Azerbaijan

Introduction

Shepard near Xinaliq

© adrianjo

Placed attractively along the western coast of the Caspian Sea between Russia and Iran, you'd naturally expect Azerbaijan to be a place of some internal unrest with neighbours like that. But in recent years, the tension has been with western neighbour Armenia, over Nagorno Karabakh, an area placed under Azeri control by the Soviets despite Armenian protests. For this reason, it's best to avoid the western reaches of Azerbaijan, where the tension is greatest.

But despite this setback, Azerbaijan still offers its visitors a heady combination of history and culture. Azerbaijan was settled as early as 1000 BCE, and the signs of a long past are everywhere. At Baku, the capital, the hustle and bustle of a country eagerly awaiting a economic boom (Azerbaijan's got plenty of oil riches within its borders) is underscored by a decidedly historical look. Elsewhere, visitors are drawn to ancient temples, ancient rock-art drawings, or brand new embroidered textiles.

Brief History

The earliest evidence of human settlement in the territory of Azerbaijan dates to the late Stone Age. Later it became part of Alexander the Great's Empire and its successor Seleucid Empire. Caucasian Albanians, the original inhabitants of the area, established an independent kingdom around the fourth century BC.
During Median and Persian rule, many Albanians adopted Zoroastrianism and then switched to Christianity prior to coming of Muslim Arabs and more importantly Muslim Turks. The Turkic tribes are believed to have arrived as small bands of ghazis whose conquests led to the Turkification of the population as largely native Caucasian and Iranian tribes adopted the Turkic language of the Oghuz and converted to Islam over a period of several hundred years.
After the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I, Azerbaijan, together with Armenia and Georgia became part of the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. When the republic dissolved in May 1918, Azerbaijan declared independence as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). The ADR was the first modern parliamentary republic in the Muslim World. The state was invaded by Soviet forces in 1920, and remained under Soviet rule until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
In 1993, democratically elected president Abülfaz Elçibay was overthrown by a military insurrection led by Colonel Surat Huseynov, which resulted in the rise to power of the former leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. Although during his presidency Aliyev managed to reduce the country's unemployment, reined in criminal groups, established the fundamental institutions of independent statehood, and brought stability, peace and major foreign investment, the country was tainted by rampant corruption in the governing bureaucracy. In October 1998, Aliyev was reelected for a second term. Despite the much improved economy, particularly with the exploitations of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field and Shah Deniz gas field, Aliyev's presidency became unpopular due to vote fraud, widespread corruption and objection to his autocratic regime. The same harsh criticism followed the elections of former Prime Minister Ilham Aliyev, the second leader of New Azerbaijan Party after the death of his father Heydar.

Geography

Azerbaijan shares international borders with Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran and little bit with Turkey. Azerbaijan is in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, straddling Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It lies between latitudes 38° and 42° N, and longitudes 44° and 51° E. The total length of Azerbaijan's land borders is 2,648 kilometres, of which 1,007 kilometres are with Armenia, 756 kilometres with Iran, 480 kilometres with Georgia, 390 kilometres with Russia and 15 kilometers with Turkey. The coastline stretches for 800 kilometres, and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea is 456 kilometres. The territory of Azerbaijan extends 400 kilometres from north to south, and 500 kilometres from west to east.

Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country's center. There are also three mountain ranges, the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, and the Talysh Mountains, together covering approximately 40% of the country. The highest peak of Azerbaijan is mount Bazardüzü (4,466 metres), while the lowest point lies in the Caspian Sea (-28 metres).
The main water sources are the surface waters. However, only 24 of the 8,350 rivers are greater than 100 kilometres in lenght. All the rivers drain into the Caspian Sea in the east of the country. The largest lake is Sarysu (67 km²), and the longest river is Kur (1,515 kilometres), which is transboundary. Azerbaijan's four main islands in the Caspian Sea have a combined area of over thirty square kilometres.

Regions

• Baku Region - The political, economic, and cultural center of Azerbaijan. Oil has been extracted here since 1871.
• Ganja Region - Gateway to Azerbaijan with one of the oldest cities in the Caucasus, Ganja, and the well-known petroleum spa resort and the centre of medical tourism in Azerbaijan, Naftalan.
• Nagorno Karabakh - Ethnic Armenian region controlled by an unrecognized independent government. Only accessible via Armenia.
• Nakhchivan - An exclave bordering Turkey to the west
• Northeastern Azerbaijan - An ethnically diverse region in the Greater Caucasus mountains covered with lush green forests, and beautiful beaches and luxury resorts along the Caspian Sea.
• Sheki Region - A beautiful green mountainous region bordering Georgia, containing Azerbaijan's loveliest city
• Southern Azerbaijan
• Talysh Region

Cities

• Baku - The capital on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
• Ganja - Azerbaijan's second largest city has a long history and some important sites
• Khachmaz - This is the largest tourist destination in Azerbaijan with great beaches and beautiful forests.
• Lankaran - Southern city near the Iranian border
• Mingechivir - A mid-sized city on the large Mingechivir Reservoir
• Naftalan - A town best known for its special petroleum oil baths (spas)
• Nakhchivan City
• Sheki - A beautiful city in the forested Caucasus Mountains with lots to see and do
• Zaqatala
• Sumqayit - Azerbaijan's third largest city, on the Absheron Peninsula

Sights and Activities

Caucasus Mountains

The north of Azerbaijan is a beautiful region and the Caucasus Mountains is one of the natural highlights of the country. The Sheki Region is of particular interest and several days in the mountains is a welcome relief of the hustle and bustle of Baku. Gateway is the small city of Sheki which also has many things to offer itself, like the Palace of the Sheki Khans (Khansarai) which is a magnificent work of Islamic architecture. Sheki is located in the northeast of the country and getting here is half the fun, along mountain roads with terrific views. To the north are the dramatic, snow-capped peaks of the Greater Caucasus.

Gobustan

The Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape is on the Unesco World Heritage List and is located immediately east of Baku. It contains three areas of a plateau of rocky boulders in the semi-desert and has an outstanding collection of more than 6,000 rock engravings dating back to almost 40 000 years ago. There are remains of inhabited caves, settlements and burials, which all reflect an intensive human use by the inhabitants of the area. It is possible to visit this area on a day trip from Baku.

Xachmaz Region

Believe it or not, but Azerbaijan has its own beaches along the Caspian Sea and the most popular ones with the locals are located in the northeast of the country, around the city of Xachmaz. But the Xachmaz region has more to offer and on top of the beaches is very rich with monuments of history, culture and architecture. Some of the most significant are Sarkartapa, the ancient city-fortress Khudat, a fourth century Albanian mosque and the sixteenth century mosque-madrasa of Shah Abbas.

Other sights and activities

• The old walled city of Baku, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
• Nakhchivan exclave - off the beaten track experience, between Armenia and Iran.

Events and Festivals

Gurban Bayram

Known as the ‘Day of Sacrifice’ or ‘Qurban,’ Gurban Bayram celebrates the end of the Haji pilgrimage and Abraham’s sacrifice for God. A camel or goat is sacrificed to remember Abraham, who slaughtered a ram instead of his own son.

Ramazan Bayram

Ramazan Bayram (Ramadan) is internationally known as ‘Eid Ul Fitr,’ which sees an entire month of fasting, ending on the day of the full moon. Sweets and gifts are exchanged between Azerbaijan family members and friends. The two-day celebration is lively and interesting with people flocking to the mosques to pray. They greet each other with ‘Eid-Mubarak,’ which means ‘May you enjoy a blessed festival.’

Novruz Bayram

The New Year of the Zoroastrian, Novruz Bayram is considered a public holiday in Azerbaijan. Traditionally, a novruz table is adorned with candles, colored eggs, dry fruits, and sweets. Foods that start with the letter ‘s’ (such as sumakh, sir, sabzi, sib, serkeh, and sonbol) are served. The center of the table is never without a bowl of goldfish because it is believed that when the New Year comes, the goldfish will face north.

Victory’s Day

Held every May 9, Victory’s Day is celebrated to honor the Soviet Republic’s triumph over Germany in WWII. It is also to show respect for the veterans who died in battle.

International Women’s Day

Held annually on March 8th, a global celebration honors women throughout the world, of which Azerbaijan takes part. There are presentations and films about women’s issues, empowerment workshops, etc.

Republic Day

A public holiday on May 28, Republic Day remembers the formation of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan in 1918.

International Baku Jazz Festival

Azerbaijanis love jazz, and every year, Bazu plays host to various concerts put together by musicians and bands from different countries. Jazz artists from Georgia, Israel, USA, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Russia, and Canada come to perform.

Day of National Salvation of Azerbaijani People

June 15 is a state holiday celebrating Heydar Aliyev’s return as the country’s leader. Known for leading his people to significant social and economic changes, he ultimately improved the quality of life in Azerbaijan and brought stability to the nation.

Weather

Azerbaijan generally has a pleasantly warm climate. Summers can get very hot though, with temperatures close to 40 °C on some days, though averaging more around 30 °C along the coastal and lower inland areas. Winters are not that cold, around 10 °C from December to February in Baku, but can rise as high as 20 °C and as low as around 0 °C during the day. Inland it is a bit colder, and higher up in the Caucasus mountains it is very cold with snow during winter. Summers here are pleasantly warm though. Rainfall in the country is possible during most of the year, but tends to increase in autumn and higher parts (especially in the north) have much more rain (and snow) compared to places inland.

Getting There

By Plane

Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) is the busiest airport in the Caucasus. It is located near Baku, the capital, and services flights primarily to destinations in Central Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe. Azerbaijan Airlines, the national airline, has its main hub here.

There are smaller airports at Ganja and Nakhchivan, both of which serve flights to Moscow. Turan Air also operates flights between Istanbul and Ganja.

By Train

Direct trains connect Azerbaijan with Georgia (Tbilisi), Russia (Moscow and Rostov) and Ukraine (Kharkov) via Russia. The Russian border used to be closed to non-CIS passport holders but it is now open to everyone with respective visas.

There is an overnight train connecting Tbilisi, Georgia and Baku. Heading out of Azerbaijan, this costs 26 manat. This route is being modernized as part of a project, financed in part by Azerbaijan, which includes the construction of a rail segment from Akhalkalaki, Georgia with Kars, Turkey. This long-delayed rail link from Georgia to Turkey opened on 30 Oct 2017, initially for freight only. The start date and timetable for passenger trains has not yet been announced.

There is a domestic train line running from Astara on the Iranian border to Baku and a 300 km connector line is being buiit from Astara to Qazvin, Iran to connect the Azerbaijani and Iranian rail networks.

For those planning to visit the exclave of Nakhchivan, there is a rail service to Mashad in Iran.

By Car

There are roads to all cities of Azerbaijan. They are not really wide and most of them have only two lanes. Local travel agents can arrange private cars to the borders. Some Georgian travel agents such as Exotour can arrange pickup in Baku to delivery in Tbilisi. Although more expensive than bus or train, it will be faster and can be combined with sightseeing along the way. Pay attention to the fact that Azerbaijani customs will request you to pay a deposit of several thousand US dollars for your car.

By Bus

There are buses that run daily from Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Russia to Azerbaijan.

A minibus also runs from the Georgian border at Krazny Most (Red Bridge) and should cost about 10 or 12 manat (or 25 lari). It can be picked up at either side of the border (don't worry if they ask you to pay on the Georgian side - they turn up to pick you up. Insist on bringing your own bags across, however). Journey time to Baku should take about 8 hours. Driving in Azerbaijan is a genuinely scary experience. Virtually all drivers have scant regard for the rules of the road and the standard of roads themselves is shockingly poor. It is emphatically not for the faint-hearted, so whilst the long train might challenge your stamina they won't your nerves. Check AZAL flights from Tbilis-Baku well in advance for some reasonable deals.

Return to Tbilisi can be caught at the indescribably chaotic bus station, which doubles up as an eerily quiet shopping-centre (take bus 65 from outside Double Gate in the old town for the 20-min trip, which leaves you with a 400 m long dodgy stretch of road/highway with pestering taxi-drivers on which to walk: cost 0.20 manat) or simply taxi it from the centre for approx. 15 manat (worth it!), which saves on hassle. Both buses and minibuses are available from this station directly to Tbilisi, about 12 manat for both. Bus counter 26 at very back of ground floor. The bus is a few hours slower and not guaranteed to pick you up once you cross the Georgian border, so minibus is preferable.

By Boat

There is no ferry or cruise service with any other country on the Caspian. Be forewarned that the much talked about "ferries" on the Caspian are simply cargo ships with some extra space to take on passengers. Getting a ride on one of these "ferries" is no easy task. First you must find the notoriously difficult to find ticket office, which basically keeps track of ship which are departing. If you manage to find the ticket office and manage to get a booking, you still have little idea of when the ship will depart. Give them a phone number to reach you and be prepared, they may call you an hour or two prior to departure... two days after the first departure the office gave you and the day before the second departure date they gave you! This is only the first of you troubles. After paying for your place on the boat (about US$50–100), the captain and perhaps other crew members will expect an additional amount to get a bed and a shower. You are expected to bring your own food. The crossing will only take 1 day (Turkmenistan) or 2–3 days (Kazakhstan). Most ships go to Turkmenistan, where ships must wait for an open berth... so you can wait 2–5 days on the boat just waiting for a place to dock! Unless you are on a very small budget or have a bike and especially if you are on a short timeschedule, you should pay twice as much (~US$200–250) for a one way airfare to Kazakhstan, Russia, or Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Getting Around

By Plane

Azerbaijan Airlines flies between Baku and Ganja and Nakhchivan City (exclave).

By Train

There are a few rail connections, most notably the one going west towards Georgia, linking Baku with Tbilisi. It's comfortable, cheap, but slow and not suitable for going to some more remote areas.

By Car

Due to remote location of many sights and scarcity of attractions in this otherwise huge country, it can be meaningful to rent a car. The most common rental company is the Azeri AZNUR, which competes well on prices with the big international companies. A budget car for 4 days starts from US$100 with a deposit of US$150. Be cautious when using the common price comparison sites for rental cars. They often try to sell you overpriced full coverage insurances or charge other unnecessary fees right before confirming the booking, especially via mobile and when not being attentive in reading the conditions.

By Bus

Buses and minivans are the way to go in Azerbaijan with frequent, reliable and cheap connections going literally everywhere in the country. It is also generally faster (or less slow) than trains, but also not as comfortable. Minivans leave when full, buses run on a timetable somehow.

By Boat

Few boats are available for passengers, but sometimes there are services from Baku going south to Lankaran.

Red Tape

Visa Restrictions: Evidence of travel to Nagorno-Karabakh will cause you problems upon trying to enter Azerbaijan. Azeri authorities will deny you a visa, cancel any Azeri visa you may have obtained and permanently ban you from their country. Upon trying to enter Azerbaijan, you will be turned away, deported, or possibly arrested. If requested, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities can issue their visa on a piece of paper separate from your passport, although sometimes they forget to do this even if instructed to do so. Entry to Azerbaijan is also refused to citizens of Armenia, as well anyone of Armenian descent or with an Armenian name or surname regardless of their country of citizenship. Taking into Azerbaijan any products made in Armenia or ostensibly bought in Armenia is also prohibited. If you have a visa from Armenia proper in your passport, you may also be hassled at the border. Overall, consider planning a trip that takes in Azerbaijan before Armenia. Travellers have had border guards and police confiscate guidebooks which describe Nagorno-Karabakh as separate from Azerbaijan, especially Lonely Planet's Georgia, Armenia, & Azerbaijan.

In 2016 Azerbaijan introduced a new single-entry eVisa for citizens of the following countries:

• All European Union member states, as well as Andorra, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, and Vatican City
• Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Vietnam

The eVisa costs US$20, plus $4 for administration fee, is valid for 30 days within the next three months after application, and can be purchased at evisa.gov.az – photocopy of your passport, and address of your stay needs to be provided. Caution: there is a fake official website: evisa.com.az – also providing visas but requiring you to purchase an overpriced tour or expensive hotel.

A visa is not required for stays of 90 days or less for citizens of Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

A 30-day visa on arrival may be obtained only when arriving by air by citizens of Bahrain, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey (60 days) and United Arab Emirates.

Citizens of the United States may also obtain a visa on arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, but only if arriving via a direct flight of Azerbaijan Airlines from New York City.

Citizens of Iran may obtain a 15-day visa on arrival for Nakhchivan only.

If you have an Armenian name, you will not be issued a visa, no matter what country you hold citizenship in.

For citizens of all other countries visas can be obtained by mail or in person from any Azerbaijani embassy offering consular services. A letter of invitation (LOI) from a contact in Azerbaijan is required.

Foreigners staying in Azerbaijan for longer than 15 days should register with the State Migration Service within 15 working days of arrival. Failure to register withing this time frame will incur a fine of 300 manat. The registration is free and can be done online by submitting copy of the passport and filled in application form or in person at specially designed offices of State Migration Service (one of such offices will be opened eventually at the Train Station, however it was closed as of 2015). Hotels may provide this service for their guests, but travellers are strongly advised to ensure the registration has been completed indeed as hotels are more than often skip doing it.

Money

See also: Money Matters

The Azerbaijani Manat (AZM) is the official currency of the country. One manat is divided into 100 qəpik. Banknotes are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 manat. Coins in circulation are 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 qəpik.

Work

There is a great deal of work to be done in Azerbaijan from teaching and NGO work to work in the oil and tourism sectors.

Language

Azerbaijani (or Azeri Turkish) is the official language. Dialects of the language are also widely spoken in parts of Iran and in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, south-eastern Georgia, northern Iraq, and eastern Turkey.

English and Russian are both used in the education system. Lezgi, Talysh, Avar, Tatar, Ukrainian, Georgian, Turkish, Tsakhur, Kurdish, Tat, Udi, Greek, Chechen and Armenian (In Nagorno-Karabakh only) are spoken by minorities.

Eat

Azeri cuisine (azərbaycan mətbəxi) might not seem as diverse to Europeans, but it is worth trying. Most of the dishes contain a lot of meat (including fat) and vegetables. Bread is a staple, and is quite revered by the people of Azerbaijan.

Piti is a national dish. It is made with mutton and vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas), infused with saffron water to add flavour and colour, all covered by a lump of fat, and cooked in a sealed crock. Worth trying Şəki version of this dish (boiled chestnuts are used instead of potato), if you are there.

Cabbage, grape leaves, and eggplant wrapped meat (kelem, yarpaq, badimjan - dolmasi), kabab (kebab), rice with different variety of toppings (plov - It is said that plov is the king of Azerbaijani cuisine), gutabs and meatballs (kufta) are some of the several specialties of Azerbaijan. Yarpaq dolmasi is often considered to be the national dish.

Georgian food, in particular khachapuri (a cheese-filled bread), along with some Russian staples (borsh, crepes/bliny) have become common throughout Azerbaijan. Other cuisines such as Turkish, Italian, Asian, Western & fast food, along with Asian food can be found in biggest cities.

There are several soups that you might want to try: bozbash, buglama, ashgara (lamb with chestnut). Try Çoban qovurma (lamb stew with vegetables).

Sleep

There is a good selection of hotels in Baku, including many Western chains, but options elsewhere in the country are limited. Prices for the hotels start from $60 and higher. Rental apartments might be a good choice as they are cheaper than hotels and sometimes are even more comfortable.

Drink

Some local drinks include ayran (a yogurt drink based on sour milk) and sherbet (made from rose petals or saffron). There are also different sorts of quite decent wines produced from local grapes and a wide array of mineral waters from natural springs. In some areas of Azerbaijan the markets offer lemonades (limonat/dushes) made from pears or taragon.

Note: In general, it is forbidden for females to enter tea houses and drinking establishments. Drinking in general is also taboo for women in rural Azerbaijan. It's not a problem in Baku.

Health

See also: Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Azerbaijan. It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to Azerbaijan. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended and when travelling longer than 2 weeks a vaccination against typhoid.

If you are staying longer than 3 months or have a particular risk (travelling by bike, handling of animals, visits to caves) you might consider a rabies vaccination. Vaccination against Tuberculosis as well as hepatitis B are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months.

Malaria only occurs in the south and in Kachmas during the summer months, but taking malaria pills is not necessary. Just use mosquito reppelant and wear long sleeves when it is dark.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Robbing and pickpocketing in the capital Baku, especially in poor and sparsely populated areas is possible but rare and is higher across the capital at night. Common sense is useful as in all other countries. Also watch your stuff in public transport.

Corruption is widespread. But as a foreigner you have a fairly strong position in refusing to pay "hörmet" (bribe). Never give any bribe. Often Azeris are so ashamed of their corrupt economy, that they might hide it from you anyway.

Warning: Armed conflicts occur at and near the virtual border between the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the surrounding military-occupied area in Azerbaijan. Western governments advise against travelling there because of diplomatic difficulties in case of incidents with their citizens in that region. In the rest of Azerbaijan, there is some risk of civil unrest and terrorist attacks.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes in Azerbaijan are called "internet klubs" and they are found throughout Baku. Some coffee houses provide wireless internet, but they are quite rare in Baku. Recently public wi-fi service was implemented the central areas of the capital. Outside Baku, wifi access becomes more difficult but there's a growing number of places offering it.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Azerbaijan is: 994. To make an international call from Azerbaijan, the code is: 00

There are three mobile operators: Azercell, Bakcell, Nar Mobile, Azerfon-Vodafone. Azercell is the largest one. To dial an Azercell number you need to dial (050) or (051) and then the number. Only with Azercell can you talk in the metro(subway) in Baku. Nar Mobile is pretty cheap but doesn't work in some regions. For dialing Nar Mobile numbers you need to dial (070) and then the number. Azerfon-Vodafone is new operator have 3G. For dialing Azerfon-Vodafone numbers you need to dial (077) and then the number. Bakcell is ok. It works almost everywhere and is cheaper that Azercell. To dial a Bakcell number you need to dial (055) and then the number. The numbers have a 3 digit code (different for each operator) + 7 digits number.

Post

Azer Post offers services in the country. They are affordable and fairly reliable, yet not very fast. It takes at least a week to most European countries, but (much) more so further afield. Post offices in the capital are usually open from around 8:00-9:00am to late afternoon weekdays, but keep shorter hours in more rural areas. If you want to send a package overseas, use international companies like TNT, DHL, FedEx or UPS, as they are fast, reliable and fairly affordable as well.

External Links

• International website about Azerbaijan
• Official Tourism Portal