Discovering Azerbaijan through the Lens

A spring road trip from Baku to the mountains and plains – exploring people, culture, and everyday life

Workshop of a traditional coppersmith in the mountain village Lahic, Azerbaijan.

In spring 2025, my brother Wolf and I set off on a journey through Azerbaijan — an annual tradition we’ve kept up for years. This time, our travels took us to a country that blends deep-rooted traditions, modern architecture, and a striking contrast between urban and rural life.

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The 'Three Flames', sky scrapers in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. Azerbaijan is a major petrol and gas producer. Over half of its GDP is based on these fossil products.

I was struck by the economic contrast between the capital and the countryside. Here, a repurposed industrial tank serves as an unconventional dwelling in a rural setting, showcasing unique creativity against the backdrop of rolling green hills.

Great news for street portrait photographers: Azerbaijan is full of interesting characters, and people are generally open to being photographed. During our random stops throughout the country, we discovered that people were incredibly welcoming. They were curious about us, gave us tours of their property, and even brought their family members for us to photograph.

Our trip began in the capital city, Baku, where we visited major attractions like the atmospheric old town (Içəri Şəhər), the futuristic Heydər Əliyev Center, the iconic Flame Towers, and the visually striking Carpet Museum. We explored the grand Şirvanşah Palace, the fire-worshipping Atashgah Zoroastrian Temple, and the serene Bibi-Heybat Mosque. One fascinating stop was Yanar Dağ (burning mountain) – a hillside where flames have been burning continuously for centuries, fed by natural underground gas.

Outside Baku, we ventured to the surreal Candy Cane Hills with their striped rock formations, the bubbling mud volcanoes, and the remarkable Gobustan National Park, home to prehistoric rock carvings. Driving westward in our rental car, we left behind the arid, oil-producing coastal regions and crossed the dry Niyal Mountains into lush green plains.

Colourfully striped Candy Cane Hills. It was not a rare sight to find cows on their own along the side of the road.

A highlight was our visit to Lahic, a remote mountain village known for its cobbled streets and traditional coppersmiths. We stopped in Ismailli and crossed its thrilling hanging bridge. But most memorable were the spontaneous stops at roadside restaurants and cafés, where curious and welcoming locals approached us with broad smiles and open gestures. While we couldn’t communicate verbally — English was rarely spoken outside tourist areas — non-verbal communication worked surprisingly well and often led to unexpected moments of connection.

The local language, Azerbaijani (Azeri), a Turkic language closely related to Turkish, was spoken everywhere. Communication in English worked well in hotels and tourist centers, but was rare in smaller towns and villages.

Baku surprised us with its cold, blustery wind, while the western regions grew hot by midday. Surveillance cameras dotted nearly every highway — we quickly learned they were more than just a safety measure. Despite our careful driving, we somehow averaged more than one traffic fine per day. Fines arrived electronically within two hours at the car rental company.

As a photographer drawn to people and the visual curiosities of everyday life, I found Azerbaijan to be full of expressive faces, intriguing gestures, and compelling street scenes. Most Azerbaijanis were not only open to being photographed but delighted to take part — often calling over friends or family to join. I used my Nikon mirrorless camera to capture these spontaneous, genuine moments and later shared the portraits with our new acquaintances via WhatsApp or email.

Good-bye, Azerbaijan.

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Azerbaijani Place Names:

• Baku – Bakı

• Old Town – İçəri Şəhər

• Heydar Aliyev Center – Heydər Əliyev Mərkəzihttps://www.ralfsteinberger.com/blog/categories/travel

• Flame Towers – Alov Qüllələri

• Carpet Museum – Azərbaycan Xalça Muzeyi

• Shirvanshah Palace – Şirvanşahlar Sarayı

• Fire Temple – Atəşgah

• Yanar Dagh – Yanar Dağ (burning mountain)

• Bibi-Heybat Mosque – Bibiheybət məscidi

• Gobustan – Qobustan

• Candy Cane Hills – Qırmızı Dağlar (unofficial/local)

• Lahic – Lahıc

• Ismailli – İsmayıllı

• Niyal Mountains – Niyal dağları