For those of you who aren’t familiar with Ulviyya’s country, Azerbaijan is known as the Land of Fire. The nickname comes from the ‘burning mountains’ where gas seeps from the soil, and, once ignited, burns as if the mountain itself is on fire.
Azerbaijan was probably the birthplace of Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion which believed fire was sacred. An ancient fire-worshipper’s temple still exists. On the first day of spring, called Novruz, children still jump over fires leaving behind the bad things from the past year in the fire.
Today Azerbaijan is still known for its natural resources (there is still a burning mountain outside of Baku) as well as its culture of hospitality and its link between East and West. For centuries Azerbaijan has been a key destination for foreign visitors and the blend of traditional Azerbaijani culture with Russian, Turkish, Georgian, Persian, European, and other nations’ cultures is obvious from your first visit.
When you visit Azerbaijan, come look at our architecture, painting, classical music, jazz, photography and other arts, and see the blend of influences that have become uniquely Azerbaijani.
