Ateshgah of Baku
A historic fire temple in Surakhany, built by Indian traders and later visited by pilgrims. Its pentagonal courtyard with a central altar and small cells is now a museum.
Yanar Dag
Natural gas feeds flames that burn without pause on a hillside by Baku, best seen in the evening.
Attractive locations
Ramana Tower
A medieval round stone tower in the village of Ramana on the Absheron peninsula, part of the old defences of the region. It is one of several old stone towers in the area.
Tuba Shahi Mosque
A historic mosque in Mardakan on the Absheron peninsula, associated with the medieval Shirvanshah era. Visitors should dress modestly and respect prayer times.
Absheron Peninsula
A peninsula jutting into the Caspian Sea east of Baku, dotted with old towers, fire temples, beaches and oil fields. It is where Baku's natural gas flames and ancient sites are found.
Yanar Dag
A natural gas fire that burns continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula, with flames licking from a low rock wall. It is most striking after dark.
Mardakan Quadrangular Castle
A square medieval fortress in the village of Mardakan, northeast of Baku, with high stone walls. It shows the region's defensive architecture and is a short drive from the capital.
Mardakan Round Tower
A tall cylindrical stone tower in the village of Mardakan, built as a medieval defensive structure. It stands close to the village's square fortress, so both can be seen in one visit.
Airports
Heydar Aliyev International Airport GYD
It is about 14 km in a straight line from Yanar Dag.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Azerbaijan page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan6.0 °C16 mm
- Feb5.7 °C15 mm
- Mar7.6 °C16 mm
- Apr10.9 °C13 mm
- May17.3 °C10 mm
- Jun22.7 °C6 mm
- Jul25.9 °C3 mm
- Aug26.5 °C4 mm
- Sep23.0 °C13 mm
- Oct17.8 °C22 mm
- Nov12.2 °C25 mm
- Dec8.1 °C17 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Oct, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 28% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
112 for all emergencies. Police 102. Ambulance 103. Fire 101.
local government
Police emergency number 102
Helps with: Azerbaijan's police number, listed with 103 for an ambulance and 112 for the Ministry of Emergency Situations on the national tourism site. No tourist police unit is shown there.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Azerbaijan who needs the police, including visitors.
Phone: 102
local government
Azerbaijan Tourism Board
Helps with: The national tourism body. The national tourism site names it as the contact for tourism-related issues and complaints, and gives a Baku phone number.
Who qualifies: Tourists with a tourism-related problem or complaint in Azerbaijan, and anyone planning a trip.
Phone: +994 12 505 8704
Address: Uzeyir Hajibeyli street 134, Baku AZ1010
ngo
Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society
Helps with: Azerbaijan's national Red Crescent society, a member of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Its website has pages on its fields of activity and a contact page.
Who qualifies: People in Azerbaijan seeking humanitarian help; see its website for the programmes it runs.
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Azerbaijan
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Azerbaijan since 1996. Its site lists an office in Baku and one in Mingachevir.
Who qualifies: Migrants and partners working on migration in Azerbaijan. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Address: 31 Ibrahimpasha Dadashov Street, Baku AZ1069
embassy
Foreign diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan (foreign ministry list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Azerbaijani foreign ministry's protocol section publishes a diplomatic list of foreign missions and consulates in the country (July 2026).
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.
local government
Ministry of Emergency Situations (hotline 112)
Helps with: Azerbaijan's emergency situations ministry. Its site names 112 as its telephone service and gives an administration phone and email.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Azerbaijan facing an emergency or disaster.
Phone: 112
Email: info@fhn.gov.az