Shamakhi
This ancient city of Azerbaijan was the place where the first dynasty of the state of Shirvan was founded. We visited Yeddi Gumbez, the mausoleum known as the Seven Domes, where the remains of the last of the Shamakhi Dynasty lies.
We stopped over at a mosque first, namely Juma Mosque. Azerbaijani Islam was quite liberal since they allowed us, non-Muslims, to enter the mosque.
The Seven Domes were only in ruins, but Azerbanis seem to find significant historical meaning.
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We made a stop in Maraza village for a visit to Diri Baba, a magnificent two-storied mausoleum-mosque built on steep cliffs, which made the climb somewhat challenging to some people.
We visited Kish, one of the oldest villages in Azerbaijan. Our visit included a visit to the Mother of Albanian Church and ancient cemetery that dates back all the way to the 6th Century.
Sheki
Our final visit in Azerbaijan was to Sheki, the oldest city in Azerbaijan. It was located on the Silk Road and thus became an important market center. We visited a Karvansaray or a Caravanserai, a lodging facility for the travelers on the Silk Road. It is still in use for a hotel. Amazing!
Sheki has the summer palace of the royal family, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After this visit, we crossed the border to Georgia after convincing a herd of cows that apparently did not want us to leave the country. Huh...!.
Azerbaijan was better developed than expected. Also, the country was more open to other religions than I expected. They were still struggling to upgrade the quality of their tourism, but I think they will catch up. - Jeffrey
This ancient city of Azerbaijan was the place where the first dynasty of the state of Shirvan was founded. We visited Yeddi Gumbez, the mausoleum known as the Seven Domes, where the remains of the last of the Shamakhi Dynasty lies.
We stopped over at a mosque first, namely Juma Mosque. Azerbaijani Islam was quite liberal since they allowed us, non-Muslims, to enter the mosque.
The Seven Domes were only in ruins, but Azerbanis seem to find significant historical meaning.
.
We made a stop in Maraza village for a visit to Diri Baba, a magnificent two-storied mausoleum-mosque built on steep cliffs, which made the climb somewhat challenging to some people.
We visited Kish, one of the oldest villages in Azerbaijan. Our visit included a visit to the Mother of Albanian Church and ancient cemetery that dates back all the way to the 6th Century.
Sheki
Our final visit in Azerbaijan was to Sheki, the oldest city in Azerbaijan. It was located on the Silk Road and thus became an important market center. We visited a Karvansaray or a Caravanserai, a lodging facility for the travelers on the Silk Road. It is still in use for a hotel. Amazing!
Sheki has the summer palace of the royal family, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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| Kyung Sun Lim from Baltimore, MD |
Here we took a group photo.
We stopped over at a local market where you could buy old Azerbaijani handcrafts.
After this visit, we crossed the border to Georgia after convincing a herd of cows that apparently did not want us to leave the country. Huh...!.
Azerbaijan was better developed than expected. Also, the country was more open to other religions than I expected. They were still struggling to upgrade the quality of their tourism, but I think they will catch up. - Jeffrey
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