THE MOST INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT AZERBAIJAN
Black Gold
It was in Baku that the first oil well in the world was drilled at sea. By 1901, more than half of the world's oil was produced here.
Nobel Prize
One of the most famous and respectable international awards - the Nobel Prize - was based on the capital that Alfred Nobel acquired on profits from Baku oil.
It was home to ancient man
In the lowest reaches of Azokh Cave in western Azerbaijan, archaeologists have found tools and remains dating back 1.5 million years.
Bath in Crude oil? Naftalan
You can bath in crude oil in Naftalan city in Azerbaijan. It's good for your health amd organism.
The smallest books
In the capital of Azerbaijan you can find out smallest books of the world in the Miniature book museum. The smallest one is 2x2cm.
Its horses are heroes
The Karabakh horse – renowned for its effortless speed, intelligence and endurance – is the national animal of Azerbaijan. They are endemic to the country, and one of the oldest breeds in the world.
Azerbaijanis take tea with jam
No social occasion is complete without tea, served with myriad trimmings. It’s often sweetened with jam – and flavoured with thyme, lemon, mint or rosewater.
No sugar, no wedding
When families are matchmaking, the tea tray gives a good indication of how arrangements are progressing. If it’s served without sugar, more negotiating needs to be done; if it’s sweet, a wedding is definitely on the cards.
It loves pancakes
Kutabi – filled pancakes – are practically Azerbaijan’s national dish. They’re stuffed with pumpkin, veggies, meat or just a sprinkling of herbs, then flipped and toasted on a griddle. Leave your Nutella at home: Azerbaijan’s pancakes are strictly savoury.
It has a city built on stilts
The settlement of “Neft Daşları” started life as an oil rig and a couple of elevated walkways in the Caspian Sea: today, it’s an entire stilted city. It was built in 1949, and communities have cropped up around bakeries, shops, cultural areas, hostels and hotels.
Its gas is plentiful
Fire Mountain (Yanar Dag) does exactly what it says on the tin: it blazes continuously, with a natural flame that feeds off the huge underground gas deposits. The mountain, not far from Baku, has entranced travellers and conquerors for centuries: in the 13th century, explorer Marco Polo wrote of the mysterious fires that burned all over on the peninsula.
Azerbaijan’s currency – known as Manat – looks a lot like Euro banknotes, with similar sizes, colours and fonts. But each note is themed with different aspects of national identity: on 5 Manat notes you’ll find an excerpt from the national anthem, while 20 Manat bills are decorated with a sword, shield and helmet to signify power.
Its currency is modelled on Euros
Grapes
Although it makes most money from oil and gas, Azerbaijan also exploits grains, grapes, cotton and livestock.
Azerbaijan’s Carpet Museum opened in 2014, on Baku’s seafront, in a building that’s shaped like a giant rolled-up rug. Inside, you can browse carpets of all ages, from all over the country – a spectacle only trumped by carpet weaving demonstrations.
They love a good carpet
Eggy smell? Blame the volcanoes
Azerbaijan has more mud volcanoes than any other country on earth – more than 400. When its volcanoes erupt, the flames shoot up to a kilometre in the air, and when dormant they bubble and pop with noxious gases.
Its national sport is played to music
Chovkan is a bit like polo: it’s played with a curved wooden stick, with players mounted on horses. But that’s where the similarity ends. The game is accompanied by music, and all of the players wear national costume: embroidered tunics, caps, and pantaloons.
Baku is pretty bonkers
Azerbaijan’s capital is often likened to Dubai for its outlandish architecture and appetite for gold. Architectural highlights include the curvaceous Heydar Aliyev Center designed by Zaha Hadid; the mirror-like SOCAR Tower; and the Flame Tower skyscrapers, which represent Azerbaijan’s oil and gas reserves.
A little Russian goes a long way
Azerbaijanis speak Azeri, but Russian is the second language. English isn’t widely spoken, so bring a phrasebook.
It has one of the last collective farms
A relic of the Soviet days, Ivanovka collective farm is run and worked by a whole community – and they live on everything they grow and make. For most Azerbaijanis, however, the ways of life under Soviet rule are best forgotten.
Its babies are bathed in salt water
It’s thought that washing newborns in salt water will make them strong, truthful and bold. Children’s fingernails and hair are only cut after their first birthday.