Azerbaijan: Wonders of Apsheron Peninsula
Duration: 3-5 hours I Languages: English, Russian, Dutch, French
Get a Day Tour to the Legends of Absheron peninsula. It is kind of the birth place of the by now global oil drilling craze – at least it was the first place where this reached massive (early) industrial proportions. Enjoy the Natural Wonder `Yanardagh` and Indian-Zoroastrian Fire Temple `Atashgah`. Meditate with ancient fire, which is flaming more than 1000 years, explore the fire rituals in Fire Temple. Take a walk in Surakhani Oil settlement, watch closely drilling oil wells.
Highlights
Get a day tour to natural wonder Flaming Mountain
Meditate with ancient fire
Try scooters and ride 7 km away
Visit small Interactive Museum of Yanardagh Reserve
Visit Indian-Zoroastrian Fire Temple `Atashgah`.
Listen about history and life stile of worships
Enter to rooms of Temple and explore artefacts and life of sikh
Take a walk in Surakhani settlement, watch oil drilling.
Itinerary
Start your day tour visiting XVII cent Fire Temple in Surakhani.
Enjoy the central temple`s fire – it was the reason of construction this temple! The temple is situated in a place where from the ancient times until the XIX century natural gas oozed out of the surface being a reason of the Eternal Flames phenomenon. Historical roots of the temple go to the ancient centuries when Zoroastrianism was a ruling religion. The Baku Ateshgah was a pilgrimage and philosophical centre of Zoroastrians from Northwestern Indian subcontinent, who were involved in trade with the Caspian area via the famous "Grand Trunk Road". The four holy elements of their belief were: ateshi (fire), badi (air), abi (water), and heki (earth)
Enter to 10 of 24 cells and rooms, which used to accommodate visiting pilgrims before. Across the whole roof, which forms a closed pentagon, there are holes above every cell to allow gas and smoke to exit. The ceiling of every cell has a small round vault. There are no windows in the cells, the entrance door is low and has an arrow-shaped arch. There are inscriptions engraved above the entrance of every cell. In almost every cell where the Indian fire-worshippers used to live, there are small rises on the side walls, like sleeping ledges.
Take a walk in Surakhani settlement and take a look to real oil drilling.
Surakhani settlement is located on the rock. Here, for millennia, gas, which has naturally emerged from the Earth, has been burned. Since 1850, the settlement has been touched by the oil boom, and Surakhani has turned into a place of compact residence for oil industry workers. Here everything was "spinning" around the oil. After all, working as an oilman was a great honor. Take a look to oil wells all around settlement.
Visit Natural Wonder Burning Mountain and enjoy watching the ancient fire.
Start exploring a very interesting natural phenomenon can be observed near the village of Mammadli: natural gases emanating from the ground are constantly burning here at the foot of the rock. Therefore, this place is called "Yanardag". In ancient times, there were many such places in Absheron.
Discover Cromlex stone exhibition in the reserve and listen to the local stories about it.
"Yanar dag" it is a State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve! This monument will introduce to you the history of burning mountain and Zoroastrianism in Azerbaijan! Cromplex it is a circular stone structure of sacred character, consisting of large rocks. The burial chamber of the mound is of the stone box type. The chamber is made of large boulders in a rectangular shape and covered with boulders. Based on the remains of a human skeleton and samples of material culture found in the grave chambers in all of the Azerbaijan.
Visit Interactive small modern museum of Burning Mountain and enjoy the display view of attractions. Change your shadow from dark to fire element and feel special.
Return to Baku city. End of the tour.
Included
Specialized bilingual guide
Bottle of water and chocolate
Classic standard car, vito or sprinter car
Excluded
Additional alcohol and non-alcohol drinks
Combined tickets to 2 museums (15 AZN/9 USD)
Additional services and expenses
