Azerbaijan’s Carpet Museum

Early morning van pickup (3:30 am) to drive us to the airport for the 7:00 am flight to Baku. The airport was packed with travelers, our Turkish Airlines plane was absolutely full. I sat next to a woman from London who was on her way to Georgia for two food tours. Breakfast was a typical Turkish baked casserole of pasta and white cheese covered with a special tomato sauce. Rather bland taste.

We were met outside the airport by an OAT rep for the drive into Baku. Weather is HOT today with little breeze. The guide pointed out the two airport terminals - the old one was Communist style, the new one very modern design. This same contrast was evident as we reached the city. Starting with block after block of 19th Century Imperial Russian style apartment buildings, we transitioned into the ultra modern Azerbaijan buildings created since Independence.

We are staying for three nights at the ultramodern Hilton, a 24-story blue building across the street from the Caspian Sea and a broad, tree-lined Boulevard Park. We arrived at 11:00 AM and were told that our rooms would be ready at three. Not what you want to be told when it’s 99° outside. But Barb and I headed out the door, crossed the busy street through an underground passageway, and walked 1.4 miles down the boulevard to the carpet museum.

The wind picked up some so the walk in the shade was OK. Trees, flowers, art work, coffee/ice cream stands lined the sidewalks. The National Carpet Museum was amazing. The building itself is shaped like a rolled up carpet. The Museum displays beautiful carpets from all parts of Azerbaijan, especially those with historical significance. A second section of the museum has displays that explain the process of creating carpets and more. The cafe had excellent lemonade, too.

On the way back to the Hilton, we stopped at a supermarket in the nearby shopping center, purchased some things for supper, came back to the hotel, relaxed and got a good night’s sleep.