Mud Volcanoes and Gobustan
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Sightseeing
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Gobustan
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6 hours
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Azerbaijan keeps the first place in the world for the number of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are markers of oil and gas deposits, along being sources of hot water, natural gas, and clay. About 300 mud volcanoes are to be found in Azerbaijan, at the shore, in the sea and on islands. During this trip you will get a great chance to see these amazing active volcanoes from very close distance.
Azerbaijan is a world leader, not only for the number but also for the activity of its volcanoes – some 60 percent of mud volcanoes are active here. The eruption of the Otman Bozdag volcano lasted over nine minutes. As a result of the volcanic eruption, the flame rose to the height of 350 meters. Mud waste of 100,000 cubic meters covers an area of about 10-12 hectare.
Azerbaijan's mud volcanoes definitely should be part of any tourist's itinerary. So many of them are within close proximity to Baku, especially, those at Alyat, Gobustan and other locations.
Gobustan National Park is one of Azerbaijan’s most popular sights attracting thousands of tourists annually. You will learn about the history of petroglyphs found in this area and also get useful information to make your stay in Baku much more interesting and full of memorable activities. Gobustan geographical region is situated in the west-south of Baku. The meaning of the word Gobustan is derived from two words gobu (ravine) and stan (place), i.e. ravine area. The word gobu is also of Turkic origin and means a dried up river valley. The tour will start off from Gobustan Museum where you will see ancient human bones, work tools used in back to thousand years ago during the Mesolithic period. Then, you will advance to the mountain in order to see real rock paintings in the open air museum.
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10:00 - Transfer to Gobustan National Park - Rock paintings, drawings, inscriptions and pictograms at the mountain Beyokdash - Parking of the primitive man of the Neolithic period, tombstones - A stone slab with an inscription in Latin, left by the Roman army of Domitian (emperor) - A tambourine, which participated in ritual dances and rituals, held in the territory of Gobustan
13:00 - Lunch time
14:00 - Departure on the excursion route to Mud Volcanes - Old oil fields and an ancient temple in the area of Bibi-Heybat - Offshore oil platforms on the Caspian Sea - The pagan sanctuary "Pir Galaalti" near the mountain Kichikdash - Excursion in the reserve "Mud Volcanoes". Manifestations of mud volcanism on Mount Dashgil - Otherworldly moonscape surrounded by the semi-desert along the Caspian Sea, which forms a turquoise backdrop to it all - The biggest and starkest oil-industry-related sight has to be the oil rig cemetery near Lokbatan - Viewpoint from where the famous James Bond Oil Field can bee seen. (This acquired its epithet because some scenes of the James Bond movie "The World is Not Enough" were shot there
16:00 - Departure to the hotel
