YARNS FROM SILK ROUTE

Bangkok Post, Thailand
Aug 3 2006

Baku, the Azeri capital, is a symphony of European and oriental
traditions and styles

STORY BY ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT, PHOTOS BY KITIPOOM ANAN AND NIPON
TUNGSANGPRATEEP

Emerging from the convulsions triggered by collapse of the Soviet
empire in 1991, tourism in Azerbaijan is hoping to scale a stature that
once made the country an inevitable stop on the legendary Silk Route.

Located in southwestern Asia bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran
and Russia, there are many captivating sights in this ancient land
that is generally known for its exquisite carpets and the vast oil
reserves of Baku, its capital – Bronze Age petroglyphs, medieval
minarets, mosques and the great Caucasus mountains to the north.

About a fifth of Azerbaijan’s population lives in Baku, the biggest
and most vibrant trans-Caucasian city located on a bay on the Apsheron
peninsula by Caspian Sea.

The city consists of three parts: Ichari Shahar or the old town
conspicuous by its fortress fenced off by a surrounding wall and
narrow, crooked streets, the rectangularly laid out oil section to its
south that is booming with activity, and a town built by the Soviets
who arrived to tap its oil wealth at the turn of the 20th century.

The oil section has interesting beaux-arts architecture adorning its
fine arts, history and literature museums that sit in opulent mansions
of millionaires built before the Russian revolution and subsequently
seized by the state.

The heart of Baku is the old town or the Walled City, which along
with the Maiden’s Tower, built in 12th century, and the Palace
of Shirvan shahs (kings) was declared World Heritage site in
2000. The medieval city has been restored, and retains a distinctly
Middle-Eastern and relaxed atmosphere, with its tea-houses and
busy streets. Archaeological digs have revealed Bronze Age burial
chambers. This popular part of the city, a maze of alleys, dead ends
and caravanserais or inns is also called the Acropolis of Baku.

If you have time, rent a car or buy a tour package and visit nearby
attractions such as the fire temples of Atesgah where there are
several fine medieval castles, and the open-air Gobustan Museum that
is littered with neolithic rock drawings dating back some 10,000 years.

It has some 4000 inscriptions. The subject matter includes hunting
scenes, ritual dances, religious ceremonies, ships, animals and
constellations, and many of the rocks are further adorned with
signatures and remarks added by passing Roman soldiers in the first
century AD, suggesting that the area has a long history as a tourist
attraction.

Travellers are advised to steer clear of the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
for long a bone of contention between Azerbaijan and its neighbour
Armenia. It is now administered as an autonomous enclave.

The Caspian Sea is the source of most sought after caviar at dining
tables all over the globe. It is the habitat of Beluga sturgeon.
Connoisseurs recognise caviar from the fish as the best, because of the
quality of the eggs produced, which are darker, with a bigger grain.

Beluga, the largest fish in the Caspian, can live over a hundred
years and grow to over six metres, but few now survive longer than
20 or 30 years.

According to the Pew Institute for Ocean Science at the University
of Florida, the fish now number less than 400,000, only one sixth of
which were adults. Its roe is the world’s most expensive delicacy.
Hence, it’s also the most threatened species.

Meanwhile, Thais visiting the country will find the Azeri people
charming, their fair skin, black hair, prominent nose and eyes
immediately making an impression. In downtown Baku, the setting is
modern and business-like, the people carefree and relaxed.

But the discerning visitor to Azerbaijan will detect a distinct
aloofness, call it a lack of service-mindedness that is taken for
granted in tourist destinations around the world, that endears them
to travellers. This is something it must deal with in order to win
a bigger slice of the tourist dollar.

The other challenge facing Azerbaijan is ensuring lasting peace
and political stability to draw tourists to a country that is the
confluence of Turkish, Persian and Russian cultures that do not
always gel and threaten to pull off in different directions. Next
is maintenance and conservation of its World Heritage site to ensure
its long-term appeal.

That said, Azerbaijan, and Baku in particular, offers several
temptations that if indulged can be a strain on the purse, as the Thai
wives of oil executives based there and those working in restaurants
will confirm to you. The cost of living is not cheap and they struggle
to save pennies, invariably falling for the colourful merchandise
and goodies that remain as powerful a magnet today as they were in
the days when ancient traders were drawn to the Silk Route.