ABSHERON

The Absheron Peninsula is a peninsula in Azerbaijan. It is the location of Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and also the Baku metropolitan area, with its satellite cities Sumqayit and Khyrdalan.

It extends 60 km (37 mi) eastward into the Caspian Sea, and reaches a maximum width of 30 km (19 mi). Though technically the easternmost extension of the Caucasus Mountains, the landscape is only mildly hilly, a gently undulating plain that ends in a long spit of sand dunes known as Shah Dili, and now declared the Absheron National Park. In this part the peninsula is dissected by ravines and characterized by frequent salt lakes.

The name "Absheron" comes from Persian “āb šuran” (salty waters). This also gave its name to the city of Apsheronsk in Russia. According to Conrad Malte-Brun in 1810, an alternative name for the peninsula was Okoressa.

The Absheron Peninsula is nearly the metropolitan area of Baku because the Baku metropolitan area consists of Baku city, Sumgayit and Khyrdalan whereas the Absheron Peninsula consists of Baku city, Sumgayit and Absheron region whose center is Khyrdalan.

The Absheron Peninsula has a temperate semi-arid climate with warm and dry summers, cool and occasionally wet winters, and strong winds all year long. The peninsula is the most arid part of Azerbaijan (precipitation here is around or less than 200 mm (8 in) a year). The majority of the light annual precipitation occurs in seasons other than summer, but none of these seasons are particularly wet. The natural vegetation of the Absheron Peninsula is dry steppe and semi-desert. Due to the semi-arid climate, local agriculture requires irrigation.

Beginning in the 1870s, the Absheron Peninsula was the site of some of the world's earliest petroleum production. Much of the landscape remains scarred with rusting oil derricks. Despite serious problems with environmental damage and pollution, the Absheron is known for its flowers, horticulture, mulberries and figs. The northern coast has wide though less-than-pristine beaches which are popular local tourist attractions.

Wealthy people have settled in the Absheron Peninsula, including Robert Nobel and Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.

There are natural resources such as oil, lime, sand and salt in the peninsula. The peninsula has famous lakes like Masazir, Khojahasan and Boyuk Shor. Several ancient oil wells of the world are located in the Absheron Peninsula. Azerbaijan is in the first place for the variety of mud volcanoes in Absheron. 400 out of 800 mud volcanoes in the world are located within the Southern Caspian oil-gas basin as well as in the dry areas of Azerbaaijan and other islands in the water area of the Caspian Sea.

The main highways of the country are in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. These are the highways of Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Sea port, Baku Railway Station and others which connect the capital to other regions of the country. Major oil and gas pipelines go through here. Baku TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe–the Caucasus–Asia) is the major point of the international traffic corridor. Within this project, Azerbaijan participates in the re-establishment of the historic Silk Road.

A peninsula is a piece of land which has water on majority or in other words three sides of its borders. This means that peninsula is surrounded by water from three sides and it is connected to a mainland from one side from which it extends. It is said that Absheron peninsula forms the beak of giant eagle (Azerbaijan) stooping into the Caspian Sea.

Absheron Peninsula is almost the metropolitan area of Baku as the Peninsula consists of Baku City, Sumgayit and Absheron Rayon with center Khyrdalan.

Absheron Peninsula extends 60 km eastward into the Caspian Sea, and reaches a maximum width of 30 km. In the easternmost extension of the Caucasus Mountains, the landscape is only mildly hilly. In southeastern tip of the Peninsula there is a gently undulating plain that ends in a long spit of sand dunes which is known as Shah Dili, and this has been now declared as the Absheron National Park. Absheron Peninsula in this part is dissected by ravines and characterized by frequent salt lakes. The landscape is a land of hillocks and plains which has pylons, oil derricks, pools of oily effluent and also a wild life. So, when you are considering Places to visit in Azerbaijan, Absheron Peninsula may not be an immediately appealing place to go to. However that does not mean there is nothing. It has lot of things to offer and thus with lower expectation you can consider the peninsula region having some interesting Azerbaijan tourist places.

One thing is that Absheron is home to Baku. Apart from that this is also Azerbaijan’s one place with dozens of older mosques and many fast growing shrines which are being built here and then you can also witness some folk rituals here which may seem superstitious but they will raise your curiosity for sure. On the natural beauty front, Absheron, despite having serious environmental damage and pollution has flowers, horticulture, mulberries and figs. There are some beaches on the northern coast which are popular among locals. Absheron has some famous lakes as well such as Masazir, Khojahasan and Boyuk Shor. Variety of mud volcanoes are also part of the peninsula. There are near by villages around Absheron Peninsula. For traveler’s interest some interesting places of Absheron are Fire Temple, the Yanar Dag burning hillside, some beaches and several castle towers and ovdans hidden away in modestly interesting ancient villages. Absheron National Park on the southeastern tip of the peninsula is also a place of interest where you can see a great wildlife. The wildlife of the Absheron National Park includes a range of birds, foxes, jackals, tortoises and snakes. Over 50 types of mammals and birds live inside along with 25 species of plants. However to reach the national park you may require an organized tour or local guides otherwise it may be difficult to get there.

Absheron Peninsula is also a place contributing in the economy of the country. This was the first place where world’s earliest petroleum production started in 1870s. Even today much of the land remains scarred with rusting oil derricks. Natural resources like oil, lime sand and salt are found in the peninsula too.