Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are three bordering countries located in the South Caucasus region. They have different languages, different customs and traditions, but despite that, they have much in common and their histories intersected for centuries.
Maybe you’ve heard about the hospitality and amazing nature of the Caucasus and you’d like to experience it all yourself. We are sure you won’t regret if you choose this destination for your next holiday. And it will be ideal if you manage to visit these 3 countries during one tour. Thus you will be able to get the full idea of the way of life of the Caucasian peoples, their original traditions, and unique temperament, as well as admire different corners of the majestic mountainous nature.
In our article, we will tell you about Yerevan, Tbilisi and Baku – three ancient capitals of that region where antiquity interwines with modernity. You will learn about the most popular attractions of these cities and get lots of useful information.
Short tour about Yerevan
The history of Yerevan began exactly 2800 years ago, when King Argishti I ordered to build a fortress and called it Erebuni. The fortress turned into a city and became an economically and politically important center in the country, and in the XV century Erebuni, became the capital. The ruins of the Erebuni fortress and the cuneiform of King Argishti have been preserved to this day. In the museum of Erebuni, you can see the most ancient finds including jewelry, coins, clay dishes and weapons of Urartu kingdom.
The heart of Yerevan is the Republic Square which is surrounded by architectural masterpieces. The square itself is a combination of trapeze and oval figures. Five buildings are symmetrically located around the oval carpet with mosaic. The buildings of the square are built of pink and peach tuff. The facades are richly decorated with traditional ornaments. In the central part, there is the building of National gallery of Armenia and singing fountains. Every evening the show of singing fountains is held on the square.
From the Republic Square through the newly decorated Northern Avenue you cen get the Opera and Ballet Theater surrounded by a cozy rest zone. The avenue is a modern boulevard with interesting architecture, fashion boutiques, clubs and cafes.
The most impressive monument of the capital is the Cascade, a huge stone staircase built from milk tuff. Cascade with a well-groomed green alley and flowers is a favorite place for locals. Cafesjian Center for the Arts is located on the territory of the Cascade. This is a storage of unique pieces of modern art. The entire territory of the Cascade exhibits works of world-famous artists and you can see them for absolutely free.
Short tour about Tbilisi
From warm and hospitable Yerevan we are traveling to the no less hospitable Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It is one of the most colorful cities in the South Caucasus. On the one hand, there is the medieval architecture, on the other hand there are super modern buildings. The location of the city is simply perfect. The fertile plain is surrounded by picturesque ridges, the Kura River flows through the plain, plus there are sulfur springs on the territory of Tbilisi.
The heart of the city is Shota Rustaveli Avenue. Throughout the avenue, there are the main sights of the capital: the opera and Ballet Theater, the former parliament building, the blue gallery, etc.
The next stop in Tbilisi is Rike Park, that is considered the most modern and creative park. Throughout the territory, there are unique statues, benches, and beautiful compositions from bushes. The extravagant building of the theater of music in the form of a huge pipe immediately catches attention. From the park you can see the presidential palace built high on a cliff in the historical district of Havlabari.
From the park, the cable car leads to the Narikala Fortress. It is considered one of the most important and valuable historical places of Tbilisi. From the fortress, opens is a beautiful view of the Old Town and Rustaveli Avenue. According to the theory, the fortress was built simultaneously with the foundation of the city. On the territory of the fortress, there is a church of St. Nicholas, near the fortress there is the Botanical Garden, the statue of Mother Georgia and Bombora amusement park.
Short tour about Baku
Baku is the largest port city of the Caspian Sea, and the largest city of Transcaucasia. The city is considered a major oil-producing center, in addition, it is rapidly developing the machine building and metalworking industries. Baku is the largest industrial and cultural center of Azerbaijan with a large number of museums, art galleries, theaters, cinemas, etc.
The main attraction of Baku is the Old Town or Icheri Sheher. The old district is surrounded by high fortress walls, behind the walls there are the most important historical monuments of Baku. One of the main monuments of Icheri Sheher is the Maiden Tower or Gyz Galasy. The tower is 28 meters high and is divided into tiers that are connected by a spiral staircase. According to the theory, the tower was built in the pre-Islamic period. There were found ritual wells on the territory of the tower that belong to the pre-Islamic period.
In the Old Town, there is the palace of the Shirvanshahs that is the second popular historical monument. The gate of the palace is the main entrance to the old district of the city. The palace was built in the XV century, as the residence of Shirvan shahs. On the territory of the palace complex, there is a palace, a royal bathhouse, a burial vault, two mosques, a reservoir and the court Divankhana.
Among modern architecture and attractions, it is definitely worth to visit the Flame Tower. The towers are visible from any point of Baku and that’s because they are the highest skyscrapers in the city and in the whole country. Every evening LED screens of the facade of towers are lit. It is a fascinating show of flame and from afar it seems that there is a volcano erupted in the center of the city.
The post was contributed by Jhin Williams.
