AZERBAIJAN Where history meets modernity

A small country (land area: 86,600 sq.km) where East meets West and ancient tradition blends with modern innovation, Azerbaijan is a destination that deserves to be on every globe-trotter's bucket list

- ANIL THAKORE

A former Soviet republic, the oil-rich nation of Azerbaijan (pop. 10 million) is sited at the juncture of the Middle East and Eastern Europe in the Caucasus region, bordering the Caspian Sea to the east, Georgia and Russia to the north, Iran to the south, Armenia to the south-west and Turkey to the north-west. A small country (land area: 86,600) where East meets West and ancient tradition blends with modern innovation, Azerbaijan is a destination that deserves to be on every globe-trotter's bucket list.

Since the collapse of the USSR aka Soviet Union in 1991, several of its former republics such as Georgia (profiled last month on these pages) and Azerbaijan have emerged from behind the Soviet 'iron curtain' into prominence on global tourist maps because of their rich culture, natural beauty, and historical significance. After an exhilarating vacation in Georgia, our group of 13 landed at the modern Hyder Aliyev International Airport in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Since we had only five days, we decided to explore its charming capital city Baku and nearby places of historical and scenic interest.

Azerbaijan means “protector of fire” in Persian. From the days of recorded history dating back to 4 BCE, owing to its enormous reserves of oil and natural gas, flames of fire have lit up the landscape of this tiny nation through pores in the soil. The popular saying is that if you drill for water, you will get oil instead! In 1960, a shepherd herding his flock on the outskirts of Baku lit a flame that hasn't died down for the past 64 years.