Azerbaijan is often referred to as the "Land of Fire" and the Caucasus Pearl, a land of the East that combines great with Western advancement. Azerbaijan is a unique country, has an unmatched culture, historical civilization with its own customs, traditions and cuisines. Azerbaijan is located at the East of Transcaucasia (or the Southern Caucasus) on the shore of the Caspian Sea. The population of Azerbaijan exceeds 9.8 million and its territory covers an area of ​​86 600 square kilometres. Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Southern Caucasus. Baku City is the capital and largest city in the country. The national language here is Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is bordered by Iran (765 km), Turkey (15 km), Russia (390 km), Georgia (480 km) and Armenia (1007 km). The East Coast of the country is the Caspian Sea. The Azerbaijan History is part of the Great Silk Road and lies at the important location of geopolitical, economic and cultural interests of many countries and civilizations in the past. Azerbaijan has historically raised the interests of mind, scientists, tourists and historians. References to this Azerbaijan history is located on the Caspian Northwest coast and in the Eastern part of the Southern Caucasus. It is available in ancient writings Herodotus, Strabo, and Claudius Ptolemy. Azerbaijan has a stunning historical and cultural heritage with more than 7500 monuments of nature, archaeology, architecture, and history. There is a few Azerbaijan's historical heritage that important to their history which are cave paintings at Gobustan's tombs, Momine-Khatun and Garabaghlar, Sheki Khans Palace, Queen's Tower, Absheron's palace, medieval manuscripts adorned with beautiful little paintings, antique tapestries, and literary works, art and sculpture. All of these are just a fraction of the rich and invaluable heritage of the country.

Azerbaijan is often referred to as the "Land of Fire" because the majority of those who lived in the region in the past were devotees. Since then, the country has preserved the evidence of ancient times such as cave paintings, statues of gods and ancient temples. There are two of the most obvious examples of this devotion to the devastation of fire-worship, called Ateshgah in Surakhani, located near Baku and Yanardag, which means a burning mountain. According to the legend, the Ateshgah temple was built by a fire worshiper from India who arrived here after learning about the unremitting fire that came out of the ground. He became very impressed with what he had seen and decided to build a temple there. The land is considered centuries-old sacred and worshipped by followers of Zoroastrianism, Hinduism and Sikhism. The fire rhetorically passed down from generation to generation has become a reality with the creation of "Flame Towers". This tower was built in Baku. It became an important landmark in the capital.

Visitors to Azerbaijan must obtain a visa from one of Azerbaijan's diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the countries exempted from the visa, eligible countries for visas on arrival or eligible countries for electronic visas. Visitors must hold a valid passport for at least 3 months beyond the specified time period. Visitors must have a valid passport for at least 6 months from the date of expiry of the visa. If you have less than 6 months’ validity of the passport, the visa will not be provided by Azerbaijan. There are several countries that require visa applications before coming to Azerbaijan. Visa application can be made online. For Malaysians wishing to go to Azerbaijan, you need to have a visa to enter Azerbaijan. Malaysia is listed as one of the eligible countries to apply for e-visas. So it makes it easier for you to apply for a visa to Azerbaijan. In addition, Malaysians can also apply for a visa upon arrival in Azerbaijan. You can reside in Azerbaijan for 30 days from the date the visa is approved. Azerbaijan has a bad relationship with Armenia due to war. Thus, the Azerbaijani government made a ban on Armenian people to enter Azerbaijan.

The official language in Azerbaijan is the Azerbaijan language. It is used by 92% of the population in Azerbaijan as a native language. It belongs to the Turkish family. The Russian and Armenian languages ​​of Nagorno-Karabakh are spoken and both are native languages ​​for about 1.5% of the population. Russian and English play an important role as the second and third languages ​​used in education and communication. There are several other minority languages ​​spoken in the country, namely Georgian, Juhuri, Khalisug, Kryts, Lezgian, Rutul, Talysh, Tat and Tsakhur spoken by some minority minorities in the country.

The climate of Azerbaijan can be described as a climate influenced by the continent with warm summer and very cold and dry winter. It can be divided into three different climate zones, namely the Northern mountainous area, the South and along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Temperatures during the summer vary between 20 ° C and 30 ° C. Summer in Azerbaijan is often warm and sunny, but occasionally heavy rain clouds and severe thunderstorms can occur and can cause flash floods and damage. During the winter season from December to March it becomes quite cold, with daily temperature far below zero and snow. The Azerbaijani mountain range is known for its severe weather conditions and very cold weather in the winter, with very strong winds and snowstorms. The Sheki Zakataly region is located in the South of the mountains and is quite different from the Northern region. It has less rain, a warm summer and a lighter winter. Coastal areas are warmer than the Northern parts of Azerbaijan due to the influence of the Caspian Sea.

Popular foods in Azerbaijan are like Kebab, Caviar, Piti, Baklava, Shashlik and many more.

How to Get There?

By Flight

If you want to come to Azerbaijan, you can go to the Azerbaijani capital. The capital city of Azerbaijan is located in Baku. The main airport in Baku is Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport. If you come from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, you can take a flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Baku International Airport. Some airlines offer flights to Baku including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. However, no flights offer direct flights to Baku from Kuala Lumpur. You need to transit at any airport first before continuing your flight to Baku. The cheapest flight fare offered by Emirates which is MYR 4,005 for two-way tickets.

What to Do There?

Maiden Tower

This Maiden Tower is an old monument in Baku, Azerbaijan. This tower was built in the 12th century. The tower became one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2001. There is a history museum in this Maiden Tower. In this tower, there is also a souvenir shop. This tower is a symbol of history and culture of Azerbaijan.

Palace of the Shirvanshahs

This Shirvanshahs Palace is located in Azerbaijan. The palace was built in the 15th century. The palace became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. The palace became a major symbol of the architecture of Azerbaijan. The museums here are very interesting. You need a ticket to enter this castle. This place is the main tourist attraction in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Heydar Aliyev Center

Heydar Aliyev Center is built in Baku, Azerbaijan. It has a total area of ​​57,500 square meters. The building was designed by architect Zaha Hadid. The architecture of Heydar Aliyev Center is unique and beautiful. It became the main focus of many people visiting Azerbaijan. The museum has many attractions in it. You would definitely want to come for a photo here.

Flame Towers

This Flame Tower is a three-story building located in Baku, Azerbaijan. The tower is symbolic in Azerbaijan. The building is also the tallest building in Baku, Azerbaijan. The building has apartments, hotels and offices in it. The building was also built in 2007 and commenced operations in 2012. The uniqueness of the building is that at night the LED will light and fill this building and from a distance, it will look like a burning fire.

Yanar Dag

Yanar Dag is a naturally flammable gas fire on the hillside on the Absheron Peninsula in the Caspian Sea near Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. This fire has never been extinguished. Thus, it becomes a destination for foreign and domestic tourists. You will definitely want to visit here to witness this miracle.

Where to Stay?

JW Marriott Absheron Baku

This JW Marriott Absheron hotel is located in Azerbaijan's Baku city. This hotel is located near the Caspian Sea. The hotel is also just 1 km from the Metro Station. The hotel offers a variety of facilities for those staying here. Facilities include free Wi-Fi facilities, mini fridges, televisions and more. Some of the hotel's rooms such as suites have a living room and kitchen and balcony. You can enjoy a nice view while you stay here. At JW Marriott Absheron, the hotel also has 2 restaurants and 2 bars. In addition to restaurants and cafés, there is a spa, games room, fitness centre and swimming pool available.

Hilton Baku

The Hilton Baku is a 5-star hotel overlooking the Caspian Sea. The hotel is just 1 km from the Train Station in Baku. Rooms at Hilton Baku are very elegant and have Wi-Fi and television facilities. In addition, in the hotel's lobby, there is a restaurant. The swimming pool is also available at the hotel for guests' convenience. In addition, the hotel also has a spa and steam room for you to relax.