Baku–Shamakha-Sheki–Baku(AZR-1003)
Day 1 Arrival to Azebaijan-Transfer to hotel-Baku tour (-,-,D)
After check-in into the hotel and a short rest, the tour starts with a visit to the Alley of Martyrs in the HIghland Park. Highland Park is located on a hill in the western city part. This is the best place to view the city and the Baku Bay. The architecture of Baku, located on the Caspian Sea, is a combination of different styles, in particular, Gothic, Baroque, Classical and of course modern. Further the excursion is continued with a visit to the Old City - "İcheri Sheher", where the fort walls and narrow stones streets have preserved… Tourists will see and assess the major sights of the Old City, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs (middle of the XV century), the famous Maiden Tower and will know the tragic history of its foundation.
Day 2 Gobustan-Ateshgah-Mardakan fortress-Yanardag (B,-,D)
Archaeological research, conducted in Azerbaijan for many decades, has revealed interesting places and artifacts that helped to study the history of the origin, formation and development of the ancient people in the country. One of these places is Gobustan reserve, where you can see rock paintings and burial mounds dating back to X-VIII millennium BC. The rock paintings of men and women, animals, birds and hunting scenes have well preserved in Gobustan. Also in Gobustan the traces of the Roman Empire were found, namely the stay of the Roman centurions in these places, as evidenced by the inscription in Latin on the rock. The official religion in the states Mannea and Media emerged on the territory of Azerbaijan in the VII century BC, was Zoroastrianism, the spread of which was related to the spontaneously flammable oil and gas sources. That is why such monuments, as Ateshgah Fire temple, located within 20 km from the city center, has survived to today. Once the temple was destroyed, but restored in XVIII century, and today tourists can visit the sanctuary and bow to fire, as it was done by numerous worshipers before them. The excursion continues with the visit to Mardakan fortress - a quadrangular castle located in Mardakan village not far from Baku. The facility was built in the XIV century by Ahsitan I, the son of Shirvanshah Manouchehr III, in honor of the brilliant victory of Akhsitan over the enemy. The fortress height is 22 m and the thickness of the walls in lower part is 2.1 m, in the upper – 1.6 m. Inside the fortress is divided into five layers. The visit to small village Mehemmedli on the Absheron peninsula, where Yanardag mountain is located, will be of great interest for tourist for sure. The word "Yanar" in Azerbaijani means "burning" and "Dag" means "mountain". And this mountain is really burning - not metaphorically, but literally. Once on the Absheron there were a lot of places where natural gas, coming to the surface, auto ignited, but with the start of mass development of oil and gas fields on Absheron, there became less and less number of such places. Therefore, today the only place with this unique natural phenomenon - the natural elimination of natural gas to the surface in Absheron - is Yanardag. Yanardag today is officially announced as the historical reserve in Azerbaijan and is under state protection.
Day 3 Shamakha-Sheki (B,-,D)
The tour program includes arrival to the mountain region of Azerbaijan, where the tourist will visist Shamakha town first of all. Being the capital of Shirvanshahs state from the IX century, the town was one of the most important on the Great Silk Road. In Shamakha the tourists will visit such historical and architectural monuments, as "Juma Mosque» (XIX century) and the mausoleum "Seven Domes". Upon the arrival to Sheki town the guests will stay in “Karavan-saray” hotel, which was an overnight stop for merchants and travelers centuries ago.
Day 4 Sheki (B,-,D)
Sheki is one of the most ancient cities of Azerbaijan, located on the picturesque slopes of the Great Caucasus. The excursion program begins with a visit to the Palace of Sheki Khans. It is a wooden building served at its time as a summer residence for Sheki rulers. Beautiful, with a playful touch of ornaments (Shebeke) and the composition of the palace has still reserved its original form as two centuries ago, and today the palace shine attracts many tourists. As it is known, being in a close relation with architecture, ornament art is mostly monumental. At the same time ornament is a special technique of decorative art, as well as one of the hardest kinds of art, that requires large experience and specific technologies. The uniqueness of the local ornament, used as an element of national architecture, is that it does not use studs and gluing. For example, frames, made of planks and decorated with colored glass, are used instead of doors and windows, and this gives a unique spirit to the ancient structures.
The tourists will also visit the museum of history, the Albanian church in Kish village (V-VI centuries), woodcarving (Shebeke) workshop. In the evening the guests will have a wonderful dinner in the local restaurant, which cuisine is different from other Caucasus regions, and from Azerbaijan in particular. Overnight in Sheki.
Day 5 Sheki-Baku-Free day (B,-,D)
After breakfast the group returns to Baku. Free time. Overnight.
Day 6 Transfer to airport (B,-,-)
After breakfast the group departs for the airport, where the accompanying company representative will assist the tourists with registration for the flight and other formalities. End of the tour.