The Alchemy of Pain

 

I came across a collection of poems, a book called “The Alchemy of Pain” by Reia N. “Alchemy” as the dictionary meaning goes is “a form of chemistry in the Middle Ages, which involved trying to discover how to change ordinary metals into gold”. The name itself is so intriguing that I was wondering, what “pain” has got to do with Alchemy? What pain can turn into or rather what pain can lead to? Whether an alchemist from Middle Ages is trying to take raw negative energy of pain (an ordinary metal) and alchemizing it into confident positive (gold) existence?
I must read the book!

Believe me I have never written about a book or reviewed any till date, but after reading this collection, or I may say, it is kind of memoirs of the pain & healing, I have to express, have to say something.

Who should read this collection? Everyone who can relate, connect, everyone who will not just acknowledge (sympathise) but honour, everyone who will not just be a spectator, but will rejoice & celebrate the win.

Readers, take my advice, read the book from “Dedication.” The poet makes it very clear that it is chronicle of her journey, her own unfiltered experience of suffering, healing & ultimately, transformation.

The moment I started the journey, holding author’s hand, the process of transmutation from nobody to somebody, from pain to recovery, to healing, from slavery to freedom, was unravelled for me.

The first step, one of the most crucial steps, the realisation of the bindings, chains. It is expressed in such an apt words:
….
“I hear the haunting echoes,
Of chains that clasp & gleam”

Then the resolve, rising from the deep within, to strain against the bindings, to break free :

“Yet within the soul’s cavern,
A spark ignites, unseen,
A whisper of defiance,
A vow to break the seam.”

and finally the success!!

“The chains that once confined me,
Now scattered at my feet “
….
The fight, the war, is far from over, rather it has just started. The mind is tied down for so long that it is unable to fathom what freedom is. All the courage & strength is used to break free but What’s next? She puts it simply

“It’s the hush after a scream,
Words trapped deep within,”
……

Filled with uncertainty, the whole truth is yet to dawn on her, for her to say something, she is unable to find the word to break the silence, which followed. The gap was not empty but filled with crisscrossed thoughts, sad memories of the past suffering, mind was crowded. As if after a long illness, we kind of forget, how to walk.
Then with realisation of truth, that chains are broken, as if there was illumination of thousand bulbs at a time, she becomes aware of her youth, her voice and long sought freedom. In her words:

“For the weight of silence heavy as stone,
Is shattered by the truth,
In the breaking, I’ve finally known,
My freedom, my voice, my youth”

Then,
“I take each echo gently,
And let it find its place,”
……

Despite all, it is not easy to move forward, memories of the past trauma keep coming back. The challenge was to face them without any self-pity or being miserable. All the sufferings, trauma of past has a role to play in shaping the present, has appropriate place in one’s life and it must be accepted gracefully, gently. Then only, one can be at peace with the past, and move forward confidently.
What comes next is a beautiful metaphor, “Shattered mirrors”. When in fear and pain one seeks help, support, and in the process unknowingly starts looking at oneself through the eyes of others, like a second hander. Every image that is seen is distorted and never close to reality. Like multiple images seen in pieces of broken glass, every image is yours, but none of them is you. Even if you put all of them together still it is not you. You are the one, who is standing and facing the world or the broken mirror. Realisation of this reality will take you miles ahead and kindle the spark within. The process of becoming whole, becoming one had begun:
….
“That in accepting all of me,
I have found deeper glow”
The inner strength, power to survive or the spirit will manifest itself only when put to ultimate test. Imagine you are in maze of tunnels with no light, absolute dark and you are looking for the light at the end of any of the tunnels. You know not, which way to go but with iron-will you keep going till the shade of black turns to grey and you realise you are there. The poet describes the moment nicely:

“I learnt even in the blackest hour,
That there is within me a hidden power,
To navigate the darkest maze,
And Walk into the Sun’s bright blaze”

It is obvious for everyone to show their best to others and hide behind facade of fake appearance. Scars and wounds are covered so deep and to such an extent that the fake appearance starts appearing real. It is captured in amazingly simple words:

…..
“They live beneath, where no one sees,
Amongst the roots of ancient trees”

Remembering the sordid past is like revisiting it, reliving the pain and suffering. Despite knowing it we tend to hold on to the sore wound too long, taking it deeper and making it more painful. Being uncertain about the future. In the bargain we stay put and don’t move, contradicting the principal characteristics of life, the mobility, to keep moving. Stagnant is over and dead. We feel guilty in letting go. Let go is not forgetting but not remembering, recalling, not reliving. Having faith in future, to move on. The poet puts it so nicely :

“The power lies in open hands,
In trusting life’s unfolding plans,
A strength that rises, pure and true,
In letting go, I found my new.”

The scars are red and not yet pale. Tears have barely dried and fears are still scratching the mind. Ankles can still feel the chill of bare metal. Shackles of doubt are twisting the mind. Shadows of past are looming dark. It takes time for the success to sink in, an effort to convince without conviction. It takes time to relearn to breathe a fresh. Time is the solution. In Reia’s words:

“Unshackled with time, from the fears that bound,
I move with ease, I’m safe, I’m sound!”
….

However tattered or battered you are, phoenix must rise through the rubble of war. The flight through adversity, finding the strength from within. The process once started has to conclude logically and emotionally as well. From dark to light. In her words, again worded beautifully:

….
“With wings of resilience, I take flight,
Through clouds of sorrow, into light!”

All along, what we have talked about is an internal battle, struggle internal to an individual, there may or may not be any overt signs, as all is happening in the mind. The process of healing, recovery is painfully slow and brings about subtle changes from within. Though very subtle they are profound. Resultant changes are apparent by way of ease with which one was facing the present, which was missing earlier, erstwhile challenges are no more challenging. The silence engulfing earlier was less of calm and more of storm. Post the subtle, profound changes the calm, peace rises from within and the individual can feel the radiance, glow in every part of his being. In her words:

“And though the world may never see,
These quite shifts inside of me,
I feel the weight I use to hold,
Grow lighter, as I become bold”

In majority of cases individuals try to get out of the storm, cyclone and get mercilessly turned and twisted by the storm. In my view author has travelled exactly in reverse direction, towards the eye of the cyclone. As the phrase goes "it is quite in the eye of the storm" she literally experienced it. She reached the “eye”, the soul, the spirit, which is always free and can never be tied, bound. The bondage is physical, in this context even the mind is physical, but the realisation of the same is very difficult. The turbulence is in peripheral, external layers of the mind. The poet seems to have gone deep inside pealing layers after layers of her mind till she reached her true self, the inner wisdom, the ever-free self, the bundle of throbbing happiness, rest is easy.

As rightly said by the poet, this collection is truly a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, where pain is not merely endured, but transformed into deeper self-understanding or enlightenment. It is a story of personal evolution, helping to become a more whole or integrated person in the end.

I will stop here and leave it to the readers to explore for themselves.
The book “The Alchemy of Pain” by Reai N. is available on Amazon / the E-book publishing store as Paper back as well as e-Book.

Link is as under

Amazon at: https://www.amazon.in/dp/9363302156/ref=sr11?crid=LQ235IKCLXL2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kBfK-CKUelZoaCS9mxosA.5IsZ0WyCr1YA4tbstBywdqNlDERzfp78EShZYmZH9JQ&dibtag=se&keywords=9789363302150&qid=1729047754&sprefix=9789363301146%2Caps%2C484&sr=8-1

 

E book version at: https://ebooks.bookleafpub.com/product-page/the-alchemy-of-pain-an-anthology-of-wounds-to-wisdom

Azerbaijan - Day 6

 

Day-6 01/11/24

Our flight out of Baku was at 11:35 am and the pickup had arrived on time. We observed that it was difficult to get parking on roads around the city and every time we had to walk with our baggage to the car. The driver’s name was Suleman and was very friendly and to our surprise he was very good in English. We had great chat with him on our way to the airport. Suleman had seen the bloody long war between Azerbaijan and neighbouring Armenian nationalists. 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (cop29) is scheduled to be held in Baku from 11 to 22 November 2024. Suleman was vocal about the challenges, city will face during cop29. How on the sidelines of cop29 there is likelihood of discussions putting an end to the conflict between Azerbaijan & Armenia. 55 county heads are expected in Baku for the event and he was hopeful that the other waring nations may follow Azerbaijan to end their conflicts the same way during those 10-11 days. He is family man and travelled across many countries. He was originally from Russia. It was a pleasant farewell and we left Baku discussing, how nice it would have been if he had accompanied us as driver/ guide during our entire travel.

Our trip to Azerbaijan was memorable one and an experience to be cherished!! 

Baku Airport:

Tips:

Russian and Azerbaijani are most used languages. Though a tourist place, English is not spoken fluently or understood.

Codes of behaviour are more traditional: take what might seem, the minor matter of wearing shorts - in Yerevan ( capital of Armenia), perfectly acceptable on both women and men, but in the Armenian countryside a no-no; in Baku now fashionable on men in informal situations, but in some other parts of Azerbaijan positively offensive!

Drinks: The national drink is cay (tea), usually served in pear-shaped armudi glasses along with lemon slices and sucked through a sugar lump for sweetness.

Bread is a sacred symbol of abundance and prosperity in Azerbaijani culture, and there are many traditions and customs associated with it. Bread is never to be wasted, and if you see it on the ground, you should pick it up, kiss it, and put it on a higher surface normally in tree branches.

Azerbaijanis will swear by bread in difficult situations, asking God not to deprive them of it. 

Lavash is a celebrated flatbread. It is so thin that it is almost transparent. In Azerbaijan and Iran, it is put on the bride's shoulders or crumbled over her head to wish the couple prosperity. In 2016, UNESCO inscribed the making of lavash on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

Tandir is a national bread. It is baked in a clay oven and eaten with almost any meal. It is usually eaten in the morning with white cheese and sour cream mixed with honey. 

The Manat (ISO code: AZN; sign: ₼; abbreviation: m) is the currency of Azerbaijan. It is subdivided into 100 gapik. The language(s) of this currency do(es) not have a morphological plural distinction. We paid around Rs. 50/- per AZN.  

We carried it from Pune from EBIX dealer. 

Metros are most efficient and the cheapest mode of transport (0.5 ₼) to any station and 2 ₼ for the metro card, which also works with well-connected public bus transport available in Baku. Metro Card loading machines do not return balance cash, use exact amount. 

Water is not served in any restaurant and all restaurants charge 10% service charges.

The water available in kitchen is said to be potable, but not advisable. If it had to be used then one must boil it before using. Purchasing water by bottle is around 1.5 ₼ for 1 liter. It is cheaper to buy 5 liter or bigger cans.

Most of the super markets are open 24X7. Alcohol is available in most of them and independent wine shops were not seen.

Though an Islamic country, most of the women are seen without hijab. Men and women prefer formal western style dressing. 

Pomegranate is the national fruit of Azerbaijan and number of vendors selling fresh Pomegranate juice are seen at all the places. It takes 4-5 pomegranate to make one glass of fresh juice and costs between 4 ₼ to 6 ₼ depending where you buy. 

Most restaurants and shops accepted FTC / Credit Cards. 

If you happen to pick up food from take-away joints please check the menu for pricing before you order. 

Azerbaijan - Day 5

 Day-5 31/10/24

The plan for our last day in Baku was to visit Old city,
Old City or Inner City (Azerbaijan: İçərişəhər - this also is the name for the metro station) is the historical core of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The Old City is the most ancient part of Baku, which is surrounded by walls. In December 2000, the Old City of Baku, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We decided to travel by metro as, İçərişəhər is just a station away from Sahil metro station, where we were staying and it is the terminal station on the Red Line (Baku metro has two lines Red and Green). We did not have a metro card to book our tickets. At station we were helped first by a police man and then by metro official to buy metro card (@ 2 ₼) and we were able to load 8 ₼ on card by inserting cash in the machine. The ticket to any place using metro was 0.5 ₼ per person and we were on our way to the Old City.

The metro is way deep underground (almost 10 stories) and a lot of security was around. We were informed on the platform that photography was strictly prohibited.
It was a smooth but noisy ride (carriages were making noise) and that reminded me of Virar fast.
After coming out from İçərişəhər metro station, close by, we found one of the entrances of old city.

We were welcomed by a bronze bust of poet Aliaga Vahid (1894 - 1965).

The information board read as under:

The master of gazels and sátyric poetry, Distinguished man of art (1943), Aliaga Mammadgulu Iskandarov (Vahid) was born in Baku. Born to be a poet, Vahid also did translations of Oriental writers' works info the Azerbaijani language. His first book "Fruits of Greed” was printed in 1916. His pen-name "Vahid" (meaning Unique) was given to him by a prominent poet of gazels in Baku literature world, Mirza Abdulxalig Yusif. The poet was buried in the Avenue-of Honour. The bronze bust of the poet is made by Rahib Hasanov, Natig Aliyev and Sanan Salamzadeh and this inimitable bust is also considered being "unique" in the art of sculpture.

Next, we came across the museum of miniature books established by the sponsorship of
Devon, BP, Statoyl, ACIP, LUKoyl, Sevron naphtha companies.  A board expressing the gratitude towards these companies is conspicuously placed at the entrance. The collection started as a private collection and now it has 9000+ miniature books from countries all over the globe. The museum started its operation on April 2, 2002. In 2015, the Museum of Miniature Books was presented the Certificate of the Guinness Book of Records as the largest private museum of miniature books, smallest being of the size of a thumb nail.
The books are organised in country wise shelves & cover most of the countries. There is no entry fee. We were happy to see Bhagwat Geeta, Hanuman Chalisa, and various shapes and sizes of Bibles and Quran. Museum curators said that they would be happy to receive any miniature books to add to their collection.

The pathways in the city are paved with stone and now lined with a number of shops and restaurants. Our next stop was Shirvanshah Sheykh Ibrahim - I. The entry fee for the palace was 15 ₼.

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING OF THE SHIRVANSHAHS

12th-15th centuries.
The construction of the residential building was started in the 12th century. The building was extended later during the 14th-15th centuries. It has two floors. The building's upper floor served as a living space for Shah's family. It reflects distinctive architectural techniques, characteristics of oriental palaces. The ground floor served the household needs of the palace.

The Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve "Icherisheher" welcomes you to the Shirvanshahs' Palace and offers multimedia guide at cost with you during your walk for those who want to delve deeper into the Palace's history. It tells the history and stories of the Palace, and lasts more than an hour.

The feudal kingdom of Shirvan was established in the 6th century. The first mention of the name Shirvan in writing, dates to the 7th century.
The Arabic historian Al-Masudi (9th-10th centuries) gives an idea about the range of the territory of Shirvan. At that time it extended from the Caspian Sea to the city of Gabala, north-west of Baku.
Borders of the provinces of Shirvan often changed due to conquests. But, in general, the territory ruled by the Shirvanshahs gradually grew over the centuries.
The construction of the Palace itself started in the 12th century. It was expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries during the ruling of the Shirvanshahs Ibrahim- I, Khalilullah- I and Farrukh Yasar.
You could spend few hours reading and seeing the old artefacts displayed in various rooms. The king’s throne or its remains are not seen. We got our answer when we came to the next board.
THE THRONE
The State of Shirvan was an arena of power struggles by various forces attempting to gain a rule over the territory. During the first half of the 16th century, all valuable and significant treasures were taken away from the Palace by conquerors.

The Shirvanshahs also hoarded a significant part of their treasures at the "Bughurt" tower in the town of Shamakhi. Unfortunately, these treasures were also plundered in 1538.

Hence, the thrones of the Shirvanshahs were neither preserved, nor were there any visual references confirming their appearance. It is only through the writings of the court poet, Badr Shirvani, that we know it may have been made of walnut timber, and was described as "..shining like gold".

The throne design and supporting information presented here was generated by The Prince's School of Traditional Arts (PSTA), UK, following historical research by Azerbaijani scientists. This is part of a joint project between the Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve "Icherisheher” and PSTA to promote the continued development of Icherisheher Centre for Traditional Arts (ICTA).

One of the main aims of the Centre is to develop and regenerate the traditional Azerbaijani arts and crafts through training talented young artists.  ICTA is located in the "Icherisheher". State Historical- Architectural Reserve, is the major part of the vision of its Administration for the preservation of the Old City of Baku as a Living History.

Thorne Room
The Throne Room was the centre of State representation. Badr Shirvani, the court poet, who lived here in the 15th century, described this space, and based on his work we can assume that the Throne Room was located here. The poet writes:
"It is blue as the sky and golden as the sun here. When light passes through the window to fall upon the ceiling full of decorative designs, the stars shine from within the blue glow of the dome."
The dome was lined with blue tiles, which appeared as a sky to the poet. Unfortunately, the Palace has fallen apart over time as it has been intruded and damaged by invaders several times. It is known from travel reports that the tiles of the dome, ceilings, floors and columns were removed and carried off by conquerors. The dome of the Throne Room was destroyed by the bombs of Russian imperial forces in the 18th century.
A two-year project to reconstruct the dome and its stalactite ornaments was finished in 2004.

On entry the traces of shooting are seen on strong stone walls. The board reads as under

TRACES OF SHOOTING
20th century
March 31st - April 2nd, 1918 Armenian Dashnaks committed the genocide of Azerbaijanis in many parts of Azerbaijan, including Baku. In the city of Baku, 12.000 innocent civilians felt victims to this massacre. The traces of the shooting you still can see on the Palace walls are silent witnesses of those tragic events.
After climbing a few tall stone steps, we came to the entrance of the palace building. On the right you see small coin museum where visitors are required to pay additional fees apart from entrance fee. 

The information board reads as:

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN IN ISLAMIC ART

Islamic art and architecture are timeless, universal, and exhibit the highest of beauty. They derive from the wedding of wisdom and craftsmanship and feature three principal decorative languages of symbolic content. These three decorative languages represent Knowledge, Love and Awe of the Divine respectively.

The Tomb of Shirvanshahs Family, built by Shirvanshah Khatitullah- I between 1435-1436 reveals the three decorative elements of Islam within its form. The Arabic inscription on the entrance facade sits above the various biomorphic plant designs around the arch spandrel.
Geometry is represented in both the hexahedral (relating to a hexahedron, which is a three-dimensional shape with six faces, straight edges, and sharp corners) cupola with geometric star design and the geometric stalactite vaulting system (muqarnas- is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below.) above the main entrance.
Geometric principles are also exhibited within the proportional systems of the building's design both in plan and elevation.

TOMB OF SEYID YAHYA BAKUVI
15th century
The tomb of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi is also known as "Dervish's Tomb." Seyid Yahya Bakuvi was the court's scientist at the palace of Shirvanshah Khalilullah- I.
Around 30 of his works with Sufi-mystic character have survived to the present day.

TOMB OF SHIRVANSHAH'S FAMILY
1435-1436
The tomb of Shirvanshah's Family was built for burial of Shirvanshah Khalilullah's mother Bike Khanim and his 6-year-old son Farrukh Yamin by the architect Mohammed Ali. Later, Shirvanshah Khalilullah- I, his wife Khanike Sultan and his sons Mohammed Ibrahim, Amir Bahram and Sheikh Saleh were also buried in this tomb.

We had our lunch at one of the restaurants (qadimi) in old city. Ordered for mixed qutab, saaj, mushroom soup. Everything was delicious.

DIVANKHANA / TOMB OF SHAH

15th century
Construction of one of the masterpieces of medieval architecture of Azerbaijan -Divankhana had remained unfinished due to political and historical situation. There are several conjectures about the purpose of the building. It could have served for official receptions and/or divan meetings - i.e. Shirvanshah's State Council. Some researchers believe that Shirvanshah Farrukh Yasar ordered the construction as the Shah's tomb.

Maiden Tower

The Maiden Tower (Azerbaijani: Qız qalası) is a 12th-century monument. Along with the Shirvanshahs' Palace, dated to the 15th century, it forms a group of historic monuments listed in 2001 under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments as cultural property, Category III. It is one of Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, and is thus featured on Azerbaijani currency notes and official letterheads. The Maiden Tower houses a museum, which presents the story of the historic evolution of Baku city. It also has a gift shop. 

The name is misnomer, what it really means that it was never conquered. Before receding of the shore line of Caspian Sea it stood guard to protect Old city in the event of invasion from sea. 

Our morning return trip to İçərişəhər (old city) had cost us 6 ₼ and left us with 2 ₼ on metro card. We decided to spend them. It was simple, add 4 ₼ to the metro card and have one more go at the metro. Evening we went to Sahil station and loaded 4 m to the card with our learnings from morning tuition. The machine accepts coins as well as currency notes.

We decided to visit monument of Nariman Narimanov and expected it to be somewhere near Nariman Narimanov, metro station, which is two stations away from Sahil and is a junction on Red & Green lines (this station is accessible on both the lines). The station was named after Nariman Narimanov, Soviet Azerbaijani revolutionary and statesman (1870–1925). We reached Nariman Narimanov station, close to it there is garden named after him. We expected to find the monument (statue) in the garden but to our disappointment we couldn’t find it. We didn’t have internet to search the location. It was surprising that nobody on the road or in nearby shops could guide us, may be English understanding was a problem. We decided to drop the idea and roam around the place. We found nice sweets shop named “Beyoglu Baklava” and Turkish owner who was friendly and could use Google translate to communicate. The shop was selling Baklava (A dessert made of milk-infused dough and a groundnut and honey filling) and Turkish delight (sweet role stuffed with various nuts). Both are Turkish sweets and we had our quota of generous testing and finished purchasing of both the sweets to take back home. On our way back to metro some of us wanted hot tea to counter the cold. A street side small joint was selling tea and other Azerbaijani cuisines. One of us floated the idea to try Plove-Azerbaijan's national dish, made with saffron-infused rice, dried fruits, with choice of meat. Order was to take a few minutes; in the meantime, we had nice chat with staff manning the outlet using their broken English and Google translator. The translator was useful in making choice of meat. They were friendly people. After getting our Plove packed and we had our cup of tea, the staff was interested in taking group photos with us, to that we merrily agreed and after that session parted happily with handshakes and goodbyes.

Google search back home, for Nariman Narimanov statue, we found, to get to the monument you need to use a bus №10 from the bus stop near the “Sahil” metro station. It will bring you directly to the “Nariman Narimanov Garden” bus stop. You can also use a bus №77 or 18. We were close but we are not destined to visit the monument. The description from search says the monument with water front is worth a visit.

Tomorrow we will say goodbye to Baku.

Azerbaijan - Day 4

 

Day-4 30/10/24

The day started with the breakfast brought in by the owner of the Villa we were staying in. Breakfast had boiled eggs, Tandir (flat Azerbaijani bread also called as Tandoor in English) , cheese, butter, sour cream, honey and freshly cut cucumber, tomatoes with a hot tea pot. When I looked at the plate with 5 boiled eggs and we were six, before I said anything, the owner made blown up sign with his hand, and “phoosh..” with his mouth, enough to explain what must have happened to the missing egg. We left the nice cool place at 9:30 am on our way back to Baku. On the way we were to visit Juma Mosque and Sheikh Diri Baba Mausoleum.

Samaxi: Şamaxı, or Shamakhi or Shamakhy city, is East-central Azerbaijan. It is located at 76 miles (122 km) West of Baku and is one of the oldest cities in the republic, dating from the 6th century AD, but the modern city was not incorporated until 1824. From the 9th to the 16th century, it was the residence of the Shirvan Shahs. There are numerous historical buildings, including a mosque and a mausoleum, which have been damaged by the frequent earthquakes. Şamaxı is now a centre of food industry and is especially noted for wines. 

A brocaded, flat-stitch carpet with mosaic-tile patterns is covering the area inside Juma mosque.

The Juma Mosque of Shamakhy was Constructed in 743.
It was seriously damaged in the aftermath of earthquakes of 1359 and 1902.
During the March genocide of 1918, Armenian Nationalists set this mosque on fire. In 2010-2013 it has been extensively restored and rebuilt in accordance with the decree of President Ilham Aliyev

SHEIKH DIRI BABA MAUSOLEUM (1402)
The Diri Baba Mausoleum is one of the most significant architectural monuments associated with the history of medieval Azerbaijan. This historical building located in Qobustan (pronounced as Gobustan) is protected by the state as an architectural monument of national importance. Along with the ancient cemetery, the caves around the tomb are considered a holy pilgrimage site for the population of the Shirvan region.
According to the epitaph on the Diri Baba Mausoleum, this monument was built in 1402 (805 in the Hijri calendar) by order of Shirvanshah Ibrahim - the ruler of the State of the Shirvanshahs (1382 1417). The inner wall of the tomb has the inscription 'Ustad bin Haci' (the son of master Haji).
This monument, which is located on the historical Silk Road, has attracted the attention of European diplomats and travellers visiting the Shirvan region for centuries. In the 17th century, the monument was visited by the European traveller Adam Olearius and the Ottoman traveller Evliya Chelebi, and in the early 18th century by Cornelius de Brun. Their engravings, drawn by experts, are valuable sources for the former appearance of the monument.

TRANSLATION OF THE HISTORICAL INSCRIPTION ON THE MAUSOLEUM
"In the period of the reign of the Greatest Ruler, the leader of the nations, the son of a king, grandeur of the world and religion in the reign of Sheikh Ibrahim Khan (may Allah grant kingdom and authority and glorify his power over the world). The inscription was written in Dervish in 805 AH (1402 AD)".

MYSTERIOUS CAVES
There are nine caves in the rock where the Diri Baba Mausoleum was built. Some of these caves are formed naturally, while others were created by people carving into the rock. Scientific research has shown that these caves were once used for both living and worshipping purposes. It is believed here were hidden passages between the caves which were closed by landslides later. We visited all the caves there wasn't anything but open spaces.

ANICIENT CEMETERY

Medieval cemetery near the Diri Baba Mausoleum contains several historic monuments which are excellent examples of the art, stone carving and engraving found in Azerbaijan. The inner edges were designed with engravings of various patterns and symbols, prayers from the Holy Quran, wise quotes, parts of different poems in various languages and many different ornaments.
Entry fee is 9 ₼ per person.

We walked out for lunch, across Nizami street to one restaurant named Biryani house. The Chef was Indian but was good at preparing Pakistani recipes. We had vegetable jalfrezi, mutton hundi, mutton biryani, roti, nan and sweet lassi. The food was reasonably priced.

We continued our walk towards Baku Funicular. Funicular is a cable railway system that connects two points on a steep slope using two counterbalanced carriages that move along a haulage cable system. It connects a square on Neftchilar Avenue and Martyrs’ Lane. It is the first and remains the only funicular system in the country. Length of railway track is 455 meters (1,493 ft). It consists of a single-track part and a passing place. Two coaches – BF-1 and BF-2 are exploited. Carrying capacity is about 28 people. It was a nice experience.
The funicular ticket one way is 1 ₼.

On reaching top it was cold and windy. We were at the base on flame towers, the business center. They are three in numbers and it is entirely covered with glass panes. As it starts getting dark the flame towers are lit up. We could see a panoramic view of Baku city spread around in half circle. Ideally if you manage to be there at sun set it will be great.

We came across The Mosque of the Martyrs (Azerbaijan: Şəhidlər məscidi), also popularly known as the Turkish Mosque. It is a mosque in Baku, Azerbaijan, near the Martyr’s Lane.
Construction started in 1990, financed by Turky. Now it is official residence of religious attaché of the Turkish embassy. On the front wall the 154th ayah from Al-Baqara chapter of Quran is written on the façade of the mosque in Arabic and Turkish:

"Do not say "Dead!" about those, who died for the sake of Allah No, they are alive! But you do not feel."

After coming down by Funicular we decided to walk up to Baku eye. Baku eye or Baku Ferris Wheel or Devil’s wheel is a slow-moving giant wheel in Seaside National Park on Baku Boulevard. The wheel is of 60 meters diameters with 30 cabins, each with capacity of 8 passengers. It gives beautiful view of the city in the evening. On one side there is a lotus shaped Deniz Mall (Caspian Waterfront Mall). It is another architectural highlight of the modern look of Baku (Azerbaijan). The shopping and entertainment mall has 70+ shops and restaurants. Water front is to your left and city lights on the right. The entry is 10 ₼ . It takes 20-30 minutes to complete one round. The movement is not much felt, unless one focuses on some stationary point.

We returned to our apartment in a taxi which was a 5-seater. Six of us somehow managed to get in. Paid 20 ₼ for the ride. It was a different kind of vehicle. Enjoyed the ride. 

Azerbaijan- Day 3

 Day-3 29/10/24

We decided to start early as our destination Qabala (pronounced as Gabala) was more than 200 KMs from Baku. On the way to Qabala we had planned to visit Durca Waterfall, Nohur lake andTufandag rope way.

We had our breakfast in one of the local restaurants. It was bread, omelette, shakshuka (meal of poached eggs in a simmering tomato sauce with spices) and Turkish black tea to go along with it. Tea was served in metal pot with long neck to pour in, pear shaped armudi glasses along with sugar cubes and toffee sweets to chew on, while seeping the tea. The pot of tea was more than sufficient, for six of us, having multiple rounds.

Durca waterfall is a small waterfall and the approach is by stone steps. Steps are steep and are not well maintained but one can reach the top. Most of us have seen bigger and more majestic waterfalls, in comparison this is very small. May be, the attraction of waterfall can be attributed to scarcity of water in general.

Azerbaijan inherited an extensive water supply system built during the Soviet era. However, the condition of the water system gradually deteriorated due to a lack of investment and deferred maintenance, resulting in a substantial decrease in the quality and reliability of the water supply service. Recently, with financing and knowledge support from the World Bank, Azerbaijan rehabilitated and reconstructed water and sanitation facilities across the country.

The next stop was at Nohur lake. Nohur Lake is one of the most popular and often visited natural attractions. Located about 5 KM East of the Gabala city, the lake is surrounded by the forests and high mountains called Yumru, Goydag and Gulluburun. The lake has boating facilities @30 ₼. Water is pristinely blue. It is a most picturesque site. One can easily spend an hour or so on the bank, soaking in beauty and the peace!

From Nohur lake we went to Tufandag hill resort. Tufandag offers skiing facilities with different difficulty levels & for others cable car is available to enjoy mysterious beauty of Great Caucasus Mountains. Tufandag invites you to this fascinating journey with 4 ropeways with a length of 5.8 km. At some points the climb is so steep that one does not feel that the cable car will reach the top, but it is a smooth run. On top we found fresh snow indicating possibly seasons first snow fall had happened recently. We took quite a few photos on the picturesque background. All of us had good time. Journey back to bottom was smooth.

The tickets are 19 ₼ per pax.

The villa we stayed in at Gabala.

The village is sleepy place; people are laid back. We found many of them chatting, smoking basking in the evening sun at road corners. All were wearing black jackets. By evening we reached the villa where we had our reservation. It was a nice place with three bedrooms and big hall with dining. The place was kept comfortably warm with heaters (outside temp was 8° C & the weather app on our mobiles announced that, it would dip down to 4° C by early morning. We visited local super market operated by friendly lady. The communication was monosyllabic & by using sign language. At the end we managed to get what we required for our dinner. We had Azerbaijani flat bread (Tandir - Tandoor, or Fasali- Feseli), yoghurt, butter, eggs, black paper. The cost was less than 15 ₼.

We had good sleep.

Azerbaijan - Day 2

 Day-2 28/10/24

Left for Gobustan at 10:30 am. Azerbaijan has more mud volcanoes than the total number of mud volcanoes of all other countries put together. The tourist vehicle took us to a point from where dirt road starts. We are required to change vehicle at this spot. The alternate vehicles were small cars with manual controls and most of them are of Russian make. Drivers were friendly. The charges were 40 ₼ (AZN: manat) for a car with three passengers. We had two cars for six of us. It takes around half an hour to reach mud volcanoes. The dirt track is very challenging and to negotiate ups & downs, twist & turns all the skill and expertise of seasoned driver is required.

It is an unusual site with dark grey mud, which appears to be boiling (bubbling) in small to large mounds formed by the overflowing mud. The cause of bubbling can be Sulphur dioxide or methane gas, but you cannot smell it anywhere. One of the drivers used lighter to burn the oozing gas from one of the volcanoes.  To our surprise mud was absolutely cold to touch and had soft, silky feel and became hard as it dried up. It was difficult to wash the mud from our fingers. One may see videos on social media of tourists taking mud bath in mud pools, we did not come across any such large mud pools. We saw small to big mud mounds spread across a very vast span of arid land but even the big one had comparatively small aperture. Visitors were carrying the mud in bottles to possibly try mud pack after reaching their hotels/ place of stay. We did not carry any mud bottles with us.

On our way back we visited Gobustan Rock art museum. (Petroglyph Museum Gobustan - State Historical and Cultural Reserve) is located west of the settlement of Gobustan, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of the centre of Baku. It was established in 1966  to preserve the rock carvings, and musical stones, when the area was declared a national historical landmark of Azerbaijan. 

Most likely, ancient inhabitants of Gobustan used Gavaldash stones as a musical instrument. (The "Mystery of Gavaldash" is quite simple: the marks on the stones show that they were struck in places that protruded in some way into the air, and could thus reverberate in such a way, that when this porous limestone was hit, one could hear various sounds). The musical stone is right at the entrance of the museum.

Gobustan Rock Art museum has more than 6,000 rock carvings, (some 100+ are opened for visitors), which depict people, animals (cattle, goats, horses), battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances, camel caravans, Sun, and stars, on an average dating back to 5,000-20,000 years. Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve acquired national status in 2006, and Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 2007. 

On the way out from Gobustan Rock Art museum one woman was selling Qutab (Kutab). Qutab is an Azerbaijani dish made from thinly rolled dough that is cooked briefly on a convex griddle known as Saj. It is stuffed flatbread with filling, like stuffed paratha we make. The choice for filling can be unlimited. We had Cheese filling with some fresh herbs served hot. It is a delicacy and a must taste.

We returned to Baku at around 3 pm. We had our late lunch at Dolma restaurant (Dolma is also a name of traditional Azerbaijani dish, a dish of stuffed vegetables or leaves that originated in Turkey, Iran, and other regions. Dolma is typically made with a filling of rice, minced meat, offal- (the heart and other organs of an animal, used as food), seafood, or fruit, wrapped in a vegetable or leaf). All of us were keen on having local Azerbaijani cuisine. Dolma, the place is quite inconspicuous from the road and identified by a small board. We had to walk down few steps to come across long stone corridor with small dining halls accommodating four to six tables with 6-8 chairs each. Ambience was impressive with round colourful glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, which was low. The whole appearance is that of well lit, decorated barracks or stone cellars. We were led to our table by waiter traditionally dressed with warm welcoming smile.

We had Tomato soup, Dolma (usually consumed with bread), Lamb pilaff with chestnut, apricots, vegetables and rice, local draft beer, Piti-served in conical earthenware Dobu (pot)  and Kunafa for dessert. Dolma, we had, were like round dumplings with minced lamb meat wrapped in mushroom and grape leaves and steamed.   

EATING PITI
All you can see in the conical earthenware Dobu (pot) is a lump of lamb fat floating lugubriously in broth. Don't panic! Before eating anything, start by tearing up pieces of bread into a separate bowl. Sprinkle with sumac (the purple condiment you'll see on the table) and then pour the Piti broth over the top. Eat the resultant soup as a first course. Then transfer the remaining Piti solids to the dish and mush together using spoon and fork. Yes. Including that lump of fat. Without it, the dish just will not taste right. Another sprinkling of sumac and your 'second course' is ready to eat.

                                                                                            

SERVING KUNAFA & PITI

Kunafa is made from Kataifi, which is shredded phyllo (flour) dough. This shredded dough is spread onto a pan and stuffed with either cheese or ashta (thickened cream), baked, then drizzled with simple sugar syrup and garnished with pistachios or ice cream.

Piti, served in conical earthenware Dobu (pot).

The total bill was 150 ₼ for 6 of us. Cheaper than the earlier day and with more variety.

The waiter’s name was Nomic. When asked what he was doing he said "it's surprise (pronounced as "suprais"). He had spirit (pronounced as "sprit") lamp to bake the dough. He poured sugar syrup and allowed it to cook and then spread vanilla ice cream on top and served hot.

It was Delicious!!

The restaurant was close to the apartment and post lunch we chose to walk back. We walked down the Nizami street. Nice walk, street is like a shopping plaza having outlets of international brands and with quite a few restaurants, many of them served Indian & Pakistani cuisine and staff from those restaurants mostly Pakistani were approaching passing tourists, requesting in Hindi or English to try cuisine from their restaurants. Happy crowd was mingling leisurely around in vacation mood.

It was a beautiful evening. The day was long and filled with lot of excitement including the food and beer. We came back to the apartment. After late and heavy lunch none of us had any appetite for the dinner and preferred to rest.

 

Azerbaijan - Day 1

Day-1 27/10/24

We had heard about Azerbaijan as a tourist place from few of my wife’s friends. She along with our friend in Goa planned a trip to Azerbaijan, we were six of us. The plan was for 6 days including the days of travel. We got the help from an agency to do the required air-line bookings and the local transport after reaching the destination. The places of stay at various locations were finalised by the young members of the family and off we went, me and my wife from Pune and 4 of them from Goa.

We were to meet at Sharjah and continue together till the end of the trip. 

We reached Baku at 11am on scheduled time via Sharjah by Air Arabia. For two of us our first flight from Mumbai to Sharjah was delayed by some 50 minutes and we were the last to board on flight to Baku the capital of Azerbaijan. The way we were whisked to board the flight, was like a nail-biting finish, in any sports event with equal adrenaline rush. Our friends breathed a sigh of relief as they were already boarded and anxiously waiting for us to show up.  Thus, it was a dramatic start for our trip to Azerbaijan.

We had our reservation for two days at Kings Apartments on 6th floor, at Sahil metro station. (The Apartment is built on underground metro station). The apartment was spacious and looked welcoming but for the available services and the behaviour of the company staff. I would strongly recommend checking through multiple sources for reviews before booking any such apartments and certainly, not the one we stayed in.    

We had our lunch at xilə bagevi or xilə bag-evi the restaurant, recommended by our driver. He was to be with us during our stay in Azerbaijan. We ordered mixed kebab with mutton & chicken, which was served with saffron rice. As the most favourite of the restaurant, we ordered Shahi pilaff with chicken. The shahi pilaff was served wrapped in round cake shaped crispy chapati with garnishing of pomegranate seeds. (~204 ₼ including service charge). 

It was cut open ceremoniously exposing steamed saffron rice with tender chicken pieces.
After sumptuous, bit expensive lunch at xilə bagevi or xilə bag-evi we planned to visit two places one was Yanardag (Mountain of fire -Yanardag ), and Atesgah (Fire Temple).

Yanar Dag is a small ever-burning natural fire-vent on mountain side/ slope. Yanar Dag is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. As long as there's gas, the flames keep burning. This has been going on for centuries, making Yanar Dag a fascinating and unique sight and a must visit place at Baku. It features a 10-metre wall of fire that burns continuously along the edge of a hill. If you are lucky, you may get to see flames as tall as 3 meters. The surrounding is pleasantly warm considering the cold weather. Most of the tourists including us had selfies and took photographs of each other on the background of burning fire, we also had our share.

The unique Suraxant: Fire temple (Atasan Mabadi) - 18th-century fire temple, whose centre piece is a flaming hearth, above which, arches a pillared stone dome with four side flues. These flues also spit dragon breath but only on special occasions, notably the four Tuesdays leading up to Novruz. The fire altar sits in a roughly triangular courtyard surrounded by simple stone cellars of former devotees with well over a dozen, now hosting a well-explained museum. Allow around an hour to see it all. Although the site was originally a place of worship for Zoroastrians, the fortified complex we see today was built by 18th-century Indian Shiva devotees & that explains one of the cellars having Ganesh idol and in another recording being played of ॐ गं गणपतये नमः (Om Gam Ganapataye namaha), and a Yagnya. Other cells are having traditional dresses of Zoroastrian male, some old artefacts.

We returned to apartment. We were tired due to our journey from Mumbai and Goa respectively. The flights for both families were at wee hours on the same day and were forced to spend sleepless night. We decided to have light dinner and retire to bed early.

The next day we had plans to visit mud volcanoes. None of us had seen one before and all of us were excited to start the next day.