After traveling right up to the remote villages of Azerbaijan, we made our trip towards Sheki the next morning. Our first stop on this journey was the Diri Baba Tomb. The Diri Baba’s tomb is located in the region of Gobustan.
On the road from Baku to Shamaki lies this mystical tomb of a saintly man by the name of Diri Baba who lived in the caves amongst the rocks; the tomb is where he was buried when he died. It also has the saint’s kabar. It was built in 1402 and is carved out of the dark brown rocks, the tomb is almost suspended in the air as it juts out of the rocks, a color contrast indeed. Diri Baba was a mystic in this region and was revered. Since the 17th century, travelers have been coming here to pray and pay respects to the saint. One can also wish for what they desire, and that will happen in their lives; that is the mystical power of the Baba who remains buried in this two-storied tomb. One has to wear helmets on the head if one is to venture inside the tombs and the many caves that surround it. I took my helmet to protect my head for sure as some of the rock openings and passages were narrow; it was easy for someone to bump their head and hit a rock. I did venture inside the mausoleum after climbing a steep flight of steps up to the opening gate of the tomb.
After entering the tomb, the first thing you see is the ante-room covered by the octahedral. There is a steep flight of winding stairways one has to climb to come to the second floor which is the 15-meter hall with a dome. The room has windows like a Jharoka. There is a small room with a holy book, a green book, on a table covered with a green rug. This is also a room used for prayer and meditation. The legend has it that when the saint and holy man Diri Baba died, his body did not smell or decompose, and his flesh did not rot at all.
I sat on the window ledge of the front hall on the first floor and sunlight through the stone-cut windows fell on me creating a hue of blue light as the rays bounced off my blue Egyptian silk shirt. I enjoyed snapping this place, the winding staircase, and the caves on either side of the tomb and even walked right inside one of the caves only to be disappointed as there were no snakes and scorpions here.
On the way, we stopped at a departmental store, and I managed to grab myself a bottle of the finest perfume from this region, and it was not very expensive, just forty dollars for two hundred milliliters. I stood there just watching the lady pour fresh perfume into a bottle to get it packed just for me. She looked as gorgeous as the perfume I bought, I had to snap her, and so I did.
We were already running late for our last stop for the day, the city of Sheki, but still, we decided to stop over at a lake for some early dinner. I managed to chat up with two English ladies who looked very friendly over a meal of kebabs, soup, and wine. It was all very wonderful; the weather was getting cold as we drove past green and lush meadows that cover a lot of the landscape of this region. At Sheki, there was another drama; our hotel was not booked, and we had to go through an hour of confusion to get a new place for me to spend the night at. Finally, we got a hostel up in the hills, and I have managed to park myself in Sheki for the night. Till then, enjoy the pictures and videos of my adventures in Azerbaijan.