It’s my first time in eastern Idaho. I worked at a local school during the week, and on weekends I traveled around and explored the state.
Elk; Felt, Idaho, 2023
Horse; Victor, Idaho; 2023
Clouds; Victor, Idaho; 2023
Jed’s; Idaho Falls, Idaho; 2023
Old Times; Victor, Idaho; 2023
Frost Top; Ashton, Idaho, 2023
Silos; Ashton, Idaho; 2023
Coming at Ya — Plow # 3; Ashton, Idaho; 2023
House; Driggs, Idaho; 2023
Stopped; Driggs, Idaho; 2023
Azerbaijanis are very hospitable and welcoming. It seemed to me they were always extending a hand to help others. However, they can also be camera shy and sometimes do not like to have their picture taken. Thus many of these photos are taken from further away from a subject or from behind. However, sometimes they wanted me to take their photo and it turned into an occasion, even inviting their friends over to be photographed as well. That’s what happened to me in the outdoor market of Salyan. This section is a thank you to all the Azerbaijanis who allowed me to take their photos.
Azerbaijani food has Central Asian and Turkish roots. Grilled meats, especially lamb, are favorites. Meals often come with yogurt, cheeses, fresh greens, pickles, and bread. An equal amount of fresh vegetables, nuts, and fruits is often on the table as well. Bread is very important and is usually cooked in clay ovens called tandoor. Of course, with the national fruit being pomegranates, there is usually either a bowl full of fresh seeds or a dish made with the fruit or its syrup when pomegrantes are in season. These are photos I took in an open air market in the town of Salyan in southern Azerbaijan; down the street from the Baku Train station; on the side of the road in Xixi; and at a gas station in the north of the country where a farmer had filled his Lada with apples for market.
Gutab is a savory dish similar to turnovers. The thin dough is rolled out and then stuffed with ground meat, mixed herbs, or pumpkin. It is cooked on a hot plate. Once ready, it is served with yogurt on the side and topped with ground dried sumac flowers.
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, sticks out like an eagle’s beak into the Caspian Sea. It is the world’s lowest capital city (92 feet or 28 meters below sea level) and is known as the City of Wind. The Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has tight winding streets and is largely pedestrian only. Old and new architecture, the new as a result of much of the country’s oil production, seem to meld together easily creating a dynamic city.
Once a small city on the Silk Road, Baku began to come into its own in the 12th Century after an earthquake that gave Ahistan I the opportunity to make Baku his new capital city. The city grew, and in the 19th century the oil boom began. The Nobel brothers in particular capitalized on the rich oil deposits. The oil money and mix of western Europeans, Russians, and Persians who all came to Baku helped give the city its unique beauty.
Azerbaijan, a country between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, is much more than a former Soviet Republic. The topography is stunning, and Baku, the capital city, has clear Western and Eastern influences. I’ve been to Azerbaijan four times and traveled around exploring the country, which has a sort of wild and captivating beauty.
Now, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh has flared up again. However, I want to share that Azerbaijan is much more than this one war, that real people live there and that everyone who has the opportunity to visit this fascinating country should.
Below are five pictures I took on my trips to Azerbaijan and I will post others in the future to show more of this beautiful country.
Lake Goygol or “Blue Lake” is a National Park in the Ganja-Gazakh region of Azerbaijan, in the northwestern part of the country. It is tremendously beautiful with clear waters and a lush green landscape. However, due to its proximity to Armenia, and therefore the line of contact, the area is now under fire as part of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Chess is a popular game in Azerbaijan. Here, children are playing chess on a section of Bulvar, a long pedestrian walkway with parks that follows the shoreline of the Caspian Sea in Baku.
This bust of woman watches over rugs in a store in the Old City.
Meanwhile outside a store in Baku, hot dogs are advertised with this amusing character.
People take selfies in Baku with their backs to Maiden Tower. The tower is a landmark in the Old City.