Volcanoes and Petroglyphs - Wall carvings - dating to 10,000 BC

We were recommended a visit to see Baku’s petroglyphs and the mud volcanoes – both quite unique. Location – Gobustan. Not a warm sounding word. It is quite far from Baku - 61 kms. We drove through semi arid deserted countryside to reach Gobustan. 

Gobustan occupies the south-eastern spur of the Great Caucasian Range and situated 60 km south of Baku. It is a semi-desert area dissected by numerous gullies and ravines and Gobustan, in translation, means "ravine land". Caves and rock outcroppings surround the region. Settled since the Stone Age the area is one of the major and most ancient museums of rock engravings (petroglyphs) in the world.

It is wild countryside filled with massive rocks. Apparently this area has been settled since the 8th millennium BC. and is known for thousands of rock engravings spread over 100 square km depicting hunting scenes, people, ships, constellations and animals. Its oldest petroglyphs date from the 38th millennium BC. In 2007, UNESCO included the 'Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape' in the World Heritage List. The Gobustan State Reserve was featured during the 33^rd session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers. 

You have to walk carefully as there are many uneven areas and you don’t want a twisted ankle here. You have to scramble up a few places to see more of the wall etchings if you are really keen – I wasn’t; so we stayed on the beaten path. There are inscriptions nearby left by a Roman Legionnaire around 75 AD during the reign of Emperor Domitian which is the easternmost Roman inscription ever found. 

Known for its rock carvings and mud volcanoes, Gobustan National Park is a must-see destination, but getting there isn’t easy, with public transport stopping short of the petroglyphs and the mud volcanoes situated off-road. It’s a very long walk if on your own without transport. It is best to take a conducted tour … that includes museum entry, a tour of the petroglyphs and the mud volcanoes, and possibly other sights.

The weather was quite warm and pleasant. There were quite a few tourists including a large family group from Calcutta (Kolkatta). I stood by the large canopy and enjoyed watching the vastness of the bleak desert area in front. 

In 2007, UNESCO included the 'Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape' in the World Heritage List.

One of the intriguing aspects of this area were the large and small cup marks. There was no logic in present times to their placement but they seemed to have served a purpose when people lived here. 

From the petroglyphs, we moved on to yet another unusual sight – mud volcanoes. I had never seen one before. Nearly 300 of the world's 700 mud volcanoes are located in this part of eastern Azerbaijan near the Caspian Sea.

One has to admire that the Azerbaijani monuments are immaculately clean, well captioned and one follows a strict path so you see everything. The information boards stated all the rules, timings and relevant information about the area. Like the Petroglyphs park, here too, we bought a ticket and then proceeded down a long walkway to the entry.  

A mud volcano is a geological formation consisting of a hole or depression in the earth's surface, or a cone-shaped elevation with a crater, from which mud and gases are continuously or periodically erupted. This type of volcano is mainly found in oil-bearing and volcanic areas.

• 

"Characteristics

• Size: They vary in size, from small craters to larger mounds that can be up to 700 meters high.
• Activity: Mud volcanoes can be active, with eruptions that involve bubbling mud and gas.
• Visuals: They appear as muddy or dried-up piles and are considered scientifically fascinating natural wonders". 

"Formation and composition 

• Gases: They are formed when gases, often methane, from decaying organic matter underground build up enough pressure to push mud to the surface.
• Eruption materials: The eruption consists of a mud slurry made of water and fine solids, which can also contain salts, acids, and hydrocarbons.
• Temperature: The temperatures are significantly cooler than a real volcano, ranging from near-freezing to about 100° 𝐶 "

The whole walkway is on stilts so that you don’t walk on the mud where the volcanoes quietly bubble away. There are baby ones, mid-size ones and large ones with the outer covering being large and crusty. I pushed the tip of my walking stick into the mud to feel the mud and it was very sticky and slightly sulphurous in smell. 

Unlike a volcanic volcano, here the eruptions are not magmatic, and the temperatures are much lower. Mud volcanoes are created by the pressure from underground gases that force a slurry of mud and water up through fissures. Examples can be found in places like Baratang Island in India and the Gobustan National Park in Azerbaijan

Coming out of the volcano area, there are two buildings which I did not expect to see in this wilderness – a small art gallery with a museum of various types of rocks. Beautifully presented. The art gallery had totally unusual paintings. Painted by Khazar Nabiyev, whom I later met at the Ateshgah where he has shops, these works used crude oil as the medium. I have seen paintings using unusual mediums - coffee, saffron (in Morocco) etc and here we saw crude oil. Great idea. I wanted to buy a memento as I also paint; but the rates were high and we were still travelling many more days. 

The other building had a Natural History Museum. Why it was here I don’t know as I would have expected such a beautiful small museum to be in the city. Read my blog on it.

The day’s outing was eventful and most enjoyable. If you go to Baku, do visit but remember, go by car / coach. 

Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com