The country of Azerbaijan in the Caucuses region of Eurasia is about the size of the U.S. state of South Carolina, or the country of Ireland. It is a geographical and cultural vortex, sucking in and spinning out influences that are Persian, Turkic, Arabic and Russian.

“We name this big cocktail Azerbaijan,” said Narim Musabayova, a local city guide and interpreter. “Look at a map. Many people wanted to control this city as a junction between Asia and Europe.”

Part of the eight-lane highway leading from Heydar Aliyev International Airport to the capital city of Baku includes roadside art nouveau skyscrapers, resembling Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai decades ago (when less crowded). Locals disdain this analogy because their capital city was founded 16 centuries ago, whereas the mentioned city in the Emirates is less than two centuries old.

Baku’s main roads are wide and immaculate (although often congested) and many include tree planted medians. The city’s vibrant night life keeps traffic chugging even at midnight, when Bolt and Yango taxis weave between dark green city busses. The city also has the 27 station and three-line Baku Metro that carries over a half million commuters daily. Crime in the city is generally low, and locals pride themselves on tolerance and openness. In 1918 Azerbaijan was the first predominantly Islamic country to give women the right to vote.

Oil

Along the western shore of the Caspian Sea, Baku historically oscillated between Russian and Persian control. It became Azerbaijan’s capital in 1920 and today includes a population of 2.4 million residents. The city has for centuries derived economic clout from oil and gas extraction. One written record from the year 1594 describes an oil well sunk to a depth of 115 feet (35 meters). Centuries before the internal combustion engine was invented, traveler Marco Polo wrote that Azerbaijan’s oil was good for burning as well as for applying as a salve for itches. It was also historically used for waterproofing and plumbing. Winston Churchill, who as Lord of the Admiralty switched the fuel for British warship from coal to oil, said that if oil was queen of the world, Baku was her throne. Hitler griped that he would lose the Second World War unless his troops secured the oilfields around Baku. Alfred Nobel (of prestigious prize renown) and his brothers established the first foreign oil company in Baku in the latter 19^th century and became the first to transport oil in bulk. Ludvig Nobel designed the first ever steel oil tanker to transport Baku’s crude.

Records

Azerbaijan takes pride in having Guinness verify its world records—including smallest book (22 microns), highest flagpole (230 feet/70 meters), most mud volcanos of any country, largest wooden wine barrel (88,000 bottles of juice), oldest offshore oil platform (1951) and lowest capital city in the world (Baku is 92 feet/28 meters below sea level).

Contrasts

Azerbaijan is a nation of contrasts. It is a secular Islamic state where bacon and beer are served at restaurants, and where formality and frivolity revel close to each other—as when suited and serious businessmen finish a meeting and suddenly laugh and invite you to feast with them for hours on barbecued lamb, local vegetables and fruit liqueurs.

Modernity as well as tradition are evident at covered markets such as Yaşil Bazar—open for 13 hours a day and blazing with colorful produce that includes spices such as red sumac, bergamot and pomegranate fruit. Local truffles are also on sale, not pungent but neither pricey and historically called devil’s mushroom by those who considered them as food for witches.

Vista and Architecture

To gain an excellent view of Baku’s semicircular harbor and old town, visit Highland Park, the most elevated city terrain. Pace along the Alley of Martyrs to the Baku Memorial and Baku Panoramic View. Look to the Seaside Boulevard Administration to view the largest flag in the world—the size of six basketball courts and weighing twice as much as a baby elephant, at 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms). The flag’s national tricolor includes blue (symbolizing peoples’ Turkic origins), Green (Islam) and red (independence/democracy).

From here you will see impressive city architecture such as Flame Towers, which blaze in dazzling colors during nights, or the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, built in the shape of a rolled carpet (weaving is integral to Azirbaijani culture; at the recent funeral ceremony for Pope Francis in Rome the carpet below his coffin was hand knotted by Azerbaijan artisans).

(Lusciously colorful hand-woven carpets are also on display at the architecturally impressive Heydar Aliyev Center; this includes examples of modern and traditional art, with interactive exhibits about musical instruments and examples of historical dress.)

From Highland Park it is a half hour walk to the walled Old City of Baku—Icheri Sheher—which began as a settlement before the 7^th century BCE. Less than a tenth of a square mile (22 hectares) in size, it includes sparse trees, orderly museums (including the Museum of Miniature Books), and the mysteriously windowless Maiden Tower (Giz Galasi) built of burnt bricks over a millennia ago. From Old Town it less than a ten minute walk to Fountains Square or the National Museum of History. This is also a city of cats—which are ubiquitous, generally well groomed and historically provided rodent control.

Cuisine and Wine

Azerbaijani cuisine is generally fresh, nutritious and delicious. Sample dolma meatballs where lamb, rice and onions are wrapped in grape vine leaves and cooked, or try a pilaf—traditionally served for celebrations and often with local Khashmi rice. A pilaf may include dates, raisins, dill, wild onions and white beans and the rice is always served separately from food as a garnish. A pilaf may be served with Ghormeh Sabzi, popular both in Azerbaijan and Iran and including beef or lamb mixed with seasonal greens and herbs such as mint and tarragon. Alternately, order a Fisinjan pilaf, which is cooked in a clay pot and includes lamb meatballs with onion sauce and walnuts and Pomegranate molasses.

Traditional soups may include lamb, chickpeas, chestnuts, wild sorrel, onion, apricots, mint and saffron and perhaps will be served with sumac and fresh red onion (chestnuts are used rather than potatoes in traditional Azerbaijan cuisine).

Azerbaijani businessman, winery owner and cookbook author Ehtiram Farzalibayov just released his latest 550-page cookbook that weighs 7.2 pounds (3.2 kilograms). It includes traditional dishes from western Azerbaijan, such as khashlama (boiled beef or lamb), onion bozbash soup and baklava dessert (including cumin as an ingredient and baked, rather than fried, as in Turkey). For dessert, I was able to sample his tarragon ice cream with wine boiled pear slices, dried figs, roasted nuts, almonds, cardamon, saffron, cinnamon and Moscato—served traditionally with tea in a small glass.

Just as oil generates revenue for Baku, so does olive oil, including that produced east of Baku at the new Acheron Olive Gardens, a 3.5 square mile (900 hectare) set of trees planted in 2019 that generate 800 tons of olive oil annually. All is classified as Extra Virgin, meaning a relatively low temperature was used during production to retain aromas. Choose your local olives as raw, or stuffed with lemon, paprika or almonds.

Baku has more than a half dozen wine bars close to the waterfront harbor. These include Kefli—serving only Azerbaijan wine. Don’t be surprised to find an ash tray by your place setting or locals rising spontaneously to dance. (This separate companion article focuses on Azerbaijan wines.) You may want to sample not only wines made from local Azerbaijani grapes such as the white Bayan Shira or red Madrasa, but also pomegranate fruit wine.

To visit this city with impressive architecture, rich cultural history, well organized museums and stunning food, fly into the architecturally impressive Heydar Aliyev International Airport. It receives direct flights from 33 countries and cities that include London, Paris, Milan, Istanbul, Moscow, Dubai and Tel Aviv. U.S. citizens will need to obtain a visa to enter, which can be obtained online and can be delivered within three hours or five days, depending on the fee paid.