In and around the The Diri Baba Mausoleum. Azerbaijan.
A legend tells us that in the 15th century a revered mystic, one, Diri Baba, was buried here in a carved out cave and for decades after remained intact, neither perished nor decayed. Word spread and pilgrims from all over started to visit worship and do whatever else pilgrims get up to.
Then mysteriously after about 300 years Diri Baba woke up and disappeared! FFS. After which his cell was bricked up, bit harsh, what if he had only popped to the Lidl for a pint of milk a welding set and a surfboard?
Yet, the place still remained a popular spot for these curious and needy pilgrims but Diri Baba never returned, I wouldn't have bothered either, plenty of other caves to live in.
Fast forward to the mid 1950's and the carbuncle domed mausoleum was constructed over the mysterious cave without its un-decomposed mystic.
Bugger all to see inside
Further renovation in 2001, I lost interest and wandered off to look at some real stuff.
Pilgrims and travellers from ancient times
Aged, really old Islamic headstones with indecipherable wording, they reminded me of, and probably are Khachkars, found mainly in these ancient lands through which the Silk Route passed.
Lichen a micro cosmos, do the minuscule creatures that live here believe themselves to be the only living creatures in the universe. Do they see nearby colonies as friends or enemies, do they invade start illegal wars?
Not everything in the graveyard is dead
[//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin 40.53258 lat 48.94202 long d3scr))
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That made me laugh out loud! Back in the summer we literally did just that, bought a paddle board and for £99 it’s a very good one! Survived the rivers of Slovenia.
Thanks for sharing done interesting insights into a country we rarely hear much about here in my neck of the woods
Got to love Lidl LOL, sounds like you got a bargain!
Az may appear interesting but in general it is my least favourite country visited. Just trying to paint a decent picture of what I saw cheers
It's never really been one on my radar, I have to say
I just have this personal quest to visit each of the SSR's so it had to be done
Gorgeous headstones! I found nicely decorated tombstones in the surroundings of Gori and also Uplistsikhe in Georgia. Probably, wherever there’s soft-ish stone, people carve tombstones to pass the long winter days... I just know that other parts of Georgia - at least where I've been - have no such art.
Those are pretty much just where the Greater Armenia borders came to an end. So in parts of Georgia you may see some similar designs but they're often monuments dedicated to certain Armenian history given the Armenian population that once and still does occupy most of those regions. Usually towns along the south and border.
What I saw in Gori and Uplistsikhe weren't Armenian khachkars - just local stone tombstones with carved decorations. This tradition could form only in areas where soft stone available - in Uplistsikhe they carved a city out of this stone exactly for this reason.
Greater Armenia existed 1500 years ago, and, it looks, even at its best time didn't include the Gori/Uplistsikhe area.
There are khachkars in Georgia near the Georgia-Armenia border, Javakheti region.
I just found what the ruins (with the tombstones) I visited - old Uplistsikhe village abandoned in the XX century. People were re-settled to new Uplistsikhe, no Armenians live there.
The place in the 1970s. The source
The 1900s. The source
Yes very intricate in their design, all done by craftsmen with basic tools
Dead centers really tell stories untold, little bird protecting territory boldly stood proud. Nice captures, never heard of Diri Baba that is for sure, nice tale in the telling.
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The scorpion and snake warning gave me a lil giggle because I haven't seen a single thing like that here in Armenia when venturing out into such territory.
Yeah they're likely from around the Persian Empire. Back when the Iranian influence over the region was incredibly strong and before the Romans came and spread Christianity.
Cheers @namiks thanks for dropping in, yes I don't know why that sign is there either, I have never seen any in the region either, nor when I visited Armenia some years back.
Armenia I loved, Az not so much
It depends on the region and time of year. I've seen both snakes and scorpions in the western regions of Armenia. Even caught a look at a wild preying mantis the other week in Kotayk, incredible thing to see. But yeah I think the window for scorpions in particular is quite small. And they tend to be in the really empty, rocky environments. I just think Armenians don't care and are used to it, they won't warn you about it. Safety isn't much of a concern here haha.
What was it that you didn't like?
What i didn't like?
The people... they seemed very dour and unfriendly, I like to engage with the locals where I travel, but even a friendly "Salaam" or Hi from me was often met with at best a begrudging grunt,
The food.....bland and greasy
Everything seemed fake even this tomb was built relatively recently as was the "ancient mosque" at Shamaki. baku was full of pretentious buildings.
In contrast I found the hospitality etc the complete opposite in both Armenia and Georgia.
The place is steeped in mystery, from the bricked-up cave to the ancient headstones, each telling its own story.
yes indeed they do the graves were great the other bits too fake
Totally agree!
not afraid of snakes and scorpions? I am
LOL,
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Love the mix of history and humor in your post! Makes me want to visit the mausoleum myself."
Cheers @anlizapasaje1234 thanks for your positive vibes, hope you make it one day