Baku, early September. Our journey through the Caucasus begins in the Azerbaijani capital on the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan is the easternmost country in the region, is in conflict with its western neighbor Armenia and is a close ally of Türkiye. The name Azerbaijan means “Land of Fire”.
Of the approximately ten million inhabitants, 2.2 million live in the capital. Well-kept parks, modern high-rise buildings and fountains line Baku’s streets. The historical center is the medieval old town, which, with its small streets, antique shops and dozens of cats, is the opposite of the otherwise modern city. Baku, or “Baki” as the locals call it, is a mix of modernity and tradition.
Our hotel is not far from the palace of the former Shirvanshah dynasty, which ruled the country from the 8th century to the 16th century. The owner tells us that he is the national judo champion. This sport is very popular in the country. The Judo World Championships are scheduled to take place in Azerbaijan in two years. As far as public safety is concerned, this shouldn’t be a problem. There are countless cameras installed in Baku and the police presence is enormous. President Ilham Aliyev has been in power for 22 years in a country that is considered an authoritarian state according to the Democracy Index. So we drive out of Baku in between. Away from the many cameras.
In the best Soviet tradition
With its 87,000 km², Azerbaijan is only slightly larger than Bavaria (70,000 km²). The climate in the country changes according to the region. While in the south on the coast it is still humid and tropical with a lot of rain, north of it there is an arid steppe climate. The main religion in the country is the Shia faith, the second largest branch of Islam. Outside the capital, oversized plaques commemorate the fallen soldiers of the conflicts with neighboring Armenia. In the best Soviet tradition, they are celebrated and honored as heroes of independence.
We take excursions to some sights in the area, such as the world’s first mechanical oil drilling tower, which was built in 1847. The extraction of black gold is the country’s livelihood. By the end of the 19th century, Baku was already producing half of the world’s oil needs. You can often see portraits of Heidar Aliyev, the father of the current president, along the way. He led the country since independence in 1991 and remained in office until 2003. Under his tenure, the oil boom began and led to the rapid rise of Azerbaijan’s economy.
Are you from Russia?
However, oil production is now decreasing. Our guide believes that oil production will be over in 30 to 40 years. This also means: Over the next few decades, Azerbaijan will have to diversify its industry if it wants to maintain its prosperity. The agricultural sector and other industries play a role. But also tourism. During our stay in Baku, preparations are underway for Formula 1, which has been playing in the capital for several years. Such prestige events are also intended to attract tourists to the country.
Our visit concluded that Azerbaijan is an exciting travel destination. But Western Europeans have rarely been seen there. Most tourists come from Arab countries or Russia. Knowledge of Russian is therefore an advantage in Azerbaijan. English or German, on the other hand, is not widely spoken. That’s why the first question in restaurants is always whether we’re from Russia. It quickly becomes normal for us to be spoken to in Russian or the local language. If we answer “Salam”, it will please the people with whom we have only had good experiences in Azerbaijan.
The flame becomes smaller
Since independence, Azerbaijan has fought against Armenia twice, losing in 1994, but winning the war in 2020. Both conflicts centered on the Nagorno-Karabakh province, which belongs to Azerbaijan under international law but is predominantly inhabited by Armenians. After the 2020 victory, Armenian residents fled the area. The conflict between the two countries continues to this day in the form of border disputes, with people dying almost weekly. Hence the travel warning from the Foreign Office: “We warn against traveling to the Karabakh region and the entire border area with Armenia.”
From the oil derrick we continue to the mud volcanoes south of the city. These are a natural phenomenon that attracts many tourists. We also really wanted to see these strange structures. The mud is said to be good for the skin. But although many Azerbaijanis visit this place, there is hardly any infrastructure there. The route with the mini-bus leads over potholes and here and there just up the steep hills. But there isn’t much to see on site other than small craters.
More exciting is the Feuerberg, which is more reminiscent of a fire source. Gas that has been burning for thousands of years is escaping from the stone floor in Yanardag. This everlasting flame from the open stone floor was already revered in ancient times. However, since Azerbaijan has been producing gas at the Fire Mountain, the flame has become smaller and smaller – and is soon in danger of going out. Of the three fireplaces, only one still exists in the “Land of Fire”.
A nuisance for Tehran
Because of its geographical location and large oil reserves, Azerbaijan is also in the focus of the EU, the USA and Russia. This allows the government to grab the best deals without completely joining either side. The country thus serves as a bridge between Europe and Asia. The most important economic partner is Turkey. Both countries also share a similar culture. Turkish flags can often be seen throughout the country and Turkish baklava is served with black tea in the tea house. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, has less to do with its Christian neighbors.
There are also similarities with the Azari people who live in Iran, whose culture is also very similar to that of the Azerbaijanis. The Iranian regime views this critically. There is too great a fear that more and more Azaris will want to move because Azerbaijan promises a better standard of living. There are already many “Azerbaijani Iranians” today. Too many, Tehran thinks. Another irritant, from Tehran’s perspective, is Azerbaijan’s good relationship with Israel.
The cooperation between the two countries ranges from oil deliveries and arms deliveries to general support. Iran has already accused Azerbaijan of harboring Mossad agents to monitor Iranian facilities. But geopolitically, Azerbaijan is primarily trying not to position itself clearly. The country’s political guideline is to maintain its independence and increase its prosperity. The country has not yet announced its intention to join NATO, no wonder with Russia and Iran as neighboring countries.
A locked gate at the border
After Baku we continue to Shaki, a city in the west of the country. Shaki Khan’s palace there is known throughout the Caucasus and is the symbol of a local prince of the 18th century. There is also the old Christian church of the “Albanians” in the north of the city. An ethnic group to which Azerbaijanis trace their roots, but which has nothing to do with the European Albanians. From Shaki we want to travel across the Azerbaijani-Georgian border.
However, locals warn us that the border is closed. We still want to take the risk and look for a taxi driver. He drives us to the border crossing 160 kilometers away for 20 euros. A locked gate actually awaits us there. But when we felt like we were already at the end of our journey – only the taillights of our taxi were visible – the gate was opened for us by a soldier. After two passport controls, we cross the border bridge and leave Azerbaijan, the “Land of Fire”. In Georgia, European flags and police instead of military greet us at the border post. Salam.
