Azerbaijan is known as the "Land of Fire". The Ateshgah is an old fire temple in Surakhani; about 30 km (~19 miles) from
Baku.
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A Sanskrit Marker |
Many believe that it was a Zoroastrian temple. Zoroastrians were ancient Iranian fire worshipers. However, it was actually a Hindu monastery.
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The complex consists of a courtyard surrounded by cells for monks with a large alter in the middle. It was originally built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Once oil and gas plants were established, around 1883, the complex was abandoned.
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In 1975 it became a museum. One that is under renovation now. In 1998 it was nominated to become a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The jury is still out on this one.
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