Azernews.Az

By Aygul Salmanova

Being the second most populous city of Azerbaijan, Ganja is located on the northeast foot of the Lesser Caucasus, on the banks of the Ganjachay River.

The city, which plays a significant role in the social, political and economic life of Azerbaijan is at the intersection of trade routes. It was here that the Great Silk Road passed. Today Ganja takes part in the global tourism project on the restoration of the Great Silk Road, which will connect Ganja with the cities of China and Asia.

The modern Ganja city is one of the scientific, educational and cultural centers of the country. An incredibly beautiful sunny city, literally drowning in the greenery of the gardens, every year attracts attention of an increasing number of tourists.

During the first nine months of this year 22,297 tourists from different cities and regions of the republic came to Ganja with about 7,800 foreign guests.

The number of local visitors has increased by 14 percent compared to the same period of the last year, while the number of foreign visitors has increased by 13.5 percent, according to the information given by Ganja City Executive Power.

As many as 27,855 tourists visited the Heydar Aliyev Park Complex, Mehseti Ganjavi Center, the genius poet Nizami Ganjavi's tomb complex and museum, the Ganja Gala Door Archeology and Ethnography Museum Monument Complex, Ganja Imamzade Sanctuary, “Khan Baghi” and other historical monuments and sightseeing, leaving them with pleasant impressions.

Ganja is an ancient city with cozy houses made of red brick, tea-houses, mosques and temples. There are many interesting sights here. The Juma Mosque, Nizami Mausoleum, Lake Goygol are the most famous of them. Its beautifully planned streets and parks as well as the architectural landscape of the city attract attention of every visitor.

Chinars (of the Platanov family) are considered as a symbol of Ganja. More than 500 plane trees have been greening on the streets of the city for 200 years. The country is home for plane trees, the age of which is more than 1,500 years. The locals call them "dyul-dyul".