Azerbaijan—also known as the Land of Fire. It should also be known as the Land of Wonders because it got its name from a natural wonder right on the hillside of the Absherson Peninsula: the Yanar Dag. This natural attraction means “burning mountain” because of a fire that blazes nonstop. The explanation is the presence of natural gas within the thin porous sandstone.
The country has a land area of 86,600 square kilometers (21.4 million acres) occupied by around 10 million people. Another place of wonder in this fascinating country is the city on stilts, Neft Daşlari. The entire town is located in the sea, built on oil platforms. Over 2,000 people live in this town. Azerbaijan also has the most mud volcanoes among all the countries in the world. It has 400 of them and they usually emit an eggy smell. Another interesting feature of the country is its Carpet Museum located in the capital city of Baku. Not only it is unique to have a Carpet Museum, but the actual structure is also unique because it looks like a rolled-up rug.
Azerbaijanis take architecture seriously. Aside from the unique structure of the Carpet Museum, there are dozens more unique buildings in Baku, from ancient architectural marvels like Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs to the modern stunners like Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku Crystal Hall, and Flame Towers.
The natural resources of Azerbaijan are quite impressive, too. The Eurasian country comprises of various landscapes from high mountain ranges to plains and valleys, as well as exciting coastlines. While tourists will enjoy Azerbaijan’s wonderful architecture, they would feel the same way when they see the country’s beautiful national parks. Here are five of its unexplored national parks:
1. Ag-Gel National Park
Located in the districts of Ağcabǝdi Rayon and Beylǝqan Rayon, this park was established in 2003. The area was previously designated as Ag-Gol State Reserve and then Ag-Gol State Game Reserve. The park aims to protect Lake Ağgöl, which is a significant water body in the entire country. The lake is conserved an Important Bird Area as well as a Wetland of International Importance. The lake is the second-largest one in the country.
Over 140 species of birds are found in the park, a lot of them are water birds that fly in to nest during summer. Among the nesting birds are bustards, partridges, spoonbills, swans, and teals. There are also 30 kinds of Charadriiformes and 24 types of Anseriformes are also living in the park. Charadriiformes are birds that live near water and eat invertebrates, while Anseriformes are web-footed waterfowl. Threatened species of birds are also found in the park: francolins, dalmatin and white pelicans, and white-tailed eagle.
2. Gizilaghaj National Park
This is the country’s first marine protected area as a national park. But the area has always been considered significant enough to be protected, as it has been designated as a state reserve since 1929 before becoming a national park in 2018, making it Azerbaijan’s youngest national park.
One of the reasons to protect the marine area is because it is the home of the endangered species beluga sturgeon and the Caspian salmon. The former is native to the Caspian Sea, which borders Azerbaijan. The species has been threatened because it is famously being fished for its roe, which is made into the beluga caviar, the most expensive type of caviar. The park’s swamps and wetlands are also important areas for migratory birds. The area has since been declared as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention.
3. Göygöl National Park
The park is named after its famous water body, Lake Göygöl, which is also considered the cleanest lake in the country. Surrounding the lake are forests with a rich fauna. Among the lush vegetation are a large population of Caucasian ash, Caucasian oaks, chestnut-leaved oaks, European ash, European hornbeam, Oriental beech, and Oriental hornbeam, among others. Among the shrub species are European barberry, European cornel, European spindle, and blackberry.
Among the large animals found in the park are brown bears, golden jackals, jungle cats, lynxes, red foxes, roe deer, wild boar, and wolves.
4. Samur-Yalama National Park
There are several reasons why authorities saw the need to establish this park: preservation of biodiversity, conservation of unique areas, and the showcase of historical and cultural features. A large part of the park covers the Caspian coastal zone. The Caspian Sea is considered the largest lake in the world or—to be more technical about it—the largest inland water body in the world. The coastal area, at least the one covered by the park since the Caspian Sea is so large, is covered in lush vegetation. Among the ecosystems are littoral zone, forest-bush segment, arid steppe region, and wooded area.
There are a lot of chestnut oaks and Persian ironwoods within the park. Among the resident animals are a black kite, brown bear, Caspian red deer, chamois, eastern imperial eagle, lynx, otter, and reed cat. Within the coastal waters covered by the park, the residents swimming about are brown trout, Caspian kutum, eel, pikeperch, and stellate sturgeon.
5. Zangezur National Park
Azerbaijan’s first national park was established in 2003 in the Ordubad Rayon district. It was originally called the Ordubad National Park but was expanded in 2009, and renamed to Zangezur. The park is generally mountainous. The mountains are covered in lush vegetation that includes rare species of plants. Among the rare flora are Dorema glabrum, Iris elegantissima, and Himantoglossum formosum. Several rivers run through the park: Aylischay, Duylunchay, Ganzachay, Gilanchay, Kilitchay, Kotamchay, Ordubadchay, and Vanadchay.
There are also rare species of animals living in the park, like the Persian leopard, which is a native of the Caucasus region. The population of this species is considered declining. Other animals in the park are badgers, bezoar goat, golden and white-tail sea eagle, little bustard, and mountain sheep-mouflon. While not as common as the other animal residents, there are also predators roaming around the park like the fox, jackal, striped hyena, wild cat, and wolf.
Besides, there are various historical monuments within the park.