Best of Azerbaijan-Carpet Study Tour
Day 1 – Arrival to Baku
Upon arrival to International airport of Baku the tourist will be meted by representative of Azerbaijan Adventures LLC (www.AzerbaijanAdventures.com) after meeting we will take road to the hotel. Upon arrival to the hotel we will have check in to the hotel and have a free time. Overnight in Baku.
Day 2 - Discovering Baku
09:30 After breakfast, depart to visit the old Carpet Museum.Visit the History Museum of Azerbaijan (incl. textiles and carpets). Sightseeing tour in the city: Martyr's Cemetery, located on the higher slopes of the city's west-‐end, this is the best place for panorama viewing of the city and the Bay of Baku and walk along Baku Boulevard.
Visit Azerkhalcha carpet workshop in Old Town.
15:00 Visit the main objectives in the Inner City: Maiden Tower (XII century), Palace of Shirvanshahs (XV century), Castle Synyk Gala, Caravan Saray, Juma Mosque.
17:30 Tea at the workshop of Eldar Mikailzadeh where Alberto Boralevi will introduce the textile artist. On the way back to the hotel outside view of the construction site of the new Carpet Museum of Baku. Overnight in Baku.
Day 3 - Baku – Lahij - Sheki
09:00 Depart from the hotel.
11.30 Stop on the road to visit cultural vestiges and have some fruits.
15:30 Drive to Lahij village. One of the most beautiful corners of Azerbaijan at the foot of the Great Caucasus Mountains -‐ the land of rivers, lakes and waterfalls. Three climate zones are represented in the same place in this region, ranging from snowy mountains to hot plains. The trip lasts about 2.5 hours. The itinerary passes through Lhij village, which is a commercial center. This village is inhabited by carpet weavers, hereditary tanners, engravers, potters, blacksmiths, metal and wood carvers. During the excursion, we will see an ancient bridge connecting two villages, a stone water-pipe from the 16th century, and specimens of dwellings from the 19th century with murals; we will also visit the Museum of regional studies, where ancient carpets and brass articles are kept. Depart for Sheki our final destination. 19:30 Accommodation at hotel. Overnight in Sheki.
Day 4 - Sheki
09:00 After breakfast we will have a 15 min. briefing to collect impressions, suggestions before starting the visit of Sheki. This is one of the most famous and ancient places of Azerbaijan. Situated 700 m (2297 ft.) above the sea level, like an amphitheatre surrounded by the mountains and forests of oak trees, this ancient city was long famed as a silk centre and an important stop on the Great Silk Route. There is an assumption that the name of the town goes back to the ethnonym of the Saks, who reached the territory of Azerbaijan in the 7th century BC. We’ll start our tour in Sheki with the visit to the 18th century Khan's summer palace with magnificent frescos and stained glass work.
10:30 Sheki History Museum with artifacts of several periods. 12:00 Visit an early Albanian Church and the village of Kish. 16:00 Visit a carpet work shop in Sheki. Overnight in Sheki.
Day 5 - Sheki - Shamakhi - Baku
08:00 After breakfast depart to Shamakhi. During our journey some experts participating at the tour will discuss topics related to the Caucasian Rugs.
14:30 Visit Diri Baba mausoleum in Maraza village, historical Juma Mosque (under construction), mausoleum of Yeddi Gumbez. Time permitting we also will visit the Fire Temple of Suraxani one of Azerbaijan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Overnight in Baku.
Day 6 – Departure
Breakfast at the hotel. 12:00 checkout from the hotel. Depend on the departure time transfer to the airport.
