It rained heavily early morning; the terrifying thunder and roaring rain continued for over an hour. I thought the worst for the day's program. I need not have worried much on this score, as rain in these parts of the world do not last long and, thanks to the drainage system, clears up quickly too. It was so this day too. By the time we went down for breakfast in the centre-court of the hotel the rains had abated, and clearer skies were seen. The breakfast was sumptuous with plenty of cheese, eggs in many forms, bread, veggies, cold cuts and hot and cold beverages.
The first attraction we planned for the day was Göygöl, or the Blue Lake in Gõygõl district. The road was excellent. Ajay at the wheel had, by now, become confident of driving on the right side of the road. The landscape also had much to turn one's head. I had set the Waze route to Göygöl, thinking that's where the lake is. Anyway, we arrived at what Waze showed is the destination, as we had set. The lake was nowhere in sight and when I changed the search to Göygöl lake the destination moved a further 30 km!
After topping up fuel we took on the mountainous roads, replete with hairpin bends and narrow stretches. I must admit that the road infrastructure was much better than I had expected. The entrance to the lake complex had a toll gate, where we presented our passports and paid fees of 2 AZN per person and 1 AZN for parking. About a km from the lake, we were stopped yet again at a barrier and directed to a parking lot. When I enquired why we were not permitted through I was told that we had the option of using one of their cars for 5 AZN or foot the rest of the way to the lake. We decided to do the latter. Fortunately, the weather, thanks to the rain, was not harsh.
We trudged the undulating road to the naturally impounded Göygöl lake; part of the Kapaz mountain collapsed due to the earthquake in 1139 and blocked the flow of the Kurakcay River, resulting in the formation of a freshwater Lake. The lake is a major tourist attraction during the spring and summer seasons, as we witnessed at the time of our visit. The lake is awesome and the serene environment around it is ideal to spend a few hours, relaxing and lazing around. Fishing and boating are not permitted in the 2.8 km long and 800 metre wide lake.
The nearby German minority settlement of Khalnar, established in 1819, was renamed Göygöl after the lake in 1938. The lake is now part of the Göygöl National Park. In the vicinity of Göygöl, there are settlements once populated by ethnic Germans, many monuments of German culture and even an old German Lutheran church built in 1854. The beauty of the lake has been the inspiration for many novels, poems and songs.
It was another 70 km to the hotel we had booked in Ganja, which is the third largest city in Azerbaijan, after Baku and Gabala. The historic and cultural city was an important part of the Ganja Khanate till it was ceded to the Russian Empire in 1813. The city became a part of Azerbaijan after independence in 1991. When we reached what was mentioned as destination by Waze we didn't find the hotel. We parked a little ahead and I located the hotel by foot, beside the massive State Science Academy. The receptionist sent a staff of the hotel to direct us to the hotel parking lot. It was a long detour before we finally lodged the car in a slot behind the hotel. After completing the check-in, we were taken to the room on the first floor, next to the restaurant. The hotel doesn't have an elevator.
We were hungry; the receptionist told us that the restaurant next door was pricey, but served good food. We decided to try that out and ordered a Chicken Ceaser Salad and Shawarma. When the huge portions arrived, we knew that we would have to pack the Shawarma for dinner, which is what we did.
It was a short walk in light drizzle to the Bottle House, an unusual private residence built from glass bottles and small stones. The residence was built in 1966-67 with nearly 50,000 glass bottles of different shapes and sizes. The colorful stones were brought from Sochi. In a way, it is a memorial too as it was built in the memory of the brother of Ibrahim Jafariv, the builder, who went missing during WWII. The year of construction of the building, the portrait of the missing brother, notes about the Olympic Games held in USSR, the name of the city, etc can be seen on the walls of the residence. The house was reconstructed recently and is a popular destination for citizens and tourists.
A short walk away was the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Church, built in 1887. The church was constructed on the site of an ancient cemetery. The church was elevated to cathedral status in 1916. The Alexander Nevsky Church was constructed in Byzantine style using brick called plinfa. The church was closed down in 1931 and was used as a museum and warehouse till 1946, when it was reopened as a church. The icons of the time prior to its closure survived and can still be seen in the church. The superb icons of Mother Mary, St. Alexander Nevsky and Mary Magdalene adorn the rich interior of the church. The 110th anniversary of the founding of the church was celebrated in 1997. Service is celebrated every Saturday and Sunday as well as on feast days. As with most Russian Orthodox churches, here too, photography is prohibited.
Xan Bagi, or Khan's Garden, is one of the major lung areas right in the centre of Ganja city. It a place of rest and relaxation for the people of the city. Javed Khan, the last khan of the Ganja Khanate, was a nature lover who had a 52-hectare garden by 1804. Merchants travelling to the city were asked to bring rare trees from around the world. Even his guests brought him trees and flowering plants as gifts. The whittled down 6-hectare garden now bears his name.
Part of the old Ganja fortress can be seen on one side of the garden. Erected in 1588 by Farhad Pasha, the commander of the Caucasian Turkish Army, the fortress stretched over 13 km, 12 meter high, at one point in time. The fortress was built using local material mixed with clay and mud and burnt bricks. The remnant that survives today, the Shiralybay Tower, gives one an idea of how magnificent the structure would have been in its heydays. The important displays within the garden include the bronze statue of the swan and the girl and that of Nigar Rafibeyli, the famous writer who was born in Ganja.
In the central square is a wealth of historical attractions. The stately Ganja Philharmonic Hall with majestic fountains in the foreground is a relatively new building, having been built in 2017. The classic 6 storied concert hall can seat over 1200 and has a 300-seat conference room and many other facilities.
Right in front of it is the Shah Abbas Mosque complex and medieval baths, built during the Safavid dynasty that governed Azerbaijan for over 200 years. The original mosque was built in 1606 using the traditional red brick, a feature of Ganja. Two minarets were added to the complex in 1776. In 2008, the mosque was totally reconstructed.
The Chokak Hamam, reconstructed in 2003, now functions as a bath for one of the city hotels. Within the complex is also the Javed Khan mausoleum; the location of the Khan's tomb was accidentally discovered during excavations in the area.
The memory of the martyr king was perpetuated by building the quadrangular structure with baked bricks topped by a dome. At the centre of the mausoleum is the tomb of Javed Khan, which was closed at the time of our visit.
The grand City Hall, the Executive Power of Ganja City, is a massive building that exudes Soviet Classicism. With fountains and massive park in front of it, the Government House, is a remarkable feature of the city. The Ganja Hotel opposite the government building is also an imposing structure.
The two-story Shah Abbas caravanserai building, made of baked red bricks, was commissioned in 1614. The caravansarai was connected to the Chokak Hamam and Shah Abbas Mosque by underground roads. During the Armenian attack in 1905 the caravanserai was also burned, and the monument was severely damaged. The Shah Abbas caravanserai was restored along with the adjacent Ugurlu Khan Caravanserai after 2011. Both caravanserais have a total of 120 rooms and now functions as a hotel complex.
On the way to the Flag Square we dropped into the air-conditioned Ganja Qalasi Bazar. People were shopping in style in this modern complex which had branded retail outlets. Walking by the side of the river we reached the Flag Square. Unfortunately, neither was the flag stop the pole nor was the weather decent enough for a leisurely stroll. After some time in the square we walked back to the hotel through the crowded city centre lined with shops and eateries.
We had picked up a couple of bottles of NVS, Azerbaijani beer with 6 percent alcohol content. The packed up Shawarma from lunch went very well with the beer.
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