In Photos: The leaning tower of Naxcivan – Mausoleum Xatun, Azerbaijan

Mausoleum Xatun – UNESCO World Heritage Site

The ten-sided mausoleum is 26m high and covered in fine carvings, geometric patterns and Kufic script.

Completed in 1186, the mausoleum originally housed the tomb of Shemseddin Eldeniz, whose wife Xatun the building is named after.

We still had a camera crew following us round, so were keen to hide inside, where there’s a display providing an excellent history of the building

Underneath is a crypt, where it’s revealed that the entire structure is held up by one pillar.

The large square outside is filled with basic sculptures of animals, used as grave stones for important people. These rocks date back to the middle ages and are mostly shaped like sheep or goats.

Musical Instrument Museum.

I wasn’t really expecting much here, but the Director of the Museum made the visit for us. He gave us an overview of the musical history of Azerbajan, culminating in him playing a few of the instruments that adorned the walls.

This one was particularly clever, with it being playable on three sides, creating 3 different sounds:

and the other side. Two videos as I wasn’t expecting that:

Then he got out the bagpipes…

…which was our queue to leave.

Tea House in a Hamam

Standing in the main square of Nakhcivan we could see Iran just across the water, which I was rather excited about, so needed yet more tea to calm down.

The Tea house here is housed in a former Hamam or bath house.

A live band greeted us inside, playing more of the traditional instruments we’d seen earlier.

As always the tea was served with an abundance of cakes – the ever present Baklava and a new one called Guymag/Guymaq/Qayganaq, which was like a honey omelette.

I’ve saved the best recipe link for last. Traditional Baklava are tricky to prepare, but worth the effort to make it yourself at least once. (That said, having made them once, I’m probably just going to buy them next time!)

This trip was arranged by the Azerbaijan Tourist Board, as part of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Silk Road Conference.