Historical monuments
Azerbaijan is the country of ancient history and culture. Here is more than 6 thousand historical-architectural monuments. It is a lot of centuries back present region served as a crossroads of trading ways from Asia to the Europe, was a key part of caravan routes. Already then numerous merchants, travellers, ambassadors, historians, ethnographers marked interesting historical-architectural monuments. Today in territory of country there is totaled more than six thousand.
The most ancient traces of a civilization are presented by the remains of the neanderthal man which has been found out in Azykh cave. More 300 000 years ago primitive people lived here. And in settlement Gobustan (60 km from Baku) there is the rare monument of the world culture, one of the first centers of a civilization of mankind. Here 4000 rock drawings of people and animals (petroglifs), 20 caves where lived our far ancestors are revealed. Here is created the Azerbaijan historical-art reserve. Not less alive interest is caused in tourists with numerous monuments of Baku. It is, first of all, an ancient part of a fortified city “Icheri Sheher” (Inner Town), which adjoining together with a legendary Maiden tower (XII century) which is brought in lists of monuments of a world heritage. The architectural shape of a fortress differs a unique originality, here are 44 monuments of medieval architecture.
Among them the unique complex of Shirvanshakh Palace, former residence of Shirvans Governors (XV century), minaret Synyg-gala (Õ1 century), mosques, a caravan-sheds, baths. For fans of olden time it is present ethnographic treasure. And in 30 km from Baku, in Surakhany settlement, is not less an exotic ancient monument - a temple Fire Worshippers “Ayeshgeh”, the page of annals of zoroastrizm.
Any part of Azerbaijan from the architecturally-historical point of view can interest tourists. Among masterpieces of ingenious architects – a unique Palace of Sheki khans (XVIII), covered by a list and multi-colour frescos, tower mausoleum Momina-khatun in Nahichevan, the mysterious temple Diri-Baba which was cut down in rocks of wild gorge, minarets of Juma-mosques in different regions of the country, the mighty bridges which have gone through an epoch, bastions of powerful fortresses at the peaks of mountains - witnesses of history of defense of northern borders of the country.
Truly, it is not a pity to overcome greater distances to take pleasure even in a small part of all these miracles.
Welcome to Azerbaijan!
