Although the palace and adjacent houses, mosques and Turkish baths are not as well-preserved as the visitor might hope, the ancient streets and passages are slowly taking on new life as foreign companies take up residence in Baku's most prestigious neighborhood. The temple, called Atashgah by Azeris, was originally built by followers of the Persian holy man Zoroaster who venerated eternal flames powered by oil and gas deposits. The site, which takes in several buildings and a courtyard, was reconstructed in the 17th century by Zorastrians from India seeking to revive local traditions violently expunged many centuries before by the advancing forces of Islam. Gobustan Archeologists and tourists from around the world descend on this history and art preserve 60 kilometers south of Baku to study the 4,000 or so rock drawings etched some 12,000 years ago by the ancestors of the Azeris. Early human history comes to life in well-preserved depictions of hunting and religious rituals.
Images abound of snakes, goats, lions and men and women in loin cloths.
A great number of mysterious carved symbols keep the specialists coming back. 53 Istiglaliyyat St. tel. 3 Lermontov St. tel. 920667 State Museum of Carpets and Applied Arts 123A Neftchilar Ave. 987199 Crescent Beach Hotel Health and Leisure Club Salayan Highway, Shikhov Beach.