This 6-hour excursion, offering convenient pick-up from your Baku hotel, delves into the ancient mysteries and natural wonders of the Absheron Peninsula, bringing to life the legends of eternal flames and centuries-old traditions.
About Your Private "Land of Fire" Exploration:
Your captivating tour begins at 10:00 AM from your Baku hotel, taking you on a fascinating 40-minute drive to the Absheron Peninsula. This private experience ensures personalized attention as you explore unique historical, cultural, and natural reserves.
- **"Gala" State Historical Ethnographic Reserve & Open Air Museum:**Your excursion will start with a visit to Gala village, transformed into a remarkable State Historical Ethnographic Reserve and Open Air Museum. This unique site offers a vivid glimpse into the original lifestyle of Azerbaijani people from the 10th-19th centuries. Here, you can not only immerse yourself in the past but also engage in hands-on activities like baking traditional bread in an ancient "tandir" oven, trying your hand at carpet weaving, molding clay in a pottery workshop, or even feeding camels and horses.
- **Ateshgah Fire Temple:**Our next stop is the revered Ateshgah Fire Temple in the village of Surakhani. For centuries, this site has captivated pilgrims and seekers. Built in the 17th–18th centuries around naturally burning flames, it was originally worshipped by Zoroastrians and later became a significant pilgrimage site for fire-worshipping Hindus until the late 19th century. Today, it stands as a well-designed open-air museum, narrating tales of ancient faiths.
- **"Yanardag" State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve:**Continuing our "fiery tour," we'll visit the State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve “Yanardag,” literally meaning "Burning Mountain." This unique complex is built around a hill where a natural gas pocket causes a continuous flame eruption. It is believed that this fire has been burning for over 20,000 years, captivating visitors much like it did Marco Polo, who described these natural flames in the 13th century.
- **Heydar Aliyev Centre & "I Love Baku" Sign (Exterior Visit):**Upon returning to Baku, we'll make a final stop near the iconic Heydar Aliyev Centre. Designed by the world-famous architect Zaha Hadid, this vast and majestic structure is a jaw-dropping statement of fluid 21st-century architecture, with abstract waves and peaks that seamlessly merge. Take your time pondering and photographing its extraordinary exterior from various angles, and capture memorable pictures next to the popular "I love Baku" sign.