I recently explored Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia over a three-week period. Here are my top impressions:
Baku: Oil Money and New Flames
Baku hits you like a Mercedes-Benz wrapped in a Persian carpet. I confess I had close-to-zero familiarity with Baku until I touched down at the modern airport. I was blown away by the architecture, which quickly came into focus on my drive into Azerbaijan’s capital. Fueled by an ambition to put the city on the global map and funded by oil wealth, Baku has emerged as an architectural powerhouse. The capital city is what would happen, I suspect, if Dubai and Istanbul had a baby. Last month Baku hosted COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, further putting the city on the world stage.
This bold architecture creates a contemporary backdrop to a city that has Silk Road mystique. Baku’s signature statement piece isn’t subtle – three flame-shaped skyscrapers that dominate the skyline like giant blue-glass torches. At night, thousands of LED screens transform the buildings into actual flickering flames, a hypnotic display visible from almost anywhere in the city. Architects drew inspiration from Azerbaijan’s history as a land of fire worshippers, creating what amounts to a 21st-century temple to flame.
The Flame Towers are seductive, but the Heydar Aliyev Center is pure architectural poetry. The late Zaha Hadid’s masterpiece seems to defy physics – a vast white structure that appears to have been shaped by wind, all curves and flowing lines without a single straight edge in sight. The building’s smooth white surface appears like a cresting wave and is most stunning at dusk. I visited the Center twice, because when a building is this graceful, once is not enough.
Then there’s the Carpet Museum, which surprisingly takes the imaginative form of a rolled-up carpet. The building’s facade mimics the texture and patterns of traditional Azerbaijani carpets, complete with elaborate fringe details at the base. This is architectural wit executed at grand scale, proving that even serious cultural institutions can have a sense of humor.
Kazbegi: A touch of heaven?
If Baku dazzles with architectural flash, next door in the Republic of Georgia the defining impression is subdued spirituality. Georgia has one of the world’s richest concentration of churches dotting its mountainous landscape. Some of Georgia’s most significant churches date to the 6th century and were built in remote locations on hilltops or carved into cliff faces. That they’re still standing, after centuries of violent and often repressive history, is a miracle.
In my 10-day visit to the country, I meaningfully visited about two dozen of these inspiring sanctuaries. My favourite is at Kazbegi, a small mountain town in the highlands of northern Georgia, where getting there is as memorable as the destination. It’s a full day’s drive into the mountains on the scenic but slow Georgian Military Highway. As my vehicle wound its way up the serpentine road, the main commercial artery between Russia and the South Caucasus, we encountered multiple bottlenecks ‒ too many large vehicles trying to squeeze into tunnels that couldn’t accommodate all the traffic. The rugged alpine landscape grew increasingly dramatic as we passed ancient fortresses, turquoise lakes and Soviet friendship monuments.
I didn’t expect the majesty ‒ yes, that’s the right word, majesty ‒ of Gergeti Trinity Church. Perched beneath the towering snow frosted Mount Kazbek, this iconic 14th-century monument seems to defy both gravity and logic. Taking in the magnitude of this valley, I began to understand why Georgian Orthodox Christians consider this a sacred place. The hike up took about an hour and rates as one of my top experiences in the country, in part because I encountered few others along the way. But the serenity didn’t last long. Although my October visit is considered end-of-season, this does not imply quiet. The Church was overrun by tourists, most of whom chose to ride up in vehicles.
If Kazbegi offered a touch of heaven, Gori, the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, went the other way. The Stalin Museum, housed in an opulent building, provides a curated, though not fully balanced, narrative of the life and legacy of one of history’s most notorious tyrants. We visited Stalin’s childhood home and walked through his personal train carriage, both of which are on the grounds of the museum. I learned that Stalin began his training as a priest in the Georgian Seminary (Oh, the irony). The visit to Gori made my previous day’s pilgrimage to Kazbegi even more heavenly.
Armenia: A Collective Memory
What strikes me most about Armenia is its deep history. This is a place that puts a new perspective on “old”. Yerevan, the capital, predates Rome and celebrated its 2,806th birthday during my visit. The country is the cradle of Christianity with the world’s oldest cathedral, the world’s oldest known leather shoe and the oldest winery. The distinct Armenian alphabet is a youthful 1,700 years young. Armenia has a collective memory to match this pedigree. Which makes the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex strike a deep chord.
Situated on a hill in Yerevan, this memorial complex pierces the sky with its soaring spire. The lengthy approach allows visitors a solemn moment to brace for the poignant experience ahead. At its heart, an eternal flame flickers amidst 12 inward-leaning slabs, symbolising the unity of the Armenian people in ensuring the memory of the 1915 genocide endures. There are no graphic displays, no attempts to shock. Instead, the architecture itself speaks of loss. Everything here serves to remind and remember.
The Armenian Genocide claimed 1.5 million lives and is the first documented ethnic cleansing of the 20th century. This year I have visited three countries ‒ Rwanda, Cambodia and Armenia ‒ scarred by devastating mass atrocities of the past century. What’s striking is each has distinct characteristics but all share tragic parallels. It’s heartbreaking that “never again” has become a phrase we repeat all too frequently.
The Caucasus are a region of contrast and complexity, old and new. Baku’s flashy modernity, Kazbegi’s timeless spirituality and Armenia’s collective memory, tell the story of a fascinating region where history is not past but present.
How I Travelled: I visited the Cacusus at end-of-season in late September and October. I experienced mostly glorious weather, and yielded two fringe benefits: beautiful Autumn colours, and wedding season in Georgia and Armenia, which enlivened some of the churches. Visiting the Caucasus can be complex and time-consuming. Travel between Georgia and its neighbours is straightforward, but all land borders and ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan are closed. For this reason, how you sequence your journey matters. I began my trip in Azerbaijan, continued to Georgia and finished in Armenia. Although I am a fiercely independent traveler, sometimes joining an organised tour is the most efficient way to maximise the experience and minimise the logistical headaches. I joined the British adventure travel company Explore’s ‘Best of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia’ tour. This itinerary provided the optimal mix of the region’s greatest hits in a three-week period. I supplemented this trip with extra time at the starting and end points, Baku and Yerevan.
Emirates (and their sister carrier flydubai) connect the three Caucasus capitals of Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan with Phuket via Dubai. The visa situation? It’s also complicated. Travel Sherpa is the best resource for current immigration requirements. Most nationalities will need to apply in advance for an eVisa and eCustoms declaration to enter Azerbaijan.
Adventurer and author Todd Miller has explored more than 100 countries on all continents. His Amazon bestseller ‘ENRICH: Create Wealth in Time, Money, and Meaning’. His writing has featured in CNBC, Fast Company and Newsweek. He resides at Natai Beach. www.enrich101.com