| Duration: | 6 Hour(s) - 0 Minute(s) |
| Tour Category: | Full Day Tours |
At a distance of 70 kilometers from the center of Baku, there is a real historical and archaeological treasure of the country called Gobustan. The name "Gobustan" means "valley of ravines" or "land of ravines," as "Gobu" means a ravine or depression, while "stan" means land or country.
Gobustan National Park is world-famous for its ancient rock paintings.
More than 40,000 years ago, ancient people seeking shelter settled here and formed tribes. This is not surprising, because the valley of ravines along the Caspian coast provided them with the natural resources they needed to sustain life.
The first archaeological excavations in Gobustan began in 1939 under the Azerbaijani archaeologist Iskhak Jafarzade. He studied an area covering approximately 537 hectares. In the mountains of Gobustan, including Boyukdash, Kichikdash, Jingyldag, Shikhgaya, and Shongardag, he discovered around 3,500 rock paintings, ancient human settlements, numerous tombstones, and several burial mounds.
In 1948, a Latin inscription was discovered, confirming the presence of one of the Roman legions in the territory of Gobustan. There is also a Persian inscription dating back to the 14th century.
In total, approximately 6,000 rock paintings have been discovered in Gobustan, which archaeologists refer to as "petroglyphs."
In 2007, Gobustan National Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the most popular destinations for lovers of history and archaeology.
The thousand-year history of Azerbaijan shows that people in the region have followed different religions throughout different periods. These included paganism, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.
Zoroastrianism is a religion traditionally associated with the worship of fire. Fire worship originated in the first millennium BC, and according to some sources, Zoroaster, the main prophet of Zoroastrianism, came from the region of Azerbaijan.
As in many major religions, Zoroastrianism has a concept of good and evil, with the belief that good ultimately triumphs over evil. The god associated with truth, goodness, and justice was called Ahura Mazda, while Ahriman represented anger, evil, and wrongdoing. According to Zoroastrian beliefs, followers of good and righteous deeds would find eternal life and happiness in the next world.
Approximately 27 kilometers from the central streets of Baku, in the settlement of Mammadli, there is a limestone mountain on whose slope a natural gas flame burns. This eternal flame is known as Yanardag, which means "fiery mountain."
Scientists have determined that the natural fire at Yanardag has existed for many years, and it is believed to have inspired fire worshippers in Azerbaijan. The fiery mountain was formed by the natural release of gas from underground deposits, which ignited and created a continuously burning flame.
Azerbaijan has a large number of natural gas sources that emerge in the form of flames. It is therefore often called the "Land of Fire."
Inclusions
Professional guide service in the requested language
Transportation service
Entrance fees to Ateshgah, Yanardag, and the Gobustan Museum
Taxi transfer to the mud volcanoes using vintage Lada cars (1 car for up to 4 people)
Exclusions
Meals
Alcoholic drinks
SUV transportation to the mud volcanoes
Any service not mentioned in the inclusions
Note
The price is per person and depends on the group size.
1–5 people: Mercedes-Benz Vito with 6 seats in the passenger cabin
6–15 people: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with 17 seats in the passenger cabin
16 or more people: Large coach with 35–48 seats in the passenger cabin
