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Yarns from Silk Route

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  • Yarns from Silk Route

    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.
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