Azerbaijan, Baku – Gabala – Sheki 7 nights 8 days, Group Tour

Breakfast in the hotel. After breakfast, tourists will go on excursions. The first will be a tour of the Nagorny Park, from which a panorama of the city of Baku opens. From the height you can see the Primorsky Boulevard, the Baku Fortress, the city center, as well as the best view of the Flame Towers. After viewing the panorama of the city, we move to the Old City "Baku Fortress", /Icheri Sheher/, which is included in the list of historical monuments protected by UNESCO. A walking tour of the inner city begins at the walls of the fortress. Walking with a guide along the ancient streets of the fortress, you will visit the Palace of the Shirvan Shahs, visit ancient caravanserais, see ancient mosques and medieval baths, and climb to the roof of the Maiden Tower. Having visited the Maiden Tower, you will feel the atmosphere of the East, rich in legends, and feel the mystical secrets of antiquity around the building. From the height of the Maiden Tower you will have a beautiful view of the Windy City, which you will remember for a long time. Not far from the Maiden Tower there is another sacred place - the place where the Apostle Elisha was crucified. Every year, in memory of this event, the Baku Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church holds a religious procession here on June 24. And of course, given that many Soviet films were filmed here, tourists will take a souvenir photo where Yu. Nikulin’s hero slipped and fell in front of the Pharmacy. In the afternoon, tourists will have an excursion to the Cultural Center named after. G. Aliyeva. The building of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center was designed by the world famous architect Zaha Hadid. In the design of the cultural center building, almost no straight lines were used. The building itself is shaped like a wave-like rush upward and smoothly merges with the ground. Such a structure represents not only the postmodern style of architecture, but also duration and infinity. The lines on the building symbolize the connection between the past and the future. The center features both permanent and regularly updated exhibitions. Overnight at a hotel in Baku.

Arrival in Baku. Meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at a hotel in Baku.

Airport transfer.

On this day, the first trip to the regions of Azerbaijan begins. After breakfast, tourists leave for the Gabala region, located in the north-west of the country, in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. On this day, tourists will cover a total distance of 210 km. On the way, tourists will visit the Sui mausoleum “Diri Baba” (Living Elder), built in 1402 by Shirvanshah Ibrahim I for the Sufi Sheikh. Here tourists will learn an interesting, and at the same time, mystical history associated with this mausoleum. This place is considered holy and people still come here to worship. In the Middle Ages, Sufi dervishes meditated in nearby caves. Approaching the city of Gabala, tourists will stop for a short rest at Lake Nour. After hotel accommodation and lunch, tourists will have an interesting trip to the winery, which is located on the slope of Mount Savalan to the southwest of the regional center of Gabala. Here tourists will be given a short tour of the winery, shown the vineyards, and then several types of local wine will be presented to visitors. After the tasting, tourists return to the hotel. Overnight at a hotel in the Gabala region.

On this day, after breakfast, tourists will first visit a real oriental bazaar, where they can buy fruits, spices and dried fruits, and be sure to bargain and reduce the price. After the bazaar, tourists will go to Primorsky Boulevard, where the Azerbaijani Carpet Museum is located. Both new and ancient carpets from all over the country are collected here and all 7 schools of Azerbaijani carpet are represented. Overnight at a hotel in Baku

Today we will return to Baku. But before returning, tourists will visit a unique temple in the village of Kish, located near the city of Sheki. One of the oldest Orthodox churches in the world is located here. This church was founded in 62 by Saint Elisha, one of the 70 apostles. Nowadays there is a museum here. The church building itself was built on the site of an even more ancient pagan temple. In the courtyard of the church there are graves of very tall people - more than 2 meters tall. One of the existing versions, put forward by the famous Norwegian traveler Thor Heirdal, is that the descendants of the Atlanteans are buried here. On the way, tourists will stop in the city of Shemakha and visit the Shemakha Juma Mosque, which was built in the 8th century. The building was last restored in 2013. The mosque was returned to its original appearance while preserving the old structure. After visiting the mosque, tourists will continue their journey to Baku. Overnight at a hotel in Baku

After breakfast, tourists will continue their journey. Today they will go to the city of Sheki, the distance to which is 80 km. On the way, they will stop by the ancient village of Nij, where the Udins, descendants of the inhabitants of Caucasian Albania, live. In the village, tourists will visit the ancient Albanian church and a small cultural center, where they can taste local national dishes. After visiting the village, tourists will continue their journey to the city of Sheki, which is one of the most ancient settlements in the Caucasus. Historical buildings are harmoniously combined with the picturesque nature surrounding the city. After arriving in the city and checking into a hotel, you will have a tour of the ancient part of the city. First, tourists will visit the Sheki Fortress, go to the Palace of the Sheki Khans, a local craft center, and then visit the medieval Caravanserai. Overnight at a hotel in Sheki.

After breakfast, tourists will go on a tour of the Absheron Peninsula. The first place to visit is the Temple of Fire Worshipers. At the beginning of our era, a Zoroastrian temple was built on the territory of the village of Surakhani at the site of the release of flammable gases. After the conquest of Azerbaijan by the Arabs and the adoption of Islam by the inhabitants, the fire temple of the Zoroastrians was partially destroyed. Fire worship in Surakhani resumed after the 15th century. After Ateshgah, tourists will visit Yanardag (Burning Mountain), a place where fire worshipers meditated. After lunch there will be a trip to Gobustan - the museum of rock carvings. Tourists will visit here interactive museum and open-air museum. One way distance – 60 km. Rock paintings of Gobustan belong to different eras and date from 10-8 thousand years BC. until the Middle Ages. In terms of covering such a large historical period, they occupy a high place among other rock collections in the world. Through the efforts of archaeologists, more than 6 thousand drawings were discovered on 1000 rocks, ancient dwellings - caves and sites, about 40 mounds, more than 100 thousand objects of material culture. The most ancient drawings date back to the Mesolithic era, but it is assumed that life existed here before, which allows us to consider Gobustan one of the cradles of civilization. Overnight at a hotel in Baku.