Established on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, Baku contains many historical buildings in terms of places to visit. The years spent under Arab, Ottoman and Russian sovereignty and the importance given by the Zoroastrians to the region are shown as the biggest reason for the city’s enrichment in terms of cultural heritage. In addition, there are many places to visit and entertainment in the oil-rich Baku, which was built after independence, with modern architectural elements. Here are the list of places to visit you shouldn’t skip on your baku tour.
1. Old City of Baku (Icheri Sheher)
Icheri Sherer, which is called “Old City” by the local people, is a region where travelers must be on the list of places to visit in Baku, as it contains many historical buildings.
The region, which has been used as a settlement since the Paleolithic period, was accepted as one of the endangered world heritages in 2003 after it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. There are over fifty historical buildings in the cobbled streets of the Old Town.
The vast majority of places to visit in the capital of Azerbaijan are located in the historical part of the city. If you want to go somewhere in the city outside of this region where you can easily walk by walking, you can use the metro, bus or minibuses. Taking advantage of bus services is the most economical option for distant places such as Ateşgah Fire Temple and YanarDağ.
2. Ateshgal Fire Temple
Ateshgah Fire Temple, which means “Temple of Fire”, is located in Surakhani Town, 30 kilometers from Baku city center.
The barn section, the first structure of the temple, which is one of the 3 remaining Mecusi temples, was built in 1713 and its central prostrate was built in 1810.
Some rooms of the building, which was an important place of worship for Zoroastrians in the past, are used as a museum today. Thanks to its spiritual and historical value, the temple, which takes its place in the list of places to visit in Baku, is also used for Nevruz celebrations.
3. Gobustan National Park
Gobustan national park, the official name of which is Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape Area (Gobustan National Park), is located 64 kilometers away from Baku.
In the area at the southeast end of the Caucasus Mountains, there are rock carvings dating back 40 thousand years. You can get valuable information about the region by visiting the cave settlements and cemeteries, which are other valuable findings in the national park, which takes its name from the mountain passes (gobu in the local language).
4. Baku Boulevard
Baku Boulevard (Baku Boulevard), which runs parallel to the Baku coastline, was opened in 1909. At the beginning of the last century, the region chosen by the oil traders who lived in Baku was later taken under protection by being called the Seaside National Park.
The boulevard, which was created by filling the sea, was expanded after gaining independence and became a center of attraction with museums, monuments and entertainment centers.
5. Flame Towers
Flame Towers, which are considered the tallest buildings in Baku, consist of 3 towers used as offices, residences and hotels. Around 350 million dollars were spent for the building, the construction of which started in 2007 and completed in 2013.
The most important feature of the building, which is considered as one of the symbols of Baku, is its magnificent view, which is the source of the name of the towers, with its outer surface covered with 10 thousand LED fixtures.
Where to stay in Baku?
If you are going to arrange your hotel for your stay in Baku, you can use booking.com, the internet’s most preferred reservation site. There are more than 300 hotels in Baku. Click to view and book Baku hotels.
You can read all the information you may need about accommodation in Baku and our hotel recommendations for all budgets in our article titled Where to Stay in Baku.
Throughout my article on places to visit in Baku, I tried to provide information about the most important sightseeing spots in the city. I hope this article has been a useful resource for you, have a good holiday already!
