Nakhchivan tour

10:00 – Flight from Baku to Nakhchivan 11:00 – Airport reception. Accommodation in Grand Hotel in the city centre 13:00 – Lunch at the restaurant 14:00 – City tour – “Huseyn Javid Mausoleum” (a prominent Azerbaijani poet and playwright, 1882-1941), “Momine Khatun Mausoleum” (The mausoleum was built and named in honour of the wife of one of the local rulers, Azerbaijan Atabeg Jahan Pahlawan from Ildenizid dynasty; it was skilfully decorated with complicated geometric ornament and Qur’anic inscriptions), “Khan Palace” (the historical architectural monument of the ХVIII century – the place where Nakhchivan khans lived), Noah’s Mausoleum (The tomb consists of remains of the lower storey of a former temple. There is a ladder leading to a burial vault. There is a stone column in the middle of the vault. According to legend, relics of Noah are under this column. The mausoleum has been restored by the decision of local authorities. Nakhchivan also has the mountain where – according to a tradition – Noah’s Ark moored to (the mountain’s name is Gemiqaya which literally means Gemi – ship, Qaya – rock), Duzdag Cave (salt cave, Duzdag is 1,173 metres above the sea level. Patients with respiratory diseases are successfully treated here) 19:00 – Return to the hotel

08:00 – 11:00 Breakfast at the hotel 11:00 – Leaving the hotel 11:40 – Tour to Ashab-i Kahf (The Sleepers of the Cave – the Muslim myth about young men who hid in the cave in order to preserve their faith in one God during persecutions. Episodes dealing with them are presented in 18th Surah of the Qur’an – Surah Al Kahf (The Cave). According to the Qur’an, the young men asked Allah to have mercy on them and lead them to the right path. Allah heard their plea and put them to sleep for 309 years which seemed so short to them that «some said it might have been a day: others said it was a part of a day»; the same myth exists in Christianity «The Seven Sleepers») 14:00 – 15:00 – Free time (lunch on demand) 15:30 – 16:00 – Tour to Arpachay Reservoir 17:00 – Return to the hotel

08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast at the hotel 11:00 – Transfer to the airport. Flight to Baku