Five Facts About Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is a fascinating country on the coast of the Caspian Sea, boasting a rich cultural heritage that dates back to the Persian Empire… and further still. However, the country remains unfamiliar to many people in the West – so here are five interesting facts about Azerbaijan, to get you started.
1. The most famous celebrity to come from Azerbaijan was the chess champion Garry Kasparov. Born in Baku in 1963, Kasparov became ranked as the leading chess player in the world… book a stay at the Hotel Baku, and you’ll even be able to visit the house where he grew up.
2. The country of Azerbaijan is riddled with caves, some of which are believed to have been home to prehistoric peoples. Of particular note is the Azykh cave, a massive underground network which covers more than eight thousand square metres!
3. The religion known as Zoroastrianism is believed to have been founded in Azerbaijan… which at the time, was a part of the much larger Persian Empire. In this particular faith God is represented by fire, and so perhaps it is no coincidence that Azerbaijan has long been referred to by the nickname ‘Land of Fire’.
4. Since the mid-nineteenth century, Azerbaijan has enjoyed a healthy trade in oil. The country is rich in natural deposits, and a great many wells have been drilled across the land’s surface. Nowadays, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is one of the main oil routes in the Middle East, piping crude oil from the coastline of Azerbaijan, across Georgia, and all the way to Turkey.
5. The national music of Azerbaijan is known as Mugham, and it takes its influences from both the Persian tradition, as well as Western modal music. You’ll have plenty of chances to hear Mugham for yourself, when you book a stay at one of the many hotels in Baku. In fact, once a year the city celebrates a unique Mugham festival, incorporating numerous venues, and more than a thousand individual performers!
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