Baku: Burning Mountain & Zorastrian Temple Tour

Day 1: Baku, Azerbaijan to Ateshgah of Baku, Baku, Azerbaijan

You will be picked up and then head towards the Ateshgah Temple of fire worshippers. The complex is located in the Apsheron Peninsula at the outskirts of Surakhani village 30 kilometers from the center of Baku and was revered in different times by Zoroastrians, Hindus and Sikhs. This territory is known for such unique natural phenomenon as burning natural gas outlets (underground gas coming onto the surface and lighting up in contact with oxygen). The temple in its present state was constructed in the 17th to 18th centuries. It was built by the Baku-based Hindu community related to Sikhs. Your second stop will be Yanardag (burning mountain). It is one of the most famous and popular tourist locations of the 'eternal flame' in Azerbaijan, the mountain of Yanar Dag. Actually, it is rather more a hill than a mountain with natural gas burning on its slope from ancient times. Meter long tongues of fire lick the stratified earth approximately for 10 meters in width, searing those who approached too close. People occupy the benches to watch the blazing hill in the evening, when its sight is most effective. Yanar Dag is located 25 kilometers to the north from Baku. Your last stop will be Heydar Aliyev Culture Center. In front of the center there is an amusement park and a beautiful view.