The weather is one of the reasons to visit Azerbaijan. This is a rare instance where the majority of the climate types that occur around the world can be found within the borders of a single nation, ranging from mountain tundra to dry and humid subtropical (in Lankaran) (the Big Caucasus highlands). At the same time, the majority of Azerbaijan's area is located in a subtropical climate. This enables the planting of exotic fruits including kiwi, feijoa, oranges, tangerines, lemons, and oranges. Banana trees with green fruit ovaries are frequently seen growing in the southern regions of Lankaran and Masally.

These tropical visitors liven up the surrounding area even if no bananas ripen. It is not surprising that Azerbaijan is the hub of beach tourism given the country's favorable climate, which includes an early spring, a warm winter, and plenty of sunny days. The Absheron seaside's beach season begins in May and runs through the end of September.

The Caspian Sea is referred to as the world's largest lake in all official and unofficial information sources. Truly, it has a surface size of roughly 371 000 square kilometers, and the deepest point is 1025 meters. This lake can be referred to as the sea due to its enormous size and the fact that its bed is made up of ocean-like Earth crust. In addition, the Caspian Sea's water is less saline than the water in other seas, making it better for swimming, less irritating to eyes, and not drying to the skin. That is one of the reasons to visit Azerbaijan.

It becomes clear why Azerbaijan is rightfully regarded as the hub of coastal tourism in the entire Coastal Caspian region when you also take into consideration the excellently developed infrastructure on Absheron seaside and in the renowned Nabran resort zone, which includes many hotels and resort centers, boat trips, yacht clubs, fishing, and diving.

One of them is the historical-artistic reserve Gobustan, also known as Gobustan, which is also known as the rarest monument in all of human culture and one of the first centers of civilization. This archaeological reserve is a flat location 60 kilometers south of Baku that contains 537 hectares of culturally significant rock art drawings. The Gobustan Mountains have a variety of unique evidence concerning the region's inhabitants throughout time, including carvings on rocks, evidence of human settlement, tombstones, and more. Remains of the massive prehistoric cromlech can be found (a circular composition of vertical stones, Azerbaijani analogue of Stonehenge). The petroglyphs in Gobustan, which depict both people and animals, number about 6000. A Latin inscription on a stone attests to the fact that the XIIth legion of Domician, the Roman emperor, visited the Gobustan region in the first century A.D.

Icheri Sheher (Old City), sometimes known as a "fortress," is a distinctive historical and architectural conservation area in the heart of Baku and is a monument of the world's UNESCO heritage. That is one of the Middle East's and the nation's oldest and most populous regions. The 211 square kilometers that make up the protected area are home to more than 1300 families. Bronze Age burial vaults were discovered during archaeological investigations. Icheri Sheher was referenced by the Greeks and Romans in their writings about Baku. Here are the well-known historical landmarks Maiden Tower (12th century) and Shirvanshah Palace (the 13th-16th century). Behind the huge walls of Icheri Sheher, numerous other extraordinary structures have also been preserved, including mosques, minarets, the remains of caravanserais, and baths.

By the way, Mironov and Nikulin's characters from the well-known Soviet film "Diamond Hand" wandered around the back alleys of Icheri Sheher. There were also scenes from the film "Amfibia Man" that were recorded. Today, Icheri Sheher is filled with tourist-oriented gift shops. You can buy local clothing, kerchiefs, hats, dishes, and even hand-made carpets here.

The curative Naftalan oil, which has no equivalent on earth due to its distinctive biological makeup, has made Naftalan resort famous across the world. The resort is situated near Naftalan town, 20 km from Ganja, Azerbaijan's second-largest city, in the area of the Naftalan oil fields. That is one of the reasons to visit Azerbaijan.

There is no substance in the world like Naftalan oil for its special healing properties. It has a number of healing effects on the human body, including anti-inflammatory, painkilling, vasodilating, and stimulating effects. Thousands of scientific works and monographs have demonstrated the naftalan's curative properties and effectiveness for treating a variety of diseases.

It's interesting that E.I. Eger, a German engineer and contractor, built the first factory for making naftalan ointment. Germany received both the industry output and the raw materials utilized in its production. There have been two naftalan stock businesses operating there since 1886 that developed naftalan-based medications: "Naftalan in Magdeburge" and "Naftalan in Drezden." The processes used to make Eger ointments were monopolized and kept secret.Today, thanks to the curative naftalan baths, resorts in Naftalan offer treatment for more than 70 diseases.

According to the total number of mud volcanoes, Azerbaijan leads the world. This region is home to 350 of the world's 800 mud volcanoes. Every year, thousands of people travel to Azerbaijan to witness the stunning mud volcano eruptions, which are followed by explosions and deep noise. During eructation, gases emerge from the earth's deep depths and ignite instantly. Volcanoes can have flaming bodies that are up to 1000 meters high.

Mud volcanoes make for amazing photo subjects because of how much they resemble the moon's surface. It is intriguing that NASA geologists who examined the surface of Mars have concluded that the mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan share structural similarities with the red planet's highlands.

It is thought that 25 million years ago, in Azerbaijan, the first mud volcano erupted. In Azerbaijan, 200 major eruptions have been recorded over the past 200 years. There are currently 23 mud volcanoes in the nation that are protected as National Parks. The Azerbaijani mud volcanoes came in fifth in the global "Seven Natural Wonders" competition organized by a charitable Swiss organization. And on September 15, 2004, the Guinness Book of Records officially recognized the largest mud volcano in the world, which is located in Azerbaijan.

One of the most intriguing cuisines in the East is that of Azerbaijan. It stands out for its wide variety of meals made with meat, fish, and vegetables and enhanced with flavored herbs and spices. Even the most seasoned gourmands who travel to Azerbaijan have become devoted supporters of the local food. Azerbaijani cuisine features innovative and distinctive ingredients and dishes.

The most common ingredients in Azerbaijani cuisine are mutton, beef, and chicken. Like other Muslims, Azerbaijanis abstain from eating pork. Here, dishes with chopped meat and undoubtedly fish—especially starred sturgeon—are popular. The abundance of veggies in Azerbaijani food is well known. Additionally, several spices are used here. Saffron is particularly well-liked in Azerbaijan, where it is utilized in over 50 traditional cuisines. The Azerbaijanis favor long bread and lavash (flat bread), which are baked in tandoors, among other bakery delicacies.

There are famous foods unique to each region of the nation. It is a levengi (chicken or fish packed with minced nuts and spices) in Masally and Lenkeran, a piti (a national soup made of mutton cooked in a lidded clay dish in stove), and halva (an oriental sweet made of sugar, nuts, or seeds) in Sheki. You won't find any other bread or gutab like the ones in Gusar, which are thin half-moon patties composed of wheat and water paste and filled with meat, herbs, pumpkin, pomegranate grains, cheese, and onions.

According to archeological evidence, Sheki City, which is 380 kilometers to the west of Baku, is one of the Caucasus region's oldest settlements. Many artifacts discovered there date back more than 2500 years. Since ancient times, Sheki has earned a reputation as a city of artisans and skilled workers. From all over the world, traders and merchants came here from the nations along the Great Silk Road.

Sheki was known as "Azerbaijan's Lyon" and received a medal for its silk at the 1872 World Exhibition in Lyon. Elegant embroidery and silk were displayed together as a work of art at comparable shows around the globe. Tekelduz chain-stitch embroidery's center of production is still Sheki (plant patterns on velvet, woolens or goatskin). Dumas the Father purchased two embroidery saddles for 24 roubles while he was at Sheki. To be completely honest, you can't buy them for any price, not even 2000 Franks.

In Sheki, the construction of caravanseraises received special attention in light of commercial scales. The Upper and Lower Carabinerais, which were constructed in the 18th century, are the only two that remain today. The Upper Caravanserai continues to serve its original role. It serves as an accommodation complex.

A multitude of early Albanian architectural monuments, ancient castles, mosques, minarets, middle-age baths, bridges, etc. can be found around the city. The majestic Palace of Sheki Khans, built in the 18th century and featuring lavish wall paintings and filigree windows, is thought to be the pinnacle of Sheki and all of Azerbaijani architecture. It was built without the use of a single nail (!).

Azerbaijan has long been referred to as the Land of Fire. And it's no accident either; the Absheron Peninsula is abundant in gas and oil. People from all over the world came to Baku because its burning gas outlets were thought to be a divine secret. In ancient times, fire worshipers congregated there and constructed their temples over holy flames. Ateshgah, an old Zoroastrian temple of flame, is one of them temples. It lies in Surakhany town, 30 kilometers from the capital's center. The temple was constructed by an Indian fire-worshiping community in Baku between the 17th and 18th centuries.

In their trip journals, visitors to Absheron frequently wrote about enigmatic flames. Famous author Alexandre Dumas left intriguing observations about Baku flames after visiting the city in 1858. In the vicinity of Baku, on the Absheron peninsula, is Yanardag (literally, "flaming mountain," with burning flame exits at the surface). Flames had been burning on the hillside for a very long time. To witness the natural wonder, a large number of people from around the world come to this location. Since 2007, the Yanardag has been under the protection of the state, and its land has been designated a historical, cultural, and natural reserve.

In addition to historical landmarks, contemporary Baku has acquired new emblems. It is first and foremost the well-known Flame Tower complex, which consists of 3 structures. The first tower serves as a residence, the second one houses a business center, and the third one houses the Fairmont hotel. It's fascinating that, according to a survey by skyscrapercity.com, a reputable forum on urban planning, Flame Towers' lighting is regarded as the greatest in the world. LED panels that reflect various moving visual characters cover the whole surface of the Towers, making them clearly visible from all across the city. That is one of the reasons to visit Azerbaijan.

Not less well-known is the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, a large complex that houses a convention center, a museum, a library, and a 9 hectare park. The renowned architect Zakha Hadid is the creator of the building's design. By the way, the Discovery and Science Channels' programming extensively covered the development of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center and the Flame Towers.

The ultra-modern Crystal Hall performance complex near Baku's State Flag Square, where the "Eurovision-2012" competition was held, must also be mentioned. Numerous contemporary dynamic light units are installed on the Crystal Hall's exterior, enabling the creation of various lighting effects both within and outside the building. When each singer entered the stage during the "Eurovision" song contest, the lighting on the exterior walls mirrored the colors of the state flag of that performer. Nothing similar has been done in other cities around the world, according to the special effects creator, Swiss Nüssli International AG. The concerts by international stars are currently held in "Crystal Hall." Shakira, Rihanna, "San-Remo" performers, Jenifer Lopez, and more have already performed in the Hall.