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“Out of the Blue” – Sofi Hamid

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Duration

3 hours

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Tour Type

Daily Tour

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Group Size

Unlimited

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Languages

English, Espanol, German, Russian

Overview

Guns, snakes, samovar, tea glasses, fruits, cows, deer – what do these have in common? Sofi Hamid Shrine and Cemetery is a place riddling every visitor with its unusual symbols and rich saturated pastel colors. What is so unusual about this place is its obscure existence until Baku Explorer’s founder has discovered this place out of the blue. If you ask locals, very few will know about its existence. However, Sofi Hamid tells about the history of Azerbaijan, its culture and shared beliefs of locals much more than any other historical monument of the country. This trip and guided tour won’t leave you without impressions and haunting memories.

We truly believe that Sofi Hamid, located around Gobustan National Park, will become one of the must-see spots in Azerbaijan and will be in the lists of the most unusual cemeteries in the world very soon, competing with Merry Cemetery in Romania or Cimetière du Père Lachaise in Paris. Even more, the poetry composed by locals dedicated to their deceased relatives are another mirror of Azerbaijani society and how they look in the face of death with a stoic mindset. One of the poems on a colorful grave with images of sewing machine and ablution jar reads:

“I’m on the transitory path
Out of a sudden, I was afflicted

Keep my grave, let it be a souvenir
tombs won’t return the dead”

Top reasons to visit:

  • unique spot to discover colorful artwork of locals based on their beliefs and ideologies
  • historically significant place to explore how regimes and lives of people have changed throughout centuries and decades
  • meditative and serene trip around wind-swept plains away from hustle and bustle of the city
  • a must-see for people interested in mysticism, semiotics, Sufism, art in Soviet times and of course history of Azerbaijan

 

Departure Point

Tour departs from your accommodation/preferred central city point. Please specify your address during checkout.

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Highlights

  • Serene trip away from Baku
  • Unusual & unique experience in a colorful local cemetery and mystical shrine
  • Personal attention from your tour guide in a small group
  • Round-trip transportation by air-conditioned car/minivan included

Itinerary

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Sofi Hamid Shrine
Sofi Hamid Shrine

Tour will start off with a short visit to the shrine. You'll learn how locals have kept certain traditions about this kind of shrines and their traditions surrounding such places.

Cemetery
Cemetery

Second part of the tour will be exploration of the graveyard. Get ready to capture mind blowing images, symbols and poetry of locals. Our guide will give broader description of the writings and images found on the graves.

Included/Excluded

  • check-1 Guided tour by local English speaking tour guide
  • check-1 Transportation with a comfortable vehicle
  • check-1 Hotel pickup and drop-off (please specify your pickup address during checkout at "Special Requirements" field)
  • check-1 Gratuities
  • remove Food & beverages

Tour's Location

See the tour description for the exact meeting point. Alternatively, you can choose hotel pickup option in "Extra" section when choosing your tour date.

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from $96,20

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