The Flame Towers are an icon of Baku, the tallest being 182m high. Developed to reflect modernity, the towers are intended to symbolise elements of fire tied to Azerbaijan's nickname as the "Land of Fire" for their deposits of oil and gas. The towers consist of a hotel, residential apartments and offices as well as serviced apartments. At night, they are lit up with LED lights. In spite of this, it has been criticised as a Potemkin Edifice.  

An open air museum of ancient Azerbaijani architecture

Maiden's Tower, at 29m high, is Baku's foremost historical icon. From the rooftop, there are commanding views of Baku Bay and the Old City.

Bust (or statute) of Aliagha Vahid (1895 - 1965), a renowned Azerbaijani poet and Ghazal singer. If you look closely at his head, you can see stories of his life engraved on the hair, ears and forehead.

Entrance to Baku Old City

A shop selling quaint things guarded by an elderly couple.

Gobustan National Park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site

In the park, one can see some 6,000 petroglyphs dating back 5,000 to 20,000 years ago. Some of the figures can be seen in this rockface.

This is Chinara our guide in Azerbaijan. She is standing in front of mud volcanoes which we visited. In the World, there are about 700 such volcanoes and about 50% are found here. But, I must caution, travelling to see them is an adventure in itself. The cars used are those which should be sent to the junkyard with some having doors opening on their own. Plus, they are driven at breakneck speeds over unpaved roads with uneven terrain with large potholes.

This is a caravanserai or camel hotel very much part of Silk Road geography. Camels can travel up to 25 miles a day, after which they need to rest and get fed. At the same time, the traders will engage in some trade transactions while eating and dining. Many such structures have been or are being renovated to serve as hotels. 

The main course of an Azerbaijani meal which could be meat or fish.

Starters for a meal - lots of bread, cheese and salads with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds when in season. Azerbaijani cuisine also comes with soups frequently whereas this item is generally lacking in Armenian or Georgian cuisines.