CASPIAN SEA
Baku
Azerbaijan
A city forged by ancient fire found in the ground and in thought, and one that has reawakened in the modern age.
Baku sits on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, a crucial point on the northern Silk Road routes that connected China to Europe. The UNESCO-listed Old City (Icheri Sheher) contains the 12th-century Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace, surrounded by medieval walls that once protected this important trading post. Walking through these narrow streets, you'll find yourself on paths where merchants exchanged Chinese silks, Russian furs, and Central Asian spices. The city's position made it a natural meeting point for goods traveling overland from Central Asia and those moving by sea across the Caspian.
Today's Baku blends its trading past with its oil-funded present. The city experienced its first petroleum boom in the late 19th century, and a second boom after Azerbaijan's independence in 1991. This wealth is visible in the restored caravanserais that now house restaurants and shops in the Old City. Unlike many Silk Road cities that declined when sea routes replaced land routes, Baku's natural resources ensured its continued importance. The Ateshgah Fire Temple outside the city, originally built by Zoroastrian traders, demonstrates how the Silk Road brought not just goods but religions and ideas along its network of routes.
THE SILK ROAD JOURNAL
How We Got Here
Baku is one of the three capitals of the Caucasus nations, and though remote land-wise, is well connected by air. And by air is how we arrived and departed this city.
The Highlight
The Unesco-listed old town is definitely the most atmospheric and historical site of the otherwise modern city, and likewise the highlight of our visit.
What was Traded Here?
Baku was a major exporter of fish and salt in ancient times, though its modern identity and revival comes from the discovery, and abundance of, oil.
S N A P S H O T S O N T H E R O A D
W H E R E W I L L Y O U R J O U R N E Y T A K E Y O U N E X T ?
The time has come to sail across the Caspian to the deserts and steppes of Central Asia. The heart of the Silk Roads await, though a long jounrey is required to get there. Continue eastwards to Khiva.