Secrets of the Silk Road: A guide to Azerbaijan’s culture

With its three UNESCO-listed World Heritage wonders, epoch-spanning architecture, a vibrant contemporary art scene, and so many ways you can meet and learn about the locals, Azerbaijan makes a fascinating place to visit for those looking for authentic travel experiences. Here are just some of the many cultural highlights waiting to be uncovered in this beguiling country…

3 UNESCO Sites

The UNESCO-listed Walled City of Baku, with its diverse limestone buildings, is a historical melting pot. Known as the inner city, or Icheri Sheher, its 12^th to 15^th century Shirvanshah’s Palace, situated at its highest point, is considered one of the ‘pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture.’ And it’s at the palace you’ll discover tombs, bath-houses, mosques and caravanserais, that hark back to the ruling Shirvanshahs and the legendary Silk Road era. The mystery-shrouded, 12th-century Maiden Tower offers a glimpse of Baku’s past, with panoramic views from the top.

Some 64km southwest of the capital, you’ll also find the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape. Found within the 31 sq km Gobustan National Historic and Artistic Reserve, the area has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its quality and density of rock art engravings which show fascinating sketches of hunting scenes, fauna, flora and lifestyles in pre-historic times. Don't miss the interactive museum where you can learn more about the collection of some 7,000 petroglyphs. In Azerbaijan’s northwest, the Historic Centre of Sheki is equally alluring. Ordered by local ruler Muhammad Huseyn Khan and built by architect Zeynal Abdulla in the late 18th century, Khan's Palace's mosaiced façade, internal frescoes, and incredible stained-glass windows (known here as Shebeke) testify to the glorious past of Sheki. Various merchant houses are the products of the wealth brought about by silk cocoon trading, during the region’s Silk Road heyday.

Carpet weaving

The significance of carpet weaving is so integrated in Azerbaijani tradition  that country is home to one of the world’s only carpet museums which  is designed in the shape of the carpet. Aside from being an architectural wonder, the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum is a celebrated institution in Baku and one that you can’t miss if you’re keen to understand the country’s centuries-old carpet-weaving tradition. Founded in 1967 and relocated to its sleek new venue in 2014, the museum uncovers the symbolic meanings these celebrated textiles often represent as well as the various ceremonies or events they are often created for.

Dating back as far as the 6^th Century BC and reaching its pinnacle during the 16^th century, it’s easy to see why UNESCO recognised the traditional art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving as a masterpiece of Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Their ornamental designs are rich in symbolism and vary from region to region; for example, carpets from Guba are known for their floral/horticultural ornaments, geometric patterns and occasional animal motifs, while carpets from Karabakh feature geometric floral patterns with story elements weaved into them. Over time, these designs have spread to other countries, both east and west of Azerbaijan.

To explore the tradition further, journey north to the carpet-weaving region of Guba, where you can take a weaving masterclass, buy some of your own textiles, or take a factory tour to see master weavers at work. Masterclasses are also available in the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku.

Other traditional handicrafts

 It’s not just carpet weaving that lives on in Azerbaijan. Once an important site on the Silk Road, the country has been producing and trading goods made from silk, copper and wool for hundreds of years, and the traditions live on today. Head to the mountain town of Lahij to discover how the craftsmen in this little town with authentic medieval architecture have been shaping copper into plates in a tradition that dates back centuries and has since been recognised by UNESCO. Around a three-hour drive from Baku, Lahij draws in visitors with its ancient cobbled streets, riverstone houses, ancient sewerage system and an incredible craft heritage that dates back over 2,000 years. Over the generations, more than 40 different crafts have been practised in Lahij, from hat making to leather production, blacksmithing and carpet weaving. Lahij's cool mountain air makes it especially appealing in summer, when you can pair exploring the town with the scenic hiking routes which vein the surrounding mountains.

Another UNESCO-listed craft is the creation of kelaghayi (silk headscarves) and a great place to watch these accessories being made is at the Silk Centre in the mountain settlement of Basgal. Traditionally worn by Azerbaijani women, kelaghayi headscarves are exquisite silk patterned headscarves using the batik technique, where hot wax is applied to the fabric to prevent the dye from colouring the fabric. Make sure you pay a visit to Basgal's kelaghayi workshop for an impromptu lesson, before absorbing old-world charm with a wander along Basgal's cobblestone streets.

Art

With venues like Baku’s YARAT Contemporary Art Centre and the avant-garde Baku Museum of Modern Art gaining international attention, Azerbaijan’s art scene is flourishing more than ever before. Don’t miss a visit to the Heydar Aliyev Center to not only admire its unique wave-like design but also be wowed by the work of Faig Ahmed, one of Azerbaijan’s most renowned contemporary artists best known for his surrealist carpet weavings. The centre also features regularly changing exhibitions of famous artists. The National Museum of Art not only boasts a handsome collection of the country's classical fine arts and masterpieces, but the museum's buildings themselves are historic monuments that hark back to the 19th century. Beyond the capital, in Sheki, the art has been years in the making. Once a pit-stop on the ancient Silk Road, this historical town was once a key producer of silk cocoons and a trading hub where ceramics, spices and silks were exchanged for Italian Murano glass. Today, skilled artisans use this multi-coloured glass to create Shebeke, a form of stained-glass window, showcased at the celebrated Sheki Fortress, home to some fascinating workshops. Shebeke, and some 17 other traditional craft forms that still flourish here – from embroidery to pottery and weaving – have now been recognised by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. And many can be explored among the curious boutiques of Mirza Fatali Akhundzade Avenue, named after the legendary Azerbaijani writer.

Architecture

Baku’s storied skyline helps to tell the story of the country’s fascinating past. Its architecture is a heady mix of western and eastern influences, spanning from the 12th century right up to the present day. In Baku it is possible to be strolling the 12th century cobbled streets of the Old Town, take in Soviet-era architecture or buildings still standing from the Oil Boom and look up at modern buildings that are pieces of art in their own right, all in one day.

The city’s Walled Old Town is a good place to start where you will experience a trove of medieval and Islamic architecture including the cylindrical Maiden Tower and the ornate Palace of the Shirvanshahs.

As you leave the majestic walls of the Old Town, you are surrounded by the 19th and early 20th-century architecture of Baku's so-called 'oil boom period'. When the oil industry flourished in Baku in the early 1800s, the city transformed dramatically and its new architecture became a blend of Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical and Art Nouveau architectural styles. Don't miss the splendid Ismailiyya Palace, which was originally built in 1913 by famous Polish architect Józef Płoszko. A large number of these landmarks were designed by European, especially Polish architects, who had a profound impact on the city’s infrastructure. This dramatic contrast to the Old Town illustrates the rich and diverse culture of Baku. Each building has a special story to it, which you can learn about in one of the city's thrilling architectural walking tours.

For an example of Soviet modernism architecture, head to the Sharg Bazaar which was built in 1980 and artfully renovated in 2022 adding a modern twist to the heritage building. Alternatively, Gulistan Palace was built in the late 1970s and not only features classic Azerbaijani hallmarks like its balconies framed by arched rows, but they in turn offer panoramic views over the city and the Bay of Baku from the palace's hilltop position. For the past decade, Baku has been decorated with more mesmerising landmarks. Looming over Baku, the HOK-designed trio of Flame Towers, which, fittingly, flicker at night, have become an icon for Azerbaijan and were inspired by the flames on Azerbaijan's national emblem. Another impressive contemporary building is the Franz Janz-designed Carpet Museum, designed to resemble a rolled carpet, is equally innovative and the Zaha Hadid-designed Heydar Aliyev Center, which spans 57,500 sq m, has attracted international acclaim for its free-flowing shape.

Religious sites

A multicultural country of Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths, Azerbaijan abounds with interesting religious buildings. One of the capital’s most eye-catching religious buildings is the Heydar Mosque, a modern 12,000 sq m masterpiece that impresses with its 55-metre-high domes and Shirvanshah architectural design. But if it’s time-worn religious sites you’re intrigued by, don’t miss the 14th-century Imamzadeh Mausoleum (or Goy Mosque), north of Ganja, the Shah Abbas Mosque in Ganja itself and Shamakhi’s Juma Masjid, Azerbaijan’s first  mosque, built in 743 AD. The Sheki region’s tiny Church of Kish of more than 1,500 years old, related to The Caucasian Albania, is also considered one of the world’s oldest, and has undergone a much-needed restoration, thanks to Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl.

In peaceful Oguz, in the country’s northwest, two 19th-century synagogues play testament to the old Jewish settlements in Azerbaijan. In Baku, unravel a centuries-old culture at the Mountain Jews' synagogue or head to the Synagogue of Ashkenazi and Georgian Jews, considered one of Europe’s biggest. Don't miss a visit to the Red Settlement in the Guba district, the only entirely Jewish populated village outside of the Israel and USA. Characterised by its red-tiled roofs, the village was founded in the 18th century to this day maintains its own culture and traditions which you can learn about at the new Museum of Mountain Jews which opened in the Red Settlement in 2019. And be sure to tour the synagogues here, too, which include the Gilaki Synagogue and the Six Dome Synagogue. There are 13 in total, two of which are still in use.

Caravanserai

Situated on the western edge of the Silk Road, Azerbaijan was a handy trading pit stop for merchants looking to rest before moving on to Eastern Europe. These pit stops, known as caravanserai, offered welcome respite to weary traders after their long journey from the Far East. In the old city of Baku, the 15th-century Bukhara caravanserai remains well-preserved and a wander among its honey-coloured walls, balconies and octagonal garden will mean you don't need to flex your imagination too much to imagine what would have greeted tired merchants as they walked through the Shamakhi Gates into the fortress.

Over the road lies another important ancient resting point in Baku during the Silk Road's pomp: Multani caravanserai. Its rectangular courtyard and rooms were predominantly used by merchants (the caravanserai takes its name from Multan in Pakistan) coming from the Indian subcontinent and, more curiously, fire-worshippers. The latter's presence lead to Ateshgah, a fire temple, being constructed in Surakhani on the outskirts of Baku. It's not just the capital city where caravanserais exist in Azerbaijan. In fact, they're all over the country, from the Lower and Opper caravanserais of Sheki overlooking the Gurjanachai river to the mosques and ancient bathhouses that lie within the oriental-inspired Shah Abbas caravanserai in Ganja.

Silk Road products

Of course, the Silk Road was nothing without the actual products that were being transported and traded along its route. And many of those came from Azerbaijan, with one of its most prized exports being saffron, whose crocus flowers can be found carpeting the Azerbaijani countryside and the alleyways of caravanserais like Sheki heady with its scent. Its many medicinal properties and role as a key ingredient in many recipes across the Middle East and beyond made it highly coveted, with saffron being more expensive than gold at its peak. But despite being traded both east and west over the centuries, saffron remains a staple in Azerbaijani culture. During harvest season you'll see the hands of locals stained red as they prepare the saffron for pots of traditional tea or to use when cooking the country's national dish plov. Fruits, vegetables, grains and spices like pomegranates, almonds, rose, ginger, plums and quince were also traded from Azerbaijan along the Silk Road route. Today, visitors can visit the boutique shop ABAD in Icherisheher or the Yashil and Sherg bazaars to purchase these same products merchants did centuries ago.

Aside from saffron, Azerbaijan also supplied many other products to Silk Road merchants, including the different types of carpet we've mentioned in the section above. Salt was another important export, especially from Nakhchivan where nearby salt mines like Duzdag were dug for their health-giving treasure inside – the Duzdag Phhysiotherapy Center offers unique salt therapies so you can experience the health benefits for yourself. Today, you can visit Duzdag and explore its atmospheric tunnels and take a dip into the history of the Silk Road at its on-site Salt Museum. Other Azerbaijani products regularly traded along the Silk Road included Naftalan healing oil, silk, cotton, dried fruit, precious stones and more. The rich oil deposits in Baku and Absheron have also been exported abroad since the ancient days of the Silk Road and directly lead to the economic development and cultural growth of Baku.

Feeling inspired? 

For more information and to start planning your visit to Azerbaijan, head over to the official Azerbaijan website. 

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