Information About Azerbaijan

History of Azerbaijan

The epitome of the history of Azerbaijan dates back 70,000 years. The land was the territories of the Iskim, Scyth, Manna, Skit and many other strong Caucasian Albanian empires in 1,000 BC.
Around the 3rd century AD, the territory was populated by the Arabs and Iranians as a consequence of Iranian Sasanid and Arabian Khalifat invasions. There was spread of Islam in the 7th century which unified the Turkish and non-Turkish population of the territory in terms of uniform nation, practices and language.

In the late 15th century, Shakh Ismail Hatai managed to form a state Sefevid with its capital in Tabriz which was a dominant empire of the Middle East. The Azerbaijani saw the conquest of Northern India when their commander Nadir Shakh seized Delhi in 1739. His death led to a weakening consequence of the territory which were fragmented into Khanates and Sultanates in the end of the 18th century.

The reign was then in the hands of the Azerbaijani dynasty the Gadzhars who were the resistance for Russia who dreamt of conquering the Caucasus. This affected in the formation of the two treaties namely the Gulustan Treaty (1813) and the Turkmenchav Treaty (1828) which divided the Azerbaijani Empire into two parts - Northern (Russian part) and Southern (Iranian part).
The essence of independence was first experienced by the Azerbaijani from Russia in the year 1918 and it became the 1st Muslim country to become independent. Later Azerbaijan was announced the instituting member of the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik movement in 1920. In 1936 the Russian were compelled to treat Azerbaijan as a Russian State and govern it from Moscow.
Azerbaijan was a trump card for the allied forces in the 1st World War as they provided them with the oil and natural gas. Azerbaijan also provided soldiers for the Eastern Front. Azerbaijan prospered as a post war industrial country in the 1950s.
Soon in 1988, the weakening of the Soviet Union and the demand of Armenia to reunify with Azerbaijan resulted in the independence of Azerbaijan from the Russians for the 2nd time and they joined the Commonwealth of Independent State (CIS) on the 30th of August 1991.
Under the governance of the leader of HeyderAliyev Azerbaijan prospered. The invention of more oil and natural gas mines resulted in better economy of the country. Azerbaijan is now a stable country.

Geography of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a country located in the Caucasian region demarcated by Russia and Georgia in the north, Caspian Sea in the east, Armenia to the west and southwest, Iran in the south and Turkey in the northwest. The landform is low and flat-lying. The geographical subdivisions of the country are:
1) Caspian Sea shore
2) The Caucasian Highlands and
3) The Central Plains
The country covers a total area of 86,000 sq. kms.
The highest point of the country is the BazarduzuDagi (4,485m) and
The lowest point is the Caspian Sea (28m below sea level).
The longest river that drains the country is the Kura River (1,514km).

Climate of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan mainly experiences a subtropical type of climate with humid conditions in the southeast and arid conditions in the central and eastern part. The temperature increases with altitude in the Caucasian ranges. The average summer temperature is 25O C whereas in winter temperature can be low to 4O C. The average annual rainfall is 550mm.

Natural Resources in Azerbaijan

The natural resources of Azerbaijan are non-ferrous metals, natural gas, iron ore, underground water, petroleum and bauxite.

Major Cities in Azerbaijan

• Baku
• Ganja
• Sumgayit
• Lankaran
• Mingachevir
• Qaracuxur
• Sirvan
• Bakixanov
• Nakhichivan

Tourist Attraction in Azerbaijan

The Palace of Shirvanshahs Maiden Tower Atashgah Fire Temple Yanar Dag Oil Rocks Hamam (Public Baths) IcheriSheher Nizami’s Mausoleum Bottle House Jama Mosque of Ganja Old Prison & Lighthouse

Tomb of SeyidKhalifa YanarBulag Ballabur Castle GizilAgaj State National Reserve Caravansarai Juma Masjid Khansarai Silk Factory Albanian Mosque Mosque of Sheikh Yusuf HeydarAliyev Park Sarkartapa

Famous Hotels in Azerbaijan

The famous hotels of Azerbaijan are

• Chirag Plaza hotel and Business Center
• JW Marriott Hotel Absheron
• Kempinski Hotel Badamdar
• JumeirahBilgah Beach Hotel
• Fairmont Baku
• Four Season Hotel

Azerbaijan Cuisine

The cuisine of Azerbaijan is very strongly spiced. The foods are calorie enriched and are very delicious. Some of the important dishes of Azerbaijan are:

• Piti soup
• Badambura
• Black tea and cherry jam
• Halva
• Caspian fish and smoked cheese

International Airports in Azerbaijan

• HeydarAliyev International Airport
• Gabala Airport
• Ganja Airport
• Lankaran International Airport
• Nakhchivan Airport
• Zaqatala International Airport