travel back tothe Middle Ages
You can find yourself transported to both the Bronze Age and a medieval town in an amazing open-air museum in Azerbaijan. This is the ancient settlement of Gala, now known as the Gala State Historical and Ethnographic Reserve. The complex, located around 40 km from Baku, covers more than 81 hectares – enough space to fit over 100 football pitches!
Here you’ll witness rock paintings, constructions, and everyday items dating back to the 3rd–2nd millennia BC, and climb to the top of a 14th-century fortress offering an incredible view of the Absheron Peninsula. In the medieval town, meanwhile, you’ll discover how our ancestors lived and see their clothes, crockery, coins, and ornaments.
The exhibition at another unusual museum within the complex – From Waste to Art – brings you back to the present, showcasing artworks made from household rubbish: cables, lamps, wheels, plastic water bottles, cellophane, toys, various car parts, and many other discarded items. Around 180 different works by local and international artists are on display here. A Simurgh bird made from iron pieces, horse figures crafted from wooden waste, and a fish composed of plastic spoons, forks, and knives are just a few of the exhibits that attract attention.
Visitors can access both museums and participate in masterclasses such as carpet weaving, pottery, lavash baking, and blacksmithing – all with a 15 AZN entrance ticket.
At the Gala Reserve, you are allowed to touch the exhibits, which is something children will especially enjoy, along with visiting the mini zoo that welcomed some new additions last spring: baby goats, lambs and even a baby camel. Entry is free for children aged 3 and under, while those aged 12 and under pay half price. And here, no one will stop you from taking photographs.
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