It was to be a long drive today from Ganja to Baku. When people in Azerbaijan were told about my plan to visit Ganja, they, without exception, had asked me, "Why Ganja?" My experience in Ganja taught me how steeped in history that city is. All that I had planned as part of my itinerary in Azerbaijan was almost fully done.
This day I had three things on the plate. Visit the Nizami mausoleum, a pomegranate factory and walk the Baku promenade. I had woken up at a half past two to complete the blog report. A staff of the hotel was already at work in the restaurant, which was adjacent to my room. He was amused to see me using a microwave to heat water for the coffee. When I had finished the first one and was still working on the blog he brought me another cup of coffee without being asked. His smile warmed me more than the hot cup of coffee. The breakfast was wholesome with three preparations of egg, breads, honey, jam, cold cuts, sausage, veggies, varieties of cheese and hot beverages. We took time over breakfast knowing that the next meal would only be in Baku, well after 2 pm.
The Nizami Mausoleum, built in honor of the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi, is situated just outside the city of Ganja in the direction of our drive to Baku. Entrance to the complex is free. The old collapsed mausoleum was initially rebuilt in 1947. The present form of the mausoleum was attained in 1991, after the independence of Azerbaijan. The mausoleum is a tall cylindrical building, surrounded by gardens. To one side, there are metal statues commemorating Nizami's epic poems.
The mausoleum was constructed from solid granite blocks, delivered from the Ukraine. While Farman Imamguliyev was the architect of the mausoleum, the statues were created by sculptor Gorkhmaz Sujaddinov. The tomb of the master is at the centre of the mausoleum in white marble. The inside of the mausoleum gets bathed in brilliant colours shining through the shebeke stained glass panels.
In front of Nizami's mausoleum is Nizami Ganjavi Museum, where books and monographs are on display, published for commemoration jubilees of the poet’s birthday. Moreover, the museum showcases originals and copies of rare manuscripts and miniatures of Nizami's Khamsa, preserved in national libraries in Austria, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, the Strasbourg Central Library in France and the Metropolitan Museum in the United States. Many delicate works woven in woolen carpets with their certificates of authenticity adorn the walls of the museum. Many articles of daily use of the time, ceramic vases and bust of the poet embellish the museum. The museum also has a conference hall for educational events, which is open to visitors interested in cultural and scientific activities in Ganja.
Google searches showed up a pomegranate farm and factory in Goychay, about 120 km from Ganja in the route to Baku. The road, as we have come to expect, was exceptional. We reached Goychay within 90 minutes and took rural roads to reach what looked like the Red Pearls farm and factory. The ladies there directed us to the establishment next door. The lady who had opened the massive gates to the fenced area knew no language we knew. However, she fetched a girl who agreed to call someone who could help us with the visit.
When he did come, he asked us a few rapid-fire questions as to why we were there. Thereafter, he conducted us into the office chamber of his boss. When the boss came Ajay used the translator app on his phone to answer the many queries he had about the visit to be sure of the purpose of our visit. He was particularly curious to know how we got to know about his facility. When I told him that I collected the information from Google he invited us to a meal! When he saw that I was losing my patience he asked his subordinate to conduct us to the factory.
As the center of pomegranate production, central Goychay Region is also the staging ground for one of Azerbaijan’s most delightful fairs. The annual Azerbaijan Pomegranate Festival in Goychay between October and November celebrates the impact the fruit has had on Azerbaijani life and culture. In Azerbaijan, pomegranate, locally known as Nur, is a symbol of love and fertility, many songs and poems have been dedicated to it, and its form can often be seen replicated on carpet patterns and wall hangings. The skin of the pomegranate is used as a dye in carpet production, while the fruit itself is widely incorporated into national cuisine. Due to Goychay’s unique microclimate and soil composition, more than 67 types of pomegranates are grown here.
The guy took us to the cold storage facilities where concentrate and juice of pomegranate, apples, quince were stored in lined barrels. He told us that the concentrate is stored for 2 years and the juice for one year. He told us that the season begins in October and that his farms were 22 km away from the factory, which was being operated from a previous generation production and storage facilities. He explained the production process and told us that the concentrate is diluted 1:4 to make the juice. The guy told us that close to Goychay is the Aznar farm and factory which is much larger than the one we were in. How I wished we had a cooperative system that could value add for the farmer, avoid the middleman, reduce wastage, sidestep the problem of seasonality and fetch the farmer a better price!
From Goychay we drove straight to Baku. The road was straight as an arrow, mostly. For about 150 km to Baku, while the roads were wide and we'll sign-posted the surfacing was not so smooth and flawless. Nevertheless, we made good progress, without any holdup. The route to Baku via Goychay is an alternative to the one via Shamxi. We reached Baku with about a quarter of an hour to spare for 3 p.m. The Tour Hotel we had booked into had parking and that was a big plus. Moreover, it was proximate to the Baku Boulevard promenade, a walk through which was the only activity left in Azerbaijan.
But first we had to attend to our hunger pangs. Almost directly opposite the hotel was the Kurram restaurant. We ordered a portion of Chicken Pide and Lachmacun. The restaurant with commanding views of the Caspian served the portions quickly and we enjoyed the repast.
The Baku Boulevard was established as a promenade in 1909, running parallel to Baku's Caspian Sea waterfront. The history of the promenade goes back to the times when Baku's well-heeled oil barons built sea fronted mansions along the Caspian shore and the waterfront was built up artificially ever so slowly. Today, the promenade is a boon for the residents and visitors who can spend their time in peace and quiet, enjoying the manicured gardens, the calming sea breeze, indulging in short eats and ice-cream as well as catching majestic views of the landscape, the skies and the horizon. We took a bus from one end of the promenade, closest to the place of our night halt, to the other end, near the Crescent Mall.
The Crescent Mall is a modern mall near the impressive government buildings, which evidently was the start and end points of the recently held Formula 1 race in Baku. From the fourth floor of the Mall, where a balcony has been provided, we got amazing views of the entire corniche along the promenade. Selfie takers abounded, naturally. The massive construction projects to increase the length of the Baku Boulevard can be appreciated from there, too. Just near the upcoming, striking extension to the Crescent Mall is the jetty of the Coast Guard, where a Turkish coast guard vessel was berthed. People were permitted to take photos as they pleased, unlike what we experience back home.
The lovely three-kilometer walk was taken slowly. Despite it being a working day, people were about in large numbers with family, old friends could be seen chatting in the shade and youngsters scurrying along on their roller skates. The promenade has an inner walkway too, where one can cycle or use battery operated scooters that seemed much in flavour with the younger crowd.
After the enjoyable walk we strolled through a part of the Old Town once more in search of fridge magnets and dinner. We accomplished both to our satisfaction. Dinner was at the classy Shakh Garden, where we had Khutab, a stuffed pancake, tomato, plum and cherry salad and a crispy fried aubergine. The food was tasty, but pricey too as it was a stone's throw away from the Maiden Tower and the Old Town attractions.
We took a bus back to the hotel. The most important work was yet to be done, that of cleaning the car. The hotel guy was most unhelpful. Ajay and I fetched water in a can and wiped down the car fully with a towel. It didn't take much time, but the good food was digested.
No comments:
Post a Comment