Travel: Exploring Azerbaijan's history, hospitality and hidden delights

When you hear of Azerbaijan, what comes to mind? Perhaps a country suspended between Europe and Asia, rich with culture, layered history, and glittering city lights? And you would be right.

But Azerbaijan is also something harder to describe; a place where medieval streets meet futuristic skyscrapers, where cats have tiny hotels, and where strangers greet you like an old friend.

The journey to Baku began with a six-hour flight to Türkiye, followed by another two and a half hours into Azerbaijan's capital. As the plane descended, rain washed over the city skyline. Yet even beneath the grey skies, Baku felt warm and inviting.

The city itself feels like a beautiful contradiction. One moment you are standing among ancient stone buildings that make you feel as though you have wandered onto the set of a royal period film, and the next you are staring up at sleek modern skyscrapers glowing against the Caspian sky.

Baku has embraced the idea of a "five-minute walkable city," where residents can reach cafes, pharmacies, schools, and supermarkets within minutes.

One of the most fascinating contrasts lies between Black City and White City. Black City was once the industrial heart of Baku during the oil boom years, earning its name from the soot and pollution coating the area.

Today, White City stands in sharp contrast, a clean, modern redevelopment filled with elegant apartments, wide roads, and pristine walkways. Walking through it now, it is difficult to imagine the smoke and grime that once defined the district.

Then there is the food; generous, theatrical, and impossible to forget. The moment you sit down at a restaurant, tables overflow with hot bread, salads, olives, juices, and irresistible cheeses. If you are unfamiliar with Azerbaijani hospitality, you may accidentally fill yourself up before the main dishes even arrive.

Then come the giant trays of meat. Lamb, beef, chicken, often served together in endless rounds, continue arriving until everyone is fully satisfied. And always, there is tea. Whether in restaurants or homes, tea follows every meal and conversation.

But perhaps the true rulers of Azerbaijan are its cats. You cannot walk more than a few blocks in Baku without spotting a cat lounging outside a café or designer shop. Tiny shelters labelled "Cat Hotel" dot the streets, while shopkeepers regularly step outside carrying food and water for the animals.

No trip to Baku is complete without wandering through the Old Town, known locally as Icherisheher. Stepping into the Old Town feels like travelling backwards through centuries. Its maze-like alleys open onto medieval fortress walls, ancient bathhouses, mosques, caravanserais, and palaces preserving layers of Persian, Arabic, and Shirvani history.

Towering above it all is the iconic Maiden Tower, Azerbaijan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Standing at its base feels like stepping into a fairytale.

Further east in the Shamakhi district stands the oldest mosque in Azerbaijan; beautiful, resilient, and marked by tragedy after surviving both violence and repeated earthquake destruction over the years.

From history and heartbreak, the journey shifted toward indulgence at Shirvan Meysari Wines, Azerbaijan's first EU-certified organic winery. Inside, the scent of fermenting grapes hangs in the air as visitors are guided through every stage of production before settling into a dimly lit medieval-style tasting room.

Seven wine glasses await each guest, paired with cheeses, almonds, salmon, oats, and honey. Each sip carries its own personality, smooth, earthy, sharp, or velvety.

But beyond the landscapes, food, and architecture, what lingered most were the people.

For dark-skinned visitors especially, Azerbaijan can be unexpectedly overwhelming, not with hostility, but with curiosity and affection. Strangers regularly stopped to offer compliments like "African Queen," "Black Princess," and "Beautiful," often followed by requests for photographs. Many asked where I came from, and upon hearing "Kenya," quickly searched for familiar names, usually marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge.

And somehow, every interaction felt sincere. Azerbaijan is far more than its skyline, ancient walls, endless tea, or overflowing platters of meat. It is a country where history and modern life exist side by side, where strangers offer warmth freely, and where even the smallest moments, a sleeping cat outside a boutique or rain falling over Baku's skyline, become unforgettable memories.