We last left off in the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan’s infamous exclave, on a trip I nearly missed altogether because I overslept the morning of my flight. Join me now as we embark on a wild adventure where ancient legends meet the blazing heat of a tough hike. We’ll explore mysterious biblical sites, have some serendipitous run-ins with fellow travelers, and even throw in a touch of nudity. 😆
As I wandered through the rugged terrain of Nakhchivan and its legendary landmarks, I found hidden gems that mix amazing history with stunning beauty. The adventure continued in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, where I experienced a striking contrast between ancient heritage and modern vibrancy. Follow along as I share the thrill of hiking to the spot where Noah’s Ark supposedly landed, discovering a Machu Picchu look-alike, and soaking in the sights of the world’s largest landlocked exclave.
Noah’s Ark in Nakhchivan
While in the region, I couldn’t miss seeing the biblical mountain that Noah’s Ark supposedly touched when it reached dry land. I learned that the name “Nakhchivan” comes from Persian or Arabic roots which mean “landing” or “descent,” suggesting that this is where Noah’s Ark came to rest and the survivors of the great flood descended to dry land.
While the Bible states that Noah’s Ark came to rest at Mount Ararat, it is believed that first, the ark touched Mount Hachadag, a 1,000-meter-high volcanic protrusion that believers say was sculpted by its impact with the legendary ark.
The full climb up there takes about eight hours and is extremely strenuous, so I decided to forgo the ascent. Even without the climb, it was impressive to see this biblical place up close.
According to local legends, Noah lived the rest of his life in Nakhchivan after guiding the ark to safety from the flood. Back in the city, they have a mausoleum for Noah, located where they say he spent his finals days and his body is supposedly buried. I’ve already visited at least a handful of countries that claim to house Noah’s tomb, so I didn’t put too much stock into that claim, but I enjoyed exploring this awe-inspiring biblical site. 😌
Machu Picchu’s Doppelganger
Nearby, we visited another impressive rock with a fortress built on it, called Alinja. It’s known as the “Azeri Machu Picchu” because it closely resembles the famous ruins in Peru. The difference is that it’s way less humid, so it’s far less green. Despite the lack of greenery, the structure bore an uncanny resemblance to Machu Picchu, although it was obviously built by ancient Armenians rather than the Incas.
I went there with a boy from Baku, who was the nephew of my guide Emil. He joined us mostly to practice his English. We had a nice chat about Azerbaijan and his life in Baku. He was full of questions about where he might emigrate and whatnot, so we enjoyed talking a bit as we climbed.
Despite taking the easy route to the top to avoid the full ascent, there was still a ton of walking to do when I arrived at the fortress. With over a thousand steps, the climb was especially challenging in the heat. We had taken a car up as far as we could, but then we had to climb up, up, up the thousand steps in the blistering sun.
Even when I reached the highest step, I climbed a little further up the mountain to get a better view. The views were amazing in every direction. I could see all of Nakhchivan, the small Caucasus range, and many lizards running all over the place, seeking shade to avoid the heat. Luckily, we were treated to a nice breeze that day that helped us cool off.
In nearly record time, we climbed up, explored a bit, and made our way back down again. We enjoyed some nice tea by the side of the road before continuing on our way to the southeast of Nakhchivan.
Flirting with the Border
First, we headed directly south to Nakhchivan’s southwestern border with Iran, where we saw another cute little mosque or mausoleum.
This was a secured military area so I couldn’t take many pictures, but I managed to snap one about 200 meters after we passed the mosque. 📸 There was one street beyond that, and then a small border river, with Iran on the other side.
From our vantage point near the border, we could see Iranian cars driving by on the other side of the river, and we saw a watchtower in the distance. No one was in the watchtower, but it was interesting to see this side of the totalitarian country.
While Azerbaijan shares some similarities with Iran, such as being authoritarian, it is relatively more liberal, especially regarding issues like women’s rights. After cruising along the border with Iran, I was ready to experience the contrast firsthand as I headed to Nakhchivan’s most religiously tolerant city.
Harmonious Ordubad
We headed southeast, driving along the Iran border for quite a while until we reached Ordubad, a lovely town with some Armenian history. Nestled in the mountains, Ordubad’s geographical isolation prevented it from being invaded, allowing it to develop a unique culture and a slightly different architectural style compared to the rest of the country.
Ordubad is considered a center of religious tolerance and multicultural harmony. I noticed that its mosques looked distinct from others I have seen, and my guide pointed out that this is one of the few places in the world where mosques do not have minarets. The mosques also depicted two lions, which my guide said is generally prohibited in Islam but is permitted here.
We stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant there in Ordubad, where I enjoyed delicious barbecue made from great local meat and amazing organic vegetables. Honestly, they probably had some of the best tomatoes and pickles I’ve ever eaten.
After that, we walked a bit further and came across another mosque. This one was not fancy, just a simple, humble structure, which according to the Quran, is just how Allah would have wanted it.
As I wandered around, I enjoyed observing the locals’ daily lives. We passed through old alleyways only accessible by foot or horse, as they were too narrow for a car to pass through. We saw a nice canal system filled with fresh mountain water, and an array of fruits growing, such as walnut trees and vineyards heavy with grapes. The scenery was beautiful, and I was glad to have the chance to explore.
A Jaunt Through Jolfa
After wandering around Ordubad, we were ready to head to Jolfa, the big town that borders and shares a free zone with Iran. The town has the same name on both sides of the border.
While there, we visited the Daridag thermal baths up in the mountains, where I had no intentions of taking a bath myself. I just wanted to take a short walk around to see where the thermal water flows from the earth. I checked that out, then went to see the thermal bath, which is basically a room with a swimming pool that the thermal water flows into.
While I hadn’t planned on taking a dip, I couldn’t refuse one when it was offered. I didn’t have a swimsuit with me, so I went in completely naked. 😏 I hung out enjoying the warm water for 10 or 15 minutes. It was a nice and relaxing place to enjoy a short soak, especially after my long hike and all the walking through the city. The water was pretty hot though, especially on such a hot day. It wasn’t unbearably hot, but it did start to get uncomfortable after about 10 minutes.
I got dressed again after my bath, and then we drove all the way back to the town of Nakhchivan.
A Missed Meetup
Already, my time in this region was nearly over. I had just two days in Nakhchivan, and they were jam-packed with sightseeing.
When we got back to town, we went to an amusement park with an old Soviet Ferris wheel. The amusement park had some nice cafes and excellent Turkish ice cream. 😋 We hung out there for about an hour and I enjoyed a refreshing ice cream before heading to the airport to catch my flight to Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital city.
One detail I didn’t mention in my rush to catch the flight from Istanbul to Nakhchivan earlier was that just as I was boarding the plane, two Germans standing in front of me in line looked back and recognized me.
“Hey, Christoph!” The strangers said. “Aren’t you an MTP?”
MTP is the “Most Traveled People” club. As a ranking member, I’m in a WhatsApp group for the club. It turns out they were both members of the group too. They were also on their way to Nakhchivan, and asked whether I was going to “the meetup.” I asked which meetup they were referring to because I hadn’t heard about anything. 🤔
Now that I was on my way to Baku, I knew about the meetup of 35 other frequent travelers visiting the region. They were actually heading to Karabakh, the liberated territories I visited about two years ago but never wrote about. I’ll touch back on that a little later. Anyway, I hadn’t heard about the meetup until the Germans on my flight mentioned it, but I wrote to a few people afterward and found out that there was indeed a meetup I could join.
Unfortunately, my flight to Baku was too late for me to make it. It was set to land at 9:45 pm, and from there, it was a 40-minute drive to town. Apparently, a lot of people at the meetup had to wake up at 3:30 in the morning, so they went to bed early. By the time I got there, practically everyone was already gone. I was disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to meet up with other extreme travelers like myself.
Luckily, I was still able to meet up with billionaire Luis Amaral, my main sponsor as an MTP. I joined him for drinks at his hotel, Flame Towers. We enjoyed a nice view of the city, and since I hadn’t had dinner yet, I ordered a juicy steak along with my cocktails. I had a good talk with Luis, catching up on our latest travels, before we decided to call it a night.
A Brief Time in Baku
The next evening, I was going to fly to Indonesia, but I still had one more full day, or at least until 7 pm, in town. Although I’d been to Azerbaijan before, I had never really visited Baku. I mentioned earlier that two years ago, I visited the liberated territories in Karabakh. While there, I took a helicopter to see some oil platforms out on the Caspian Sea. I also went to the north of the country to visit a Jewish settlement near the Russian border. I hadn’t had time to visit Baku properly on that trip, and I’d heard that it’s a nice city, so I wanted to see it for myself.
I planned to visit some UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Baku, but it turned out that I messed up my timing. I had a bunch of consulting calls scheduled for that day, so I had to skip the tour. I plan to return to Azerbaijan anyway, maybe even with my own car next time, so I wasn’t too upset to miss out on the tour. Instead, I mostly stayed at my hotel, took my consulting calls, and then flew to Indonesia in the evening when I finished my work.
My calls were scheduled to start at 10:30 am, so I woke up early enough to take a nice walk through Baku on my own. After breakfast at the hotel, I walked all around the center of Baku to see the old town, the palace, a nice view of the Flame Towers, the carpet museum, and many of the futuristic buildings they have around town.
I enjoyed seeing a bit of the city for a few hours before walking back to my hotel. After that, I had a full day of work waiting for me. Although my exploration of Baku was brief, I thought it showcased a cool mix of the ancient and the modern, and I enjoyed my little early morning walk through the city.
That evening after work, I was set for my flight to Indonesia. As my whirlwind tour of Nakhchivan and Baku wrapped up, I reflected on the unique blend of history and adventure I’d experienced, from hiking ancient fortresses to soaking in thermal baths and meeting fellow travelers. Now I’m already off on the next adventure in Indonesia! Stay tuned for more travel tales from around the globe.
