The first stop of this experience will be Ateshgah Fire Temple. There is a temple 21 km east of Baku, with permanent natural gas flowing from under the ground which Indian merchants built in the 18th century. Guests will have a chance to explore fire worshipping rituals from the world's oldest religion. Ateshgah is a very unique place that resembles a small fortress with cells inside the stone-fenced courtyard. While enjoying the fireplace which is located with natural gas ventilation in the centre, ignited a massive fire in the middle and four smaller fires on the pavilion’s rooftop corners. Guests will have a chance to witness a number of small cells circling the temple fireplace containing ascetic believers and pilgrims.
The next stop of this experience is Yanardag State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve. It takes around 35 to 40 minutes to reach there.
The main attraction of Yanardag, which literally means “burning mountain”, is a spectacular hill with a constantly burning wall of flames. Thanks to tectonic shifts and volcanic material below the earth’s surface, natural gas leaks from the rocks. The Italian trader and traveller Marco Polo even mentioned the flames during his travels to Baku and its surroundings, but most probably the fire has been burning for over more years at Yanardag.