300 of the World's 700 Mud Volcanoes, an Ezraider Ride and Yanardag's Café

Of the roughly 700 mud volcanoes on the planet, about 300 are in Gobustan, in Azerbaijan and out under the Caspian. Scientists come for that, and visitors come to get into the mud, which is held to be medicinal. The off-road section is done on an Ezraider, and the fee for it is in the price, as are the entrance tickets. Bibi-Heybat mosque is the first stop, inside and out, with the guide on what it means here, and gardens to walk with the Caspian in front of them. At Gobustan the petroglyphs run to thousands of years old: people and animals, hunting scenes, ordinary days. Ateshgah is built around a natural gas vent that catches fire on its own. It has served Hindus, Sikhs and Zoroastrians in turn. Yanar Dag is in the village of Digah, where gas has burned out of the ground for centuries. The flame is smaller than it was, because of how much gas has been drawn out of Absheron, and there is a café next to it where the break is taken with the fire in view. The Heydar Aliyev Center closes the day: Zaha Hadid's building, named for the man who governed Azerbaijan for nearly twenty years, with no right angles in it and exhibitions and concerts inside. The group is small. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.