Presenting a large variety of activities, our country is the destination of all hot-summer lovers. However, there are still many things to do and see while the weather is still mild.
Gobustan, one of the places that should be seen, is situated 101 km away from Baku and is one of the most ancient settlements in Azerbaijan. Gobustan`s arid climate and very hot and dry summers have led to poor vegetation and fauna. This deserted land shows its true nature with spring and autumn rains.
Therefore, it is more pleasant to visit this place right now and not miss such a good opportunity to go back to ancient times. A visit to Gobustan`s national historical preserve will plunge you into a period of Azerbaijan`s rich history.
You may have already heard about the land of dry riverbed Gobustan, one of the most well known settlements in Azerbaijan, the rock carvings of which bear testimony to 40,000 years of rock art.
Gobustan`s petroglyphs stand out for their thematic diversity and plot originality, and the artistic skill of their makers.
Notwithstanding the fact that today Gobustan has a semi-desert climate, it was more humid in the remote past, and the flora and fauna of that time were incomparably richer, sufficing the tribes living there.
History fans will be impressed with the 6,000-year-old rock engravings, and the evidence of human habitation that spans 25,000 years, inhabited caves, settlements, and burials all reflecting the extensive use of the area by ancient people.
Pictures of primitive men, animals, battles, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, sun, and stars are engraved on these weather-beaten stones.
Mountaineering lovers will relish the opportunity to explore rock paintings and the Arab inscriptions referring to different periods of Azerbaijan`s Middle Age history, as well as a Roman inscription, which proves the presence of the XII Roman legion in Azerbaijan at the end of the first century.
Scientists have compared the pictures of boats and sun in Gobustan to the cave paintings found in Sweden, Urals, and Egypt.
After visiting Gobustan, Norwegian ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl even suggested the likely theory that the Scandinavians` ancestors originated from the region presently known as Azerbaijan.
Music admirers will enjoy the opportunity to see an ancient musical instrument called Gaval Dash, a precious stone which makes a tambourine-like sound as a result of its placement on an air pillow.
This place also has certain unique energy, because it was a place of sanctuary and worships for ages.
Here you will also get a chance to admire the Martian landscape of numerous mud volcanoes. Moreover, the largest mud volcano in the world called Toragay, which spans one kilometer across the base and reaches 400 meters in height, is located in Gobustan.
There is no doubt that these various entertainments, offering amusements for both brain and body, will not disappoint anyone.
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