Shirvan National Park

Shirvan National Park was established in July 2003 to save the remaining Goitered gazelles in Azerbaijan and to preserve an important part of the nation‘s natural heritage - the semi-desert of the Kur-Araz lowlands.

The national park is also situated along the Caspian flyway, a major route of bird migration. With a bit of luck, even Greater Flamingo can be seen here.

The National Park comprises 54,374.5 hectare. The greatest attraction, of course, are the herds of Goitered gazelles. But also other mammals, such as foxes, jackals, hares and wolves can be seen.

The entrance of Shirvan National Park is located on the Baku - Alat - Astara highway, approximately 100 km south of Baku.

                                                           Landscapes

In general, SNP is a flat area, about 20 to 27 m below sea level, placed in an environment of flat semi-deserts interrupted only by a few artificial channels, a semi artificial lake and a few mud volcanoes. From the territory of SNP the snow-capped chain of Greater Caucasus can be seen in clear weather condition, as well as the Talysh Mountains in the south-eastern part of Azerbaijan. In a distance of 30 and more kilometres some hills of South Gobustan are visible. In the immediate surroundings of SNP some other mud volcanoes imprint the scenery. It is a strange and unique landscape for visitors, foreigners as well as locals, but on the other hand a typical landscape for Azerbaijan.

Only at very few places inside SNP some kind of low forest survived, mainly around the entrance gate. Bushes can be found near the entrance, as well as occasionally elsewhere in the park. Near to the coast, there is some more bush land. In the North of SNP the beach is covered with seashells, suitable for recreation. Mt. Bandovan, which forms a cape with steep cliffs of mud and stones, divides the shell-beach from sand- and clay-beaches. Further to the South sometimes the coast is accompanied by red sand dunes (several meters high), by low cliffs (up to 2 m) and even a shallow lagoon. Almost in the centre of the park, a depression is filled with brackish water, fed by an artificial channel and by precipitation. During dry season most of the eastern part of the lake is forming a salt-pan. In the southernmost parts (near Doruvdağ), several shallow lakes become dry in hot summer forming impressive white salt-pans. Difficult to find in the field are some old river beds, remainders of the ancient Kura delta, which are visible in satellite images but in reality form depressions of only a few decimetres.

                                               G a z e l l e   

The princess of Shirvan’s animal kingdom is the Goitered gazelle, not just because of its conservation status, but also due to its beauty. Without the pressure of poachers their flight initiation distance is relatively low. This makes the gazelle so attractive and easy to watch for visitors.

In addition, most lowland mammals occurring in Azerbaijan can be found in the park. Even wild cats like Jungle and Steppe cat and the rare Marbled pole cat live here, and visitors who take their time have a fair chance to see wolves. Only the Striped hyena has become very rare and hasn’t been spotted for quite some time.

Who stays overnight can easily watch some small friends wandering along the road: gerbil, jerboa and hedgehogs, and at dusk numerous bats fly out of their day hides, all protected under the EUROBATS convention.

W o l f   ( C a n i s  l u p u s )

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned over centuries because of this tendency.

Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. However, in Shirvan National Park, observations have been made of 27 individuals hunting together.

Wolves are known to roam large distances, about 20 kilometers in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey, large animals such as the gazelle. Wolves play an important role in the ecosystem. They mainly eat young, old, weak, and ill animals. In that sense, they help keeping the prey population healthy. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 9 kilograms of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and even fruit.

Gray wolves are social predators that live in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair, their offspring and, occasionally, adopted immature wolves. The alpha female and male are the pack leaders that track and hunt prey, choose den sites and establish the pack's territory. Wolves develop close relationships and strong social bonds. They often demonstrate deep affection for their family and may even sacrifice themselves to protect the family unit.Wolves have a complex communication system ranging from barks and whines to growls and howls.

Wolves can smell their prey over a distance of a kilometer - and also their enemies: people. The Lake House terrace with its wide overview gives you a fair chance to see wolves. But it is also possible to see them elsewhere, especially around the Green Gate area and along the route to Mt. Bǝndovan.

 J e r b o a   (A l l a c ta g a   s p p.)   

The Jerboa is a small, long-tailed rodent that jumps long distances using its long hind legs. This mouse-sized mammal looks a bit like a tiny kangaroo. It can jump as far as 3 m in a single leap to escape predators.

Jerboas live in arid areas of Africa and Asia. They are nocturnal and escape the heat by burrowing underground and resting during the day. Jerboas hibernate over cold winters, burrowing in a den and going into a very deep, sleep-like state.

Jerboas have tan fur. The hind legs are very long, and the front legs are short. The long tail is used for balance and to hold the animal in a sitting position. The eyes and ears are large.

Jerboas are omnivores; they eat plants, seeds, and insects. Water is obtained from the food they eat - they do not need to drink water.

Females give birth to two to six young in each litter and have two to three litters each year.

Tow jerboa species occur in Shirvan National Park – Five-toed jerboa (Allactaga elater  caucasicus) and William‘s jerboa (Allactaga williamsi).

As jerboas are nocturnal, you have to wait until dark to see them. During the warm season, there is almost a hundred percent chance to see them hopping on the road that connects the green gate with the entrance. But  you have to drive really slow.

B a t s 

For Shirvan National Park eight bat species have been confirmed, including Lesser Mouse-eared bat, Whiskered bat, Common and Kuhl‘s pipistrelle, Lesser and Greater horseshoe bat, Parti-colored bat and Serotine bat. They are all protected under the EUROBATS convention.

Bats are among the oldest mammals on earth. Since more than 50 million years they fly through the night. Most of them eat insects, spiders and other arthropods. The pipistrel for example, eats about 1,000 gnats a night. Bats can see, but not very well. They basically make use of their acoustic senses and use echolocation. Like most mammals they have fur. Their forelimbs form webbed wings. They do not flap their entire forelimbs, as birds do, but instead flap their spread-out digits, which are very long and covered with a thin membrane or patagium.

Hundreds of bats rest under the roof of the Lake House during the day. So the roof terrace is the best place to watch them fly out at dusk. If you visit the pir near Mt. Bǝndovan you may also find some hanging under the roof.

A m p h i b i a n s  &  R e p t i l e s

4 species of amphibians are encountered in the park, including Eastern spade-foot toad, Green toad, Tree frog and Marsh frog.

Furthermore 22 species of reptiles have been recorded in the park, comprising 3 species of tortoises and turtles, 9 lizards species and 10 snake species.

Turtles: Spur-thighed tortoise, Caspian turtle, European pond turtle

Lizards: Caspian gecko, Horn-scaled agama, Toad-headed agama, European glass lizard, Asian snake-eyed skink, Rapid racerunner, Steppe runner, Caspian green lizard, Snake-eyed lizard

Snakes: European blind snake, Western sand boa, Grass snake, Dice snake, Dahl’s whip snake, Schmidt’s whip snake, Steppes rat snake, Collared dwarf racer, Montpellier snake and Levantine viper.

İcherisheher. Old city Baku.

The history of Icherisheher dates back to ancient times. It is difficult to determine the exact date in history when the city was built by our ancestors, but it has existed for thousands of years which is evidenced by the many ancient monuments which still remain today.
Icherisheher is the pearl of Azerbaijani architecture and culture and many significant restoration works have been undertaken within recent years. Under the attention of President Ilham Aliyev, Icherisheher has undergone a complete renaissance.. With the establishment of the State Department of the Historical and Architectural Reserve of Icherisher, this ancient heart of Baku has undergone rehabilitation and reconstruction appropriate to the environment of the old city.

 It is widely accepted that the Old City, including its Maiden Tower, date at least to the 12th century, with some researchers contending that construction dates as far back as the 7th century. The question has not been completely settled.
During this medieval period of Baku, such monuments as theSynyg Gala Minaret (11th century), the fortress walls and towers (11th–12th centuries), the Maiden Tower, the Multani Caravanserai and Hajji Gayyib bathhouse (15th century), thePalace of the Shirvanshahs (15th-16th centuries), theBukhara Caravanserai and Gasimbey bathhouse (16th century) were built.
In 1806, when Baku was annexed by the Russian Empire, there were 500 households and 707 shops, and a population of 7,000 in the Old City (then the only neighbourhood of Baku). Between 1807-1811, the city walls were repaired and the fortifications extended. The city had two gates: the Salyan Gates and the Shemakha Gates. The city was protected by dozens of cannons set on the walls. The port was re-opened for trade, and in 1809 a customs office was established