At the center of Baku lies the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Inner City, the Walled City, or Icheri Sheher in Azeri- The old city of Baku has quite a lot of names. The narrow, winding, sun-bleached streets of the Old City are a time capsule surrounded by stone mansions and luxury boutiques. Zigzag through narrow corridors and the cobblestone streets, feel the history of the city under your fingertips as you the stones of the ancient walls and admire the intricate art on the doors. With interspersed souvenir vendors, great tea shops and restaurants. With a beautiful view of the boulevard, picturesque moments of the people passing by– you won’t get tired even after hours of exploring and talking to the locals to unravel the tale of their hometown.

Towering at 29m height, this historical icon offers a roof top view of the entire Baku Bay and the Old City. But the tower’s history is shrouded in mystery. Dating back to more than 1000 years, experts believe the UNESCO-listed Maiden Tower served as a Zoroastrian temple before becoming a watchtower in the 18th century. 

An important piece of Azerbaijani history is Shirvanshahs’ Palace and one of the first stops for every tourist among the top 15 things to do in Baku. Built in the 15th century, the palace is composed of a series of sites, including a hammam, a minaret, a mosque, a mausoleum, and a living quarter. The palace showcases the beauty of medieval architecture and Islamic civilization in Azerbaijan.

Baku’s second most iconic modern and innovative architectural accomplishment is Heydar Aliyev Center. With no sharp angles, but rather just waves of undulation, if you need the perfect Instagram shot, this place is the gold mine for it.

65 km away from Baku, just a mere hour’s drive along the Caspian coast, you shall come across the pulsating and gurgling hills of Gobustan. A real-life exhibit of all our imaginations of what life would look like on other planets, Gobustan, in reality, is a chapter from history. The Petroglyphs found at Gobustan depict life as it was when they were created and show the development of human thinking over many thousands of years. With some petroglyphs dating 40,000 years old, these rock arts are arguably the most comprehensive examples of early human history in the world.

Rebuilt in the late 1900s to recreate a historic mosque was blown up by the Soviet forces, the Bibi-Heybat mosque’s unique characteristics is its highly reflective windows which reflect the Caspian Sea that lies just ahead of it. Adorned with ornate stained glass that fit together like pieces of puzzle without any glue or nails, the serenity of mosque will enamour anyone regardless of their religious beliefs.

The former home of the oil magnet Haji Taghiyev, this gorgeous Museum of History, is ambitious in representing the development and progress of the country via the immaculately preserved collections and exhibits showcasing the development of the material and spiritual culture, original documents of political history and social-economic life of Azerbaijan from ancient times till nowadays.

This 3.5-kilometre street (2 miles) is the main shopping district of the country. Named after the renowned Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi, a stroll down lane will exhibit the country’s architectural influences from the baroque, neo-gothic, and neo-renaissance façades and to more mundane Stalinesque styles.

Formerly named Parapet, this pedestrian Fountain Square is one of the most visited Azerbaijan’s tourist attractions. Filled with dozens of splendid structured fountains, cute and intimate bars, cafes and restaurants, the sight of families, couples and group of friends enjoying their afternoons and evenings lounging at the square is quite a common one. 

Dominating the skyline of the city from every corner, standing high on a hill are the city’s iconic Flame towers. They are the perfect representation of the country’s wealth and eccentric spending. But it is during the evening hours when building turn into blazing luminous flames of LED lights. 

Located within the Baku Boulevard and nearby the Caspian seashore, Little Venice/Mini Venice comprises of two large islands and several smaller islands, which are connected with decorative stone bridges. Gondolas can be seen travelling through the still and clean waters of the channels adding a romantic vibe to the place.

The eternal flames of Yanar Dag, meaning "burning mountainside”, has burned 4,000 years and never stopped or spread. Be it rain, snow or heavy winds, the flames have burned bright for all these years. The experience is spectacular at night, or in winter. When snow falls, the flakes dissolve in the air without ever touching the ground. According to locals, the fire may have been ignited by a shepherd, who carelessly flicked a cigarette and started the small fire in the 1950s, and decades later, it still burns ( partly because it is fed by a natural gas reserve) and has not spread.

If you love digging deep into the history and culture of a country, this museum should be the top agenda. This charming museum first captures your attention with its shape of being a rolled carpet on the seaside park.

And then it enraptures you with its displays of the carpet culture of Azerbaijan throughout the centuries. With various exhibits of carpets, jewelleries, traditional clothing and many other crafts, representing Azerbaijani culture, walking through the museum allows traveling across the country as the exhibits in the museum are divided by regions.

The Azerbaijani cuisine is quite rich and extremely delicious. With intriguing blend of influences from across cultures, the cuisine yet stands out with its own distinctive and unique taste. Even though the world is yet to truly experience this cuisine, you must not miss out the opportunity when you visit this country.

The castles spread across Azerbaijan, speak of its history. The castles stand tall to tell the tales of time that country has been through. You do not have to be a history buff, to fall in love with the castles. Their charm shall enrapture you and you will carry them back in your memories.