Let’s Enter the Land of Fire

Located by the Caspian Sea, the Absheron Peninsula of Azerbaijan boasts of the country’s historic roots in centuries-old religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism

In the suburbs of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, lies the Absheron Peninsula towards the east of the country. Located by the Caspian Sea, it is a mostly semi-arid stretch of land. If you are planning a trip to Azerbaijan,  you should dedicate half a day’s travel to visit this area, which boasts of Azerbaijan’s historic roots in centuries-old religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. A day long visit to the place is ideal  but the history buffs might take  several weeks  to satiate their curiosity and broaden their historic perspectives.

Yanar Dag

‘Azerbaijan’ is also referred to as the ‘Land of Fire’ and rightly so as some 25 kilometres north of Baku lies Yanar Dag, a 116-meter hill which literally means ‘The Burning Mountain’. This hillside continues to burn throughout the year due to a constant and steady seepage of natural gas from the fissures below the surface. Legend has it that a shepherd accidentally lit a flame at Yanar Dag back in the 1950s, and this flame continues to burn today and is a great source of tourist attraction.  In different seasons, the flames of Yanar Dag are three to ten feet high but many claim the flames can reach a height of thirty feet without being extinguished.

There are some other attractions near the Yanar Dag complex. For instance, visitors can rent a buggy ride and drive all the way to the top of the hillock. Near the summit there is a particularly picturesque spot where many tourists can be seen capturing photographs of the truly singular topography. In all white, the word ‘#YANARDAG’ is written across the face of the mountain to ensure that visitors are able to capture an unforgettable memory. Yanar Dag is open throughout the week and its ticket prices range from one AZN to nine AZNfor foreign tourists, while children can visit the place for free. There is also a discounted combination ticket with a 3-day validity,  allowing  tourists to visit both Yanar Dag and the historic Ateshgah (Fire Temple).

The Yanar Dag Museum is another attraction. It is a beautiful and modern building that offers some unique activities for all age groups. A stand-out feature here is the ‘Light and Shadow Game’. As you queue up to go into the museum’s gallery, the wall on the left provides your reflection but with a twist. Instead of being a mirror image, the reflection shows each passer-by as the tongue of a flame. As a result, be it children or the elderly, everyone walking past the wall starts posing, dancing, and making different body movements to see their fire reflections.

A home to traditional exhibits, the museum is showcases centuries-old artefacts with details of their origin and historical significance. The museum also shows videos of different Azerbaijani monuments, video installations and 3D models, including one of the Ateshgah a pilgrimage and philosophical center of Zoroastrians. . For those eager to witness history through the prism of art, the passage named ‘The Shadow of Forgotten Ancestors’ provides the most terrific modern installation option. This small section is designed by a renowned Azerbaijani artist, Huseyn Hagverdiyev, and is one of the main features of this otherwise small museum.

When visiting the Yanar Dag reserve complex, one should not  light up a matchstick because of the natural gas present on the surface. However, tourists may smoke in designated smoking areas. A short distance from the complex lies the Yanar Bulag (‘The Burning Spring’), which is famous for its curative baths and it too has a heavy gas presence on its surface.

Since 2007, Yanar Dag has been a part of the Yanar Dag reserve, which also includes Ali Daashi (The Stone of Ali), Kardashi, Qirmaki Valley, Gurd Yuvasi (The Wolf’s Nest), two graveyards more than a thousand years old, an ancient mosque, and the Gotur spring.

Ateshgah –Temple of Fire Worshippers

Ateshgah, most commonly known as the Temple of Fire Worshippers, lies in the town of Surakhany on the Absheron Peninsula, some 20 kilometres from Baku. Unlike Yanar Dag, Surakhany is famous for its oil wells. Built in the 17th century, the temple is considered to be a sacred place by some major religions of the region and has served as a place of worship for Hindus, Sikhs and Zoroastrians in different eras, as proven by the relics, inscriptions and structures found in the temple premises. . There are illustrations and carvings on stones in Sanskrit, while other aspects of the temple point towards the influence of the Persian Empire and, later on, Islam. The temple was turned into a museum in 1975.

The four-walled temple lies in the middle of the pentagonal complex, which  has cells that were initially built for monks and  are now used as a dedicated space to showcase its history. Similar to the Dubai Museum, these cells have a combination of state-of-the-art exhibits, automated timelines, and video illustrations alongside centuries-old relics, representing the history of the temple as well as the transformation of Baku, Surakhany and Azerbaijan as a whole. Even the brick exterior of this fort like complex resembles the Dubai Museum. -Ends

The writer is a physician and avid traveller. He hosts a YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic farming and kitchen gardening in Pakistan. He tweets @Ali_Shahid82 and can be reached at [email protected]