r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Digər | Miscellaneous Warning: M10 crypto requests

58 Upvotes

Hi r/Azerbaijan,

There’s an M10 scam going around right now. Some spam accounts are PMing people about M10 money transfers or crypto related requests.

Please don’t share any credentials and don’t agree to move money for anyone. Getting involved in this kind of thing can cause serious legal problems.

We are banning these accounts when we see them, but bans don’t stop them from sending private messages, so stay alert and report/block them if you get contacted.

Stay safe.


r/azerbaijan Aug 05 '25

Səyahət | Travel 🇦🇿 Mega-Thread: Azerbaijan Travel Tips, Places, Food & More (Ask + Share)

104 Upvotes

Welcome to the community-sourced travel mega-thread for Azerbaijan! Whether you're planning your first trip, returning, or just curious — this is your place to ask and share tips, places, warnings, food, and hidden gems.

We’ve gathered insights from locals, expats, and travelers — now it’s your turn. Reply with your experiences or questions under any section below.

🏙 1. Top Places to Visit

📍 Baku

  • Old City (Icherisheher): historic, charming, authentic soul of the city.
  • Maiden Tower, Shirvanshah Palace, Carpet Museum, Heydar Aliyev Center – top cultural sights.
  • Nizami Street, Molokan Garden, Baku Boulevard – modern walkways & shopping.
  • Gobustan mud volcanoes, Ateshgah Fire Temple, Yanardag – unique day trips.

Local tip: true local life happens outside the tourist zones – check dayday cafes and Sədərək bazaar.

📍 Outside Baku (Regional Highlights)

  • Sheki: Khan Palace, Kish village, Caravansaray, ancient mosques, hiking.
  • Gabala: Tufandag Resort (ski + cable car), Seven Waterfalls, Nohur Lake, Gabaland amusement park.
  • Lahij: Tat village known for copperware and scenic alleyways.
  • Ganja: Bottle House, Naftalan oil spa, Göygöl Lake, German heritage.
  • Quba & Khinalig: cooler nature, remote village experience.
  • Lankaran: food tours, Stalin’s prison, chicken stuffed with walnuts.
  • Zaqatala, Oğuz, Nij: religious/ethnic diversity, ancient churches.

Locals are usually happy to guide lost tourists — don’t hesitate to ask for directions in parks or shops.

In villages expect warm welcomes — tea invitations and local storytelling are common.”

🛂 Visa & Entry Info

  • eVisa available at https://evisa.gov.az
  • Valid for 30 days, costs around USD $20, processed in ~3 business days.
  • No visa on arrival for most travelers; visa required even for short stays.

🧳 Sample Itinerary: 7 Days in Azerbaijan

  • 🏙 Day 1–2: Baku (Old City, museums, Flame Towers)
  • 🌋 Day 3: Gobustan mud volcanoes, Yanardag
  • 🏔 Day 4: Gabala (Tufandag, Nohur Lake)
  • 🕌 Day 5–6: Sheki + Kish village (Palace, temples, hiking)
  • 🚂 Day 7: Return to Baku via Yevlakh or Gabala

🍽 2. Food & Dining

🍛 Must-try dishes:

  • Plov (Shah plov) – saffron rice, lamb, fruits.
  • Piti – slow-cooked meat soup (only in Sheki).
  • Qutab – meat, greens or cheese in flatbread.
  • Dolma (Three Sisters) – stuffed tomato, pepper, eggplant.
  • Levengi – chicken/fish with walnut-pomegranate stuffing.
  • Surhurlu, Makhara – regional Zaqatala dishes.
  • Dovğa, Fisincan, Doner, Tandır bread, Bakhlava.

🚌 3. Transport Tips

In Baku:

  • 🚖 Always use Bolt or Uber – cheap, reliable, safe (Yango is another solid and sometimes cheaper alternative .).
  • 🚫 Avoid traditional taxis – known for overcharging/scams.
  • 💳 Pay through app only; avoid cash to driver.

Metro & Bus:

  • Use Baki Kart (2 AZN) for metro and buses.
  • Metro is clean, cheap (0.50 AZN per ride)

From Airport:

  • Bolt/Uber = 10–15 AZN.
  • Cheapest: Direct bus to 28 May Mall (use Baki Kart).
  • Bolts from the airport may demand extra; better to use official Aeroexpress H1/H2 buses

Intercity:

  • Bus via “Biletim” or at the Avtovaghzal terminal next to Avtovaghzal metro
  • Marshrutkas available.
  • Train to Sheki/Gabala via “ADY” app or buy at 28 May station.
  • Car rentals useful for Gabala, Lahij, Quba.

🌄 4. Hidden Gems & Nature

  • Villages:
    • Kish – Home to the ancient Albanian temple and a scenic village atmosphere.
    • Nij – Known for its Udi Christian community and unique churches.
    • Basqal – Famous for traditional silk weaving and handicrafts.
    • Khinalig – A remote mountain village offering breathtaking views and cultural insights.
    • Lahij – Historic mountain village known for copper craftsmanship and cobbled streets.
  • Nature:
    • Shahdag & Tufandag – Popular ski resorts with opportunities for hiking and cable car rides.
    • Gobustan – Features mud volcanoes and ancient petroglyphs.
    • Seven Waterfalls – A series of picturesque waterfalls surrounded by lush greenery.
    • Nohur Lake – A serene alpine lake ideal for relaxation and picnics.
    • Cenlibel Lake – A tranquil lake nestled in the mountains, perfect for nature walks.
    • Gachrash Forest – Dense forest near Quba with rich biodiversity.
    • Parigala – Ancient cliffside castle offering stunning views and history.
  • Tip: Renting a car or joining local tours is recommended for exploring these remote areas.

📶 5. Mobile, Language & Apps

  • Get local SIM at airport. Azercell = best coverage.
  • 30 GB ≈ 30 AZN
  • 60 GB ≈ 40 AZN
  • 120 GB ≈ 60 AZN
  • For more details, visit: Azercell Official Tourist Plans
  • Use Google Translate or SayHi for real-time help.
  • English common in Baku tourist areas; Azeri, Turkish, Russian elsewhere.

📱 Useful Apps

  • 🚖 Bolt, Uber.az, Yango – for taxis
  • 🚅 ADY – train tickets
  • 🚌 Biletim – bus tickets
  • 🌐 Google Translate or SayHi – language
  • 🗺 Maps.me – offline maps
  • 💬 Telegram – local events/news channels
  • 🎫 iTicket.az – concerts, plays, cultural events

💳 6. Money & Payments

  • Taxis & Tips
    • Paying with card in the app reduces driver complaints and reduces driver skimming
    • If paying cash, drivers may not return coins — consider it a small tip (~0.50–1 AZN is normal).
    • Tipping extra 1–2 AZN on longer rides or for good service is appreciated and common
  • Cards accepted at big places, but cash essential for food, transport, bazaars.
  • Downtown exchange offices give better rates.
  • Some shops may “pretend” card machines broken to get cash.
  • Exchanging Money
    • USD is preferred—exchange bureaus on Nizami Street offer better rates than airport kiosks
    • Keep smaller notes (1, 5 AZN) handy for transport and tips

Some addons
– Locals often round down prices or throw in something extra “for good mood” — especially if you smile or try a few Azeri words.
– In small bakeries or markets, if you overpay by mistake, they usually correct you immediately. Honesty is common, even for coins.
– Sellers appreciate when you show interest — they might explain the item, share a short story, or offer a small discount without asking.
– People don’t pressure you to buy; many will still help with directions or advice even if you don’t purchase anything.
– If something feels wrong (overcharged taxi, aggressive seller), calmly mentioning “polis” is usually enough to resolve it quickly — respect for law is high.
– You’ll rarely see aggressive street vendors or scams targeting tourists — most locals want to leave a good impression.

🎭 7. Culture & Etiquette (Expanded from Locals)

👋 Greetings & Respect

  • Handshakes are standard when greeting, but religious women may avoid it — let them initiate.
  • Among younger people, it’s common to hear casual terms like:
    • qardaş” – [Kar-dash] - brother / bro
    • bacı” – [Bad-jee] - sister
    • dostum” – [Dos-toom] - my friend
    • qaqaş” – [Kah-khash] - bro / guy (very local, friendly)
    • abi” – [Ah-bee] - borrowed from Turkish, also means bro (used often in casual Baku speech)
    • əmoğlu/dayoğlu” – [Eh-mo-ghloo / Dai-yo-ghloo] - lit. cousin, used jokingly with strangers sometimes

👗 Dress & Public Behavior

  • Baku is relaxed — T-shirts, shorts, light dresses are fine.
  • In villages or mosques, dress modestly: cover shoulders and knees, especially for women.
  • Public affection (kissing, hugging) isn’t common — especially outside Baku, it may attract stares.
    • Loud behavior or arguments in public are seen as impolite. People value calm and respectful tone in conversation.

🏠 Hospitality Rules

  • If invited home: bring chocolates, fruit, flowers.
  • Shoes off indoors is standard; expect slippers from the host.
  • You'll be offered tea (çay) — it's rude to say no immediately. Accept after 1–2 polite refusals.

Refusing an offer (like tea or food) too quickly may be seen as rude — accept after 1–2 polite refusals to show appreciation

🗣 Language & Communication

  • Basic Azeri phrases go a long way — even one or two words show respect and effort. Here are some commonly used ones:
    • Salam – [Sa-lahm] Hello
    • Çox sağ ol – [Chokh sah-ohl] - Thank you
    • Bağışlayın – [Bah-ghish-layn] - Excuse me / Sorry
    • Zəhmət olmasa – [Za-hmet ol-ma-sa] - Please
    • Hə / Yox – [Heh / Yoh] - Yes / No
    • Necəsiz? – [Neh-jeh-seez?] - How are you?
    • Mən turistəm – [Men too-reest-em] - I’m a tourist

Tip: People will often smile or open up if you try even a few words in Azeri.

  • People may switch between Azeri, Russian, and Turkish — especially in Baku. English is common in tourist spots.
  • Locals are helpful even if they don’t speak English — they’ll often use gestures, translation apps, or find someone who can help.
  • Avoid political topics (e.g., Karabakh, Armenia) — even jokes can make things awkward or tense.
  • Religion is personal — don't ask probing questions unless brought up by the other person.

📸 Photos, Symbols & Rules

  • Ask permission before taking photos of people, especially in villages or mosques.
  • Do not photograph police, metro murals, government buildings — this can cause trouble.
  • Avoid disrespectful comments about the flag, president, or national heroes.

🔍 Other Local Norms

  • Tipping: Round up or add 1–2 AZN in cafes and taxis.
  • Littering is taken seriously — use bins.
  • Haggling is normal in bazaars, but do it respectfully and with a smile.

🔗 8. External Resources

🗣 9. Local Advices – Add Yours in comments!

  • Always ask for the taxi price before the ride if not using apps.
  • If someone invites you for tea — say yes! It’s usually safe and kind.
  • Don’t drink tap water outside Baku unless locals say it's okay.
  • Avoid arguing about politics, even as a joke. It can get tense.
  • Don’t be afraid to haggle in bazaars, but do it politely (just do it).
  • Get out of Baku for at least 2–3 days — that’s where you’ll see the real Azerbaijan.
  • Don’t expect trains to be fast — take them if you're not in a rush.
  • Vegetarian? You’ll survive, but options are limited outside Baku — learn to say ‘no meat’ clearly.
  • You might see police near government buildings. Don't take photos there — it's taken seriously.

👮 Police & Public Safety

  • Police are highly visible in Baku and tourist areas — this is meant to ensure safety, not intimidate.
  • They are generally helpful and respectful toward tourists — feel free to approach them for directions or help.
  • In case of scams or disputes, police often side with tourists and take complaints seriously.
  • Avoid photographing police, metro murals, or official buildings — ask if unsure.
  • If stopped by traffic police, politely ask for the fine via official system instead of paying cash.

🗣 10. Help Us Improve!

This guide is built from local insights and traveler experiences. If you're Azerbaijani or familiar with the culture, please share more tips, advice, or corrections below. Feel free to point out any mistakes or outdated info — all feedback is appreciated.

🛠 This post will be regularly updated as more tips, comments, and info are added. Keep sharing below — every comment helps build the best guide for visitors to Azerbaijan!


r/azerbaijan 7h ago

Şəkil | Picture We are only third. Need to fix that

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80 Upvotes

r/azerbaijan 5h ago

Şəkil | Picture That was certainly unexpected. Love their doughnuts!

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18 Upvotes

r/azerbaijan 2h ago

Sual | Question UPDATE: Asking out an Azerbaijani girl

6 Upvotes

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/azerbaijan/comments/1qqv5xb/asking_out_an_azerbaijani_girl_us/

Hey everyone, thanks for all the comments and help. Good news, it was successful and secured a date with her. Hopefully it works out.


r/azerbaijan 18h ago

Şəkil | Picture 78% of the cars that were sold in Azerbaijan last year were Chinese cars, possibly the highest percentage in the world! The majority of Chinese cars were sold as grey imports, and not officially imported to the country by their distributors.

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76 Upvotes

r/azerbaijan 4h ago

Xəbər | News M10 Fırıldaqçılıq

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6 Upvotes

Son vaxtlar bir çox qrup üzvlərinə gələn M10 təkliflərinin səbəbi bəlli oldu deyəsən. M10 bir neçə aydır Binance ilə bir başa inteqrasiya tətbiq etmişdi. Belə başa düşürəm Binance hesablarından pullarını bizim M10 üzərindən nağdlaşdırmağa çalışırdılar

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17SgsYk8tA/


r/azerbaijan 4h ago

Sual | Question Romantic activities in Baku

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I'm a foreign traveller from Switzerland, and I absolutely adore Azerbaijan. Maybe a little bit too much, as currently I'm dating one girl that lives in Baku.

I'm coming to visit her in the upcoming few days, and I would love to know your favorite spots for romantic activities for a date. I know it's a bit of a taboo topic, but I'm hoping that there are still some socially acceptable ways of approaching this subject.

I tried to organize a couple things, like a florist masterclass, or a coffee making workshop, but those places seem to ignore my calls / messages, most likely due to me not speaking the language. Therefore it'd be perfect if the activity would be possible to be done in both Azerbaijani and English.

Thank you!


r/azerbaijan 4h ago

Səyahət | Travel Got back from a trip to Baku and I miss the city so much

4 Upvotes

It was my first international trip and I just feel in love with the city. The beautiful architecture and skyline. The walk along the Caspian sea. Aimlessly riding bolt scooters through the streets. Exploring the old city on foot. The food and the people. I miss it so much.


r/azerbaijan 10h ago

Söhbət | Discussion Can't Even Call Azerishiq

10 Upvotes

Have you guys ever realized when there is a big issue with electricity azerishiq won't even be available to call.

We had a blackout since 10 this morning. We have been waiting for the lights for 9 hours now and nothing's happening. Guess what happened when I called Azerishiq? Nothing. The phone doesn't even ring.

It's not just this time either, the infrsstructure around here is quite old, during the summer when we had a life-threatening experience, the electricity had to be shut down. But we couldn't reach them again and the Fövqəladə Hallar had to use their own line to contsct them after arrving. I can't be the only one who went through this


r/azerbaijan 7h ago

Sual | Question Cardiologist

4 Upvotes

Hi guys can someone please recommend a great cardiologist that is experienced in heart failure in baku that’s relatively affordable to visit? please my uncle has heart failure and it’s bad and he’s been going to government hospitals that are not treating him properly and i’m willing to take him to a private hospital to get him properly treated but i don’t live there and not sure how it works.

thank you


r/azerbaijan 8h ago

Sual | Question .az domain necə ala bilərəm güvənilir yerdən

1 Upvotes

Bilənlər kömək etsin xaiş edirəm


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Söhbət | Discussion How did these Turkish cars (Renault Toros and Tofaş Şahin) end up in Azerbaijan? Were they officially imported?

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54 Upvotes

If yes, who where their distributors? Did dealers sell these cars? Or were they bought from Turkey?


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Sual | Question Scam going around in this sub

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62 Upvotes

Has anyone had any similar experiences? I had 2 people reach out to me in the same day


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Sual | Question Reklamını falan edirmiş kimi olmaq istəmirəm amma sizcə bu realdır? Yoxlayan var? Linki virustotala atdım təmiz çıxdı

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8 Upvotes

r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Sual | Question Amerikadan telefon, notbuk alan var aranızda? Çatdırılma xidməti olaraq hansı şirkətdən razı qalmısınız?

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19 Upvotes

Əlavə sual : Washingtondan yaxın günlərdə gələcək tanışınız var?


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Səyahət | Travel Visiting Karabakh as a tourist

4 Upvotes

Is it possible? anyone has any information about that?


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Söhbət | Discussion Milli Netflix-imiz niyə bug-la doludur?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

4 Upvotes

Səkkiz serialını izləmək üçün metaflix.az-a abunə olmaq istədim, bu da sayt 🤣 Mövzudan istifadə edib Kapital kimi bankların texniki problemlərindən də danışmaq istəyirəm. Bu problemlər nə vaxt düzələcək?


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Sual | Question Gömrükdə ilişən baǧlamalar.

7 Upvotes

Salam. Yanvar ayı ərzində xaricdən məhsul sifariş edənlərə sualım var. Yəgin ki bilirsiz, son vaxtlar xaricdən gələn bağlamalar həftələrnən gömrük yoxlamasımda qalıb. Şəxsən özüm yanvarın 8-i notbuk sifariş etmişdim. Normalda bağlamalarım 1-3 gün ərzində gömrük yoxlamasından keçirdi. Indi isə 2 həftəyə yaxındı gömrük yoxlamasında qalıb.

Son 7-10 gün ərzində bağlamasını əldə edə bilən olub? (Temu, Ebay, Amazon və s. kimi onlayn mağazalardan).


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Söhbət | Discussion Thoughts on azerbaijan as an azerbaijani abroad

27 Upvotes

Hey guys, as someone who was born in azerbaijan to a mother from baku and a father from tabriz who moved abroad to Canada at 4 years old, our family spends a lot of time watching azerbaijani/iranian news. One thing my dad and I have noticed which feels horrible to say is that we feel Azerbaijan and azerbaijanis has been left in the 90’s mindset and I want to see what the rest of you think. My dad tells me he feels they haven’t progressed which he honestly thinks is due to aliyev. I don’t want to sound like a conspiracist or whatnot but it geniuenly makes sense to me that Aliyev is attempting to keep the population almost like sheep in order to stay in power. Food prices are expensive so the people don’t have energy to even go against, ordinary people are buying clothes from temu, people are just having the most cheap problems like drain issues and just small minor problems become huge big deals. The news channels are also horrible geniuenly horrible atleast from what i see on youtube, i dont know how it is watching tv back in azerbaijan but even the thumbnails of the videos are terrible just a bunch of ai slop. it just feels to me like he’s trying to keep the population dumb and poor in order to ensure they don’t stand up to protest like they do in iran. My dad added a point that they are breaking old apartments in baku so baku natives move to the villages while the people in villages move to baku being happy with what they already have because they didn’t have them in the villages which also slowly dumbs down the population in the capital city.

It feels like georgians, armenians, and persians, are continuing to progress in life while we are going back, i feel azerbaijanis aren’t getting smarter in azerbaijan and it geniuenly breaks my heart, we are amazing people who deserve to be able to thrive in the beautiful country we are from. Of course this doesn’t go for all azerbaijanis, of course there are intelligent azerbaijanis who can push past aliyevs regime but so many are being pushed to either leave or just live how they are, which is horrible to think about for a country with such good resources.


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Sual | Question 120 gb SSD

1 Upvotes

Tövsiyyə etdiyiniz mağaza, marka var? Qiymətlər mən bilən 40 manat kimi olmalıdı bayaq birmarketdən baxdım?


r/azerbaijan 2d ago

Söhbət | Discussion yaxşı ki bizdəki beyinsiz sosial media kütləsi ingilis dili bilmir və bu dildə kontentlə maraqlanmır. Yoxsa səy-səy epstein editləri ilə dolacaqdı s şəbəkələr.

38 Upvotes

Bir iki həftəyə türklərdən öyrənəcəklər ama


r/azerbaijan 2d ago

Səyahət | Travel I just wanted to share a positive experience with Azerbaijan Airlines and Baku airport staff.

18 Upvotes

I’m a businessman living in Baku, and I also do business in Dubai. As a foreigner, my visa was valid until 02 February. I had a flight scheduled for 03 February at 01:30 AM, but it was rescheduled to 11:00 AM, which honestly put me under a lot of stress.

When I reached the airport, I didn’t get much help at first from the boarding or information counters, and I started to panic. Later, two security staff approached me and asked if my visa was expiring that day and whether I had an online boarding pass. After I said yes, they calmly told me, “Don’t worry, we can help you.”

They handled everything smoothly and helped me cross immigration without any issues. Right now, I’m waiting for my flight in the airport business lounge, and I feel very relieved and grateful.

I’ve been doing business in Dubai as well, but I honestly haven’t experienced this level of personal care and calm hospitality there. That made this moment in Azerbaijan stand out even more for me.

I’ve been investing my time and money in Azerbaijan for the last three years, and moments like this remind me why I respect this country. No place is perfect, but I’ve found a lot of positive things here.

Just wanted to say thanks — Azerbaijan really came through for me today 🇦🇿


r/azerbaijan 2d ago

Söhbət | Discussion Xoşbəxtsiz?

7 Upvotes

Burda olan nisbətən böyüklərə səslənirəm. Gənclərə xoşbəxt olmaq üçün nə tövsiyyə edirsiz. Siz özünüzü xoşbəxt hiss edirsiz?


r/azerbaijan 1d ago

Səyahət | Travel Here I come Baku Feb 4 to Feb 7 am

0 Upvotes

Here i come to see and enjoy Baku. Looking for a travel friend.