place of Maulana Ibrahim, son of the fifth Shiite Imam, Muhammad Al Baqir. The compound was restored in the 19th century, exhibiting the preserved Muslim relics for its visitors.
Gobustan National Park
The UNESCO-listed national park offers a fascinating insight into ancient civilizations due to its cromlech (circle of standing boulders) and thousands of stick-figure stone engravings that date back at least 12,000 years. The themes of the drawings include wild animals, livestock, and shamans. The findings also include evidence of human settlements and ancient tombstones. People with no interest in history still visit Gobustan for its incredible landscape and the hilltop view of the beautiful turquoise Caspian waters.
Garasu Volcano
Many tourists are not aware that Azerbaijan has the most significant number of mud volcanoes in the world. The most famous, of the 350, is Garasu. It spews mud up to 1,000 meters into the air, because of the gases that build up below the earth’s surface. The area has a marvelous but eerie landscape that makes the visitors think that they stepped on the surface of the moon. It has earned its place in the World List of Natural Sites of Tourist Attraction.
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