Baki (Baku)

The medieval walled city-Icheri Sheher- within Baku has been restored, and retains a distinctly Middle-Eastern and relaxed atmosphere, with its tea-houses and busy street-life. Its attractive narrow streets and stone buildings spread up from the waterfront, where the 12th-century Maiden's Tower (Gyz-Galasy) looks out over the bay. Locals claim that the view from the top of the tower rivals the beauty of the Bay of Naples. Nearby are two caravanserais (inns), one dating from the 14th century, the other from the 16th century, originally built to accommodate traveling merchants from northern India and central Asia. The caravanserais, with their courtyards and vaulted roofs, have been restored and now function as restaurants.

a z e r b a i j a n

There are also a number of mosques located in the medieval city, one of which, the Dzhuma Mosque, houses the Museum of Carpets and the Applied Arts, with a fine display of Azeri carpets, as well as jewellery, embroidery, woodcarving and filigree metalwork. The Synyk Kalah Minaret dates from 1093 and is the oldest building still standing in the city. Beyond the minaret is the 15th-century royal court complex, the Palace of Shirvan Shahs. The palace, mausoleum and law courts are all open to the public. Equally distinctive are the opulent houses and public buildings built during the Baku oil boom at the turn of the century. Millionaire oil merchants indulged themselves with neo-gothic, mock oriental and pseudo-renaissance fantasies in stone, developing a local architectural confidence, which spilled over into the Soviet period: the Sabunchinsky railway station for example, dating from 1926, is designed to resemble an enormous madrassah (Islamic religious academy).

Surakhany Temple
A number of tourist sights are located near enough to Baku for one-day excursions to be feasible. Some 20km (12 miles) northeast of Baku is the Surakhany Temple, established by Parsee fire-worshippers living in Baku in the 18th century. The temple was predated by a much older Zoroastrian shrine on the same site. Surakhany remained a popular destination for Indian pilgrims until the revolution. Some of the pilgrims' cells now house a wax museum, intended to introduce the rudiments of fire worship to the uninitiated.

The Apsheron Peninsula
Stretching out into the Caspian Sea beyond Baku, peninsula has several 14th-century fortresses, built by the Shirvanshahs fearing attack from the sea. Best preserved are those at Ramana, Nardaran and Mardakan. Ramana also features the remains of ancient oil fields where Zoroastrian fire-worshippers still occasionally stage ritual dances, leaping over the flames which rise from the oil-soaked ground over natural gas vents. The tip of the peninsula is a nature reserve.

Sumgait (Sumqayit)

Located on the northern coast of the Apsheron peninsula, on the estuary of the river of the same name, and with a population of 275.000, Sumgait is the third largest city in Azerbaijan (after Baku and Ganja). Sumgait is the perfect example of a city resulting from the enormous industrial development effort unchained by Stalin. Until the 40s there was only village with 4000 souls. Re-founded in 1944 as an industrial centre to support Soviet engagement in World War II, it quickly became a major site for chemical and metallurgical industries, benefiting from the local availability of oil and gas. The city is a major steel producer, accounting for about 40 percent of the steel produced in the Caucasus region. An aluminium plant was built in the 50s, but Azerbaijan needs to import bauxite. Because of the large deposits of salts nearby and the availability of cheap hydroelectricity, Sumgait is a major producer of caustic soda. Factories based in Sumgait also produce synthetic rubber, fertilizers, detergents, and petrochemicals. Recently the city has become a free economic zone, in order to obtain much needed foreign investment. With such a vast industrial portfolio, Sumgait is a fine example of a grim, Soviet-style industrial city. It's worth seeing if only to grasp the staggering damage to the environment wreaked by the Soviet authorities. The impact on the health of the population was also dramatic and once Sumgait held records for infant mortality (a visit to the children's cemetery will illustrate this dramatically). The presence of oncologycal and psychiatric hospitals also say something about the place. On top of man's damage, nature also took its toll, and Sumgait was shaken by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in November 2000 causing some material damage and a handfull of fatalities. Most visitors go to Sumgait only because it's on the way to Quba from Baku (take the M-29 road). Anyway, if you are there the seaside areas can be quite pleasant. Walk on the beautiful seaside boulevard, rest on the beach, have a drink, but try stay out of the water... Industrial development brought also the need for a local education infrastructure, and today Sumgait is the place of the Oil and Chemistry College, the Chemistry and Automation college, the University of Organic Synthesis, a medical school and even has a musical college. If you are staying in the evening there a few nice cafés and some restaurants. If you enjoy the occasional play, try the Arablinski Drama Theatre (21 Azerbaijan street, tel. 59121). There is a stadium named after Huseinzade and a palace for winter sports, both located on Samed Vurgun street. However, even an industrial city can have behind it a romantic legend. Sumgaitians will tell you about the origin of the name of the Sumgait river and therefore the name of the town itself. In the legend, the hero by the name of Sum is chosen by his community to fight a monster that was blocking the river. Sum eventually accomplishes his mission, but when the river is released he is swept by the waters and never seen again. After that, his beloved, Jeyran, inconsolable by Sum's disappearance, would go to the river and cry "Sum Gayid!" (Sum, return!).
Just outside of Sumgait, to the east, you'll find Novkhana, with a salt lake nearby and the excellent beach at Adsyz cape. South of Novkhana lies Sarai, an old village with an interesting ancient mosque. In contrast with the environmental wasteland in Sumgait, to the east of the city, at the tip of the Apsheron peninsula you'll find a small nature reserve, known as Shakhov Bank. From Baku you can reach Sumgait by buses or mini-buses that depart from Baku's 20th January metro station. (40 km northwest of Baku).

Nakhchivan City (Naxcivan)

The main city and capital of the Nakhchivan Republic, also called Nakhchivan, was an ancient trading centre. Some historians consider that it was founded in the 16th century BC. The Greeks and Romans called it Nacksuana/Naxuana (from the Greek for sweet water). As early as the 2nd century BC it is mentioned by Ptolomy as a thriving city. It is spread over the foothills of Zangezur chain, on the right bank of the Nakhchivan river at an altitude of almost 1000 m. Invader after invader looted, destroyed and (in some cases) rebuilt the city. It was the capital of the Atabek Eldegiz emirate in the 12th century and the Nakhchivan Khanate in the 18th century. The main sight in the city is the 12th century Momine Khatum Mausoleum, also known as 'Atabek Gumbezi'. Momine Khatum was the wife of Ildegizid Atabek Djakhan Pakhlevan, ruler of the the Atabek Eldegiz emirate. The 10-sided monument is decorated with intricate geometrical motives and Kufic script, it uses turquoise glazed bricks. It shares the neighbourhood with a statue of its architect - Abubakr oglu Ajami - and a bust of Heidar Aliyev. Also from the 12th century and by the same architect, is the octogonal Yusuf Ibn Kusir tomb, known as 'Atababa', half abandoned near the main cemetery. More recent (1993) is the white marble mausoleum of Hussein Javid. The Azeri writer died in the Gulag under Stalin. Both the mausoleum and his house museum are located east of the theatre. Although being a recent construction, Hussein Javid's mausoleum is of great iconic importance, representing the ability of the exclave to live despite the Armenian embargo and becoming a symbol of Nakhchivan itself. The city also has an historical museum, a literary museum (both on Nizami street) and the house museum of Nakhchivansku (on Ataturk street). Have a look also at the baths and the blue domed Imamzade, the Uzbek style tomb of Abu Muzaffa Bahdur Khan. The city has a few interesting mosques, particularly the Juma mosque, with its large dome. Today Nakhchivan city is home to over 60.000 inhabitants. It has some industry, centred around glass, furniture, textiles and carpets, aluminium, tobacco and grape processing. Currently the government is looking for investment to develop tourism and oil production. Socially, this regional capital is quite sophisticated with its own university and a significant scientific and artistic community. For entertainment try the palace of culture, on Azadlyg avenue, the state musical and drama theatre on Ahmed Javad street or the puppet theatre on Nizami street. The city has a lot of business visitors from Iran, Turkey and Russia (these countries have consulates in the city), leading to a reasonable offer of hotels. Nakhchivan city is served by an airport and theoretically has good road and rail links, however the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has made access more difficult contributing to a greater isolation. The best way to get to Nakhchivan is to fly from Baku to Jevlach airport, south-east of the city (airport code: EVL). From Jevlach you can also fly to Moscow with Samara airlines. If you are arriving from Baku there is no passport check and you can simply walk out of the terminal. There are buses and taxis to the city, which is only 3km away. From the city, buses to the airport leave from the Shabuz bus station on the NW part of the city.Several buses a day depart for Igdir and Erzerum in eastern Turkey, allowing easy connections to the rest of Turkey. There are train services to Ordubad and Sharur. Inside the city there are buses and trolley-buses. (450 km west of Baku).

Mingechaur (Mingechavir)
Mingechaur is an ancient town and since the 1940s a significant centre of light industry, including the production of cotton and woollen textiles, knitwear, household items, souvenirs, and assorted consumer goods. The population today is almost 100.000 and the archaeological findings in the area revealed human occupation dating as far back as 5000 years ago, a prosperous town from the Albanian period and rich strata for other periods, revealing a intense trading and manufacturing activity. There is some interesting architecture in the centre and the town was generously dotted with parks. The area near the Kura river is particularly pleasant, with nice restaurants and tea houses. There is some entertainment with a drama theatre and the Kosmos cinema. Some of the modern monuments are quite original, don't miss the war memorial. Have a look also at the huge new mosque. The modest football field is home to F.C.Kur Nur. There is a grim hotel in the city centre (the Kur), but if you are looking for a decent place try the hotel Kainat, in the western side of the town, across the river. The Mingechaur Reservoir, with an area of 605 square kilometers that makes it the largest body of water in Azerbaijan, was formed by damming the Kura river. Operated by Azerenergy, the Mingechaur hydroelectric power station was built in 1953, providing Mingechaur not only with energy, flood control and irrigation but also with a large and pleasant artificial lake nearby which has a small beach. Production capacity is 360MWt. The waters of the Kura river also submerged several important archaeological sites, although some of the findings can now be seen in Baku. The Kura River rises in Georgia and flows southeast towards the Caspian Sea. The lower 500km are navigable and prone to flooding. There is a network of canals linking the Kura to the Araz River. (275 km west of Baku).

Gobustan

The village of Gobustan, about 70km (43 miles) south of Baku, has a unique array of rock paintings, some of them 10,000 years old and spread over 100 sq km (39 sq miles) of caves and rocky outcrops. The subject matter includes hunting scenes, ritual dances, religious ceremonies, ships, animals and constellations, and many of the rocks are further adorned with signatures and remarks added by visiting Roman soldiers in the 1st century AD, suggesting that the area has a long history as a tourist attraction.
Numerous caves and rock outcroppings surround this village, whose name can be translated as "ravine land". The spurs of the Great Caucasus Range descend to the Caspian along the Djeirankechmez river. Settled since the 8th millennium BC, the area contains thousands of rock engravings spread over 100 square km depicting hunting scenes, people, ships, constellations, animals, etc. The oldest petroglyphs date from the 12th century BC. Later, the European invaders also left their marks: inscriptions left by Alexander the Great's cohorts in the 4th century BC and 2,000-year-old graffiti written by Trajan's Roman legionnaires! Should you want to get the perfect photos as seen on the postcards, the trick is simple: fill the carvings with toothpaste. The petroglyphs of Gobustan were discovered accidentally by quarry workers only in the 1930s. In addition to the rock carvings, traces of Mesolithic period occupation are to be seen, with numerous burial mounds and graves, the most interesting at Firuz, where eleven skeletons were found. Don't miss the Gaval-Dashy, a resonant stone that rings like a gong when struck. The local museum adjacent to the site houses the ornaments, flints, shells, ceramics, beads and primitive tools that were found inside the caves - often objects of non Caspian origin, evidence of ancient links with Europe and the Indian sub-continent. At the museum you can also recruit the services of a guide. Based on the archeological finds and on content of the petroglyphs, recently it has be theorized that a connection exists between the ancient Azeris and the peoples of Scandinavia, which is not surprising at all, since some of the original habitants of the region, the Medes, were not a Turkic people, but an Indo-European people. Besides being famous for the petroglyphs the Gobustan are also has some amazing landscape, particularly an area filled with mud volcanoes, which provide a quasi-lunar horizon. You can find the most spectacular mud volcanoes about 7km south of Gobustan near the road to Alat. If you are travelling from Baku you can reach Gobustan on the bus to Alat. The main petroglyphs site is about 5km west of Gobustan itself, after the jail. Plan your journey carefuly as currently there is no hotel in Gobustan! (60 km southwest of Baku).

Shamakha

The ancient town of Shemakha is located at the foothills of the Big Caucasus Mountains Chain. The general elevation of Shemakha is 800 meters over the sea level. One of the most ancient oriental trading cities, it claims to be the city of Kmakhia mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolomy in his book 'Geography'. For a long period Shemakha knew a very active commercial life, being one of the basic points in the region the Silk Route was going through. Once the capital of Shirvan, Shemakha attracted not only invaders that plundered it but was nearly destroyed over the centuries by repeated earthquakes (1902, 1872, 1859, 1828,1669 and 1667), the most recent shook Shemakha on November 25th, 2000 causing some material damage and a handfull of injured people.In spite of all the seismic activity, some ancient buildings have survived, and are worth seeing. The Djuma Mosque, has been rebuilt several times, but it dates back to the 10th century, making it one of the oldest buildings still standing in the town and the oldest mosque in the Caucasus, occupying the site of an ancient sun worshipers temple. The Seven Cupolas (Eddi Gyumbez) Mausoleum is the burial place for members of the royal families of the Shirvan shahs, for whom Shemakha was the capital for several centuries. The half-ruined cupolas are located across the valley from Shemakha and bear witness to the formidable earthquakes they had to withstand. For further historical details try the History Museum and the Sabir Museum. On the hills just outside Shemakha you can visit the derelict 11-th century Gulistan fortress (near Xinishli village). High in the Pirgulu mountains, 13 km from Shemakha, 1.400m above seal level, is located the Tusi astronomic observatory, built in the 1960s named after the 13-th century Azeri astronomer, it has the biggest mirror telescope in the CIS. The locals will recommend Pirgulu mountains as a good skiing spot, and the topography is on their side, but there are no lifts, so all you can do is cross-country skiing - scandinavian style! Mild climate of this temperate zone, rich soil, abundant forests, alpine meadows are distinctive features of this part of Azerbaijan. The population of this district works mostly in viticulture, vine growing and wine making (Shemakha is famous for excellent wines produced both in wineries and privately at homes), cultivation of fruit and vegetables, cattle-breeding and carpet weaving. Visitors can tour carpet factories and local vineyards (which produce sweet fortified wines). The wine tradition is quite old and the area even has its own pink grape variety, Madrasa / Matrassa, indigenous to Madrasa, a village in Shamakha rayon. These grapes are used for excellent dry red wines, such as "Giz Galasi", "Yeddi Gozal", "Naznazi" and "Gara Gila". Local legend claims that the first french vines came from Shemakha! In fact the wine produced along the western Caucasus came a long way. As early as the late 15th century wines from this area were bought by some of the more demanding wine connoisseurs in western Europe: the Portuguese. Scores of traders, soldiers, priests and adventurers followed Portuguese expansion in Asia, creating a local market for the caucasian wines. A few bottles are reported to have even reached the shores of Portugal itself. If you want to stay in Shemakha, the hotel is the tallest building in town, with 10 floors. Very likely the quality of the accommodation will make you try to enjoy the scenic qualities of the view instead of the room itself. If you don't mind staying outside town try the Fortuna resort, in the Pirkuli settlement is situated above Shemakhah, a mere 100m from the Tusi astronomic observatory. (130 km west of Baku).

Sheki (Shaki, Nukha, Nuha)

Situated 700m above sea level, like an amphitheatre surrounded by mountains and forests of oak trees, Sheki rises above fertile yaylags (pastures) and fields. In town, you'll see brick houses, shaded streets, weeping willow trees and canals carrying spring water. The original settlement dates back to the late bronze age. During the 7th century Sheki was taken by arab invaders becoming dependent on a local emirate. However in the 9th century with the weakning of arab power a Christian state was established by the last remaining forces of the Albanian kings. It was later taken by the Shirvanshahs, the Mongols under Tamerlane and the Safavids. By the 18th century Sheki was capital of its own Khanate, only to be taken by the Russians in 1805. After the Russian revolution the Red Army only took Sheki in 1920. Located on the left bank of the river Kish, originally the town sited lower down the hill, however Sheki was moved to its present location after a devastating mud flood in 1772. As the new location was near the village of Nukha the city became also known as Nukha, until 1960 when it reverted back to the name Sheki, after the Sheki tribe. Sheki is long famed as a silk centre and an important stop on the silk route, Sheki is still the site of a huge factory that was once the Soviet Union's largest silk plant (such a big factory was naturally named after Lenin...). In its golden period the factory employed over 7.000 (out of a population reaching almost 100.000). Nowadays the silk industry is still alive, but through smaller private workshops. The agricultural activity is quite important, with tobacco, grapes, grain, nuts, cattle and milk as the the main products. Sheki is famous for the 18th century Khan's summer palace. The two-storied building is decorated with magnificent frescos (one 24 m long) and exquisite stained glass work, known as 'shebeke' (northern part of the city). Besides the palace have a look at the fortress that envolves it. It has two gates and defensive towers on the southern and northern sides, the castle looks much better than most in Azerbaijan, as it underwent extensive restauration work in the early1960s. Inside the walls of the castle are also located two museums. The largest is Sheki's History Museum, with artefacts from several periods, but notorious for pieces relating to silk manufacturing and trade. The other is a 19th century church that now houses the crafts museum. Visit also the baths and the three mosques, in particular the Juma and Gileili mosques. Not to be missed is the reconstructed upper caravansaray located on the right bank of the river Gurjanachai - this is the main hotel, so the chances are that you'll stay there. The lower caravansaray is locaded nearby, but it is now used as a warehouse. Although the centre is dominated by two Soviet towers, you will see everywhere an horizon of red tiled roofs. For entertainment try the state drama theatre, on Azadlyg street.If you have an apetite, try one of the confectionary shops, that are famous througout the country for the sweet 'halva'. The market is held on the street along the river-bed of the Gurjanachai river. If you still have the time have a look at the Gelersen-Gerersen castle and the 7th century Albanian churches in the villages of Orta Zeizit and Kish, just north of Sheki. Sheki is served by trains and you can get buses to most major cities in Azerbaijan as well as to Tbilisi. The bus station is in the southern end of the town. (380 km northwest of Baku).

Shusha (Shushi)

Shusha is a small and picturesque town located near the Dashalti river, just 10 km south of Nagorno-Karabakh's main city, Xankandi (Stepanakert). It was founded in 1752 by Panah Khan Javanshir. He named it after himself, Panahabad, and the town became the capital of the Karabakh Khanate, an independent principality until it was annexed by Russia in the early 19th century. Panah Khan's son and successor, Ibrahim Kahil Khan renamed the town Shusha Galasi (Shusha Castle), apparently after a nearby village. Both the Panah Khan and his son were patrons of the arts, starting a long cultural tradition in Shusha, although following the Qajar-Persian invasion Ibrahim was deposed by his own nephew. Ibrahim was executed together with his government, including the poet Vagif, who was the foreign affairs minister. Shusha was famous for its carpets as well as for the mugams, traditional Azeri vocal and musical compositions. The town was the birthplace of the poets Vagif and Khurshud Banu Natavan, composer Hajibeyov and the famous Azeri singer and actor Bul-Bul, you can still see his house. The renowned collection of the Shusha Carpet Museum was moved to Baku before the arrival of the Armenian troops and can now be seen at the former Lenin Museum. Several statues also made their way out of Shusha and can now be admired at the art museum in Baku, after having been found in Georgia. The most imposing is the 18th century Govhar-agha mosque. Climb up the minarets of the Verkhiya mosque for a wide view of the area. The centre has the Khans' palace and a number of houses in stone masonry dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, remarkable for the use of ornamental panting. Also woth a look is the 19th century 'Gymnazium'. Mineral springs are abundant in the area. (350 km west of Baku).

Ganja

Ganja (pronounced 'Ganja') is Azerbaijan's second largest city (population 300,000). The city is located on the Ganja river, south of the Kura River in a rich agricultural area. Ganja has for long been the main industrial centre of western Azerbaijan. A heavy industrial heritage from Soviet times comprises aluminium, porcelain, instrument making, furniture, textile and other factories which are now mostly stopped, while new investment is slowly bringing new plants to Ganja, usually with smaller scales companies. The city was the centre of the caucasian Albanian Christianity till the 11th century, when it fell to the Seljuk Turks. It was rebuilt in the 12th century after an earthquake in 1139 destroyed the original town that was founded in the 5th century, east of the modern city. Being located on the main caravan routes it became an important centre of trade but was again destroyed by a Mongol invasion in 1231. In the 15th century Ganja was included in the state of Garagoyunlu. In 16th century the town was taken by the Sefavids. Ganja was part of the Persian Empire from 1606, as the capital of a khanate, until the Russian Empire annexed it in 1804. Russian troops defeated Persian forces here in 1826. Numerous Armenian, Russian and German settlers moved to Ganja developing a significant industrial and commercial momentum. For some time in 1918 Ganja was the provisional capital of a briefly independent Azerbaijan. Changes in history were also reflected on the city's name. The toponym 'Ganja' is not drug related... it originates in the Ganjak tribe. The city was named Elisavetspol from 1804 to 1918, after the wife of tsar Alexander I. It reverted to the name of Ganja until 1935, when it was renamed Kirovabad. It reverted to Ganja in 1989. In recent history Ganja was the scene of a military uprising in June 1993 that toppled the government of president Abulfaz Elchibey. The road from Baku to Ganja is one of the country's most scenic. The area is famous for the Kapaz mountain and the 7 lakes near it, particularly the Geygel - the blue lake. The territory is perfect for canoeing, swimming, walking and trekking or for the simple joys of a family pic-nic. The city was the birthplace of poets Abil-Ula, Mahsati hanum Ganjavi and Nizami - is considered the country's literary centre. Today the Hassan Aliyev University, the Academy of Sciences, Medical School and the Ganja State University (formerly the Pedagogical Institute) ensure that the scholastic tradition is continued. Ai all four state and two private higher educational institutions function in the city with 24.000 students. With ample streets and avenues and well designed parks, Ganja is prettier than most Azeri towns. The city retains a strong German influence in its architecture. (After the collapse of the Soviet Union; without travel restrictions; worried about the war with Armenia, and with strong incentives from the fatherland, most ethnic Germans left in the early 1990s.) With a vast main square, the city has its fair share of Soviet architecture, some of it quite good, like the grand city hall with its immense colonnade. Lenin's statue is now gone from the main square, but the city retains a lot from previous times. Located near Khatai street, in a park south of the main square you should not miss the 17th century Shah Abbas, or Juma mosque, with two tall minarets and a dome with interesting decoration. The red-brick building was designed by scientist and architect Sheykh Baga-ud-din and is illuminated through beautiful panels of stained glass (Shebeke). There are also a few other less appealing mosques. The two-storied but rather modest caravanserai can be found in the vicinity of Hotel Ganja. Nearby there is a colourful mosaic, one more tribute to Nizami. Another landmark is the first parliament of the short lived 'Azerbaijan Democratic Republic', originally it was the city hall and is now used as an agricultural school. Near the parliament is the large and pleasant city park, comprising the remains of the 16th century fortress walls and a chaikhana. The baths, situated close to the Abbas mosque have striking colours and attractive domes, but are not very old. Behind the baths there is the 19th century grave of Javad Khan and across Ganja street you'll find the cinema. The modern baths can be found a few blocks to the east. Although most Christians are now gone (Armenians, Russians and Germans) there are several churches worth a visit: a ruined Armenian church in the south of the town, the Alexander Nevski church (now the puppet theatre!) and a 19th century orthodox church near the university. The state drama theatre is on Abbaszade street and the state philarmony is on Atayev street. A local oddity is the bottle house, a two-storey building decorated with about 50.000 glass bottles! (intersection of Guseinli and Garia streets) The decorations contain a portrait of one of family members, missing since WWII. North of the bottle house is the Mir Bager Aga tomb. If you still have time try the history museum (Ataturk avenue, near the city hall) or the academy museum (in front of the old parliament), both are housed in early 20th century noveau riche mansions. For shopping try browsing the central department store, on Nizami street. Even some of the very recent architecture of Ganja is worth seeing, e.g. some of the banks. The local stadium is home to the Kapaz Ganja soccer team. The first goal of independent Azerbaijan in the European football competitions was made by the player of Kapaz team Y. Suleymanov. Outside the city you'll find the ruins of old Ganja, they are located about 6 kms east of the centre near the road to Baku (after the semi abandoned aluminium factory). The ruins have little to see, and are hard to access because of a tank unit housed in the area, but it's worth visiting the nearby Nizami's mausoleum. The existing monument, built in 1991 replaces a similar obelisk dating from the late 1940s. The mausoleum is an elegant marble covered structure about 20 m tall. Behind it there is an open area with a display of scenes from Nizami's books, sculpted in metal. About 15 kms northeast of Ganja, after the village of Aznixi you'll find the Imanzade. This is a beautiful brick building with blue domes, surrounded by a cemetery, that was built as the mausoleum of the 8th century Imam Bagira ibn Ibrahim. Inside you'll find the tomb enveloped by black curtains. The date of the original building is uncertain, and the current design results mostly from a 19th century reconstruction. There are a couple of good restaurants in the city and several assorted other places to eat. There is a Univermag north of the Academy of Sciences, but if you prefer there is a large bazaar in the north-eastern sector of the city. Ore minerals extracted from nearby mines supply Ganja's metallurgical industries, which produce copper and alumina. There are porcelain, silk and footware industries. Other industries process food, grapes and cotton from the surrounding farmlands. Besides the agricultural school Ganja also has an agricultural experiment station and an institute dedicated to cotton research. Ganja is served by the country's major east-west road and rail routes (both going to Georgia). You can take a bus from Baku to Ganja, but the city is also served by its own airport (airport code: KVD - tel. 60263 / fax 61305). There are some international flights operated by Imair and Turan Airlines (office on 254 Artatur av. - tel 66000), which also flies to Nakhchivan and flights to Baku with AZAL. Bus services also connect Ganja with Iran and Turkey. There several trains from Baku, but the station is 5km away from the city centre. If you need lodging try the Hotel Kapaz, near Nizami's statue or the more central Hotel Ganja (near the Academy of Sciences). (300 km west of Baku)