Kichikdash mountain and Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
339 km
Riding-time estimate
5 h 00
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
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Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
From Qobustan it runs 339 km to Qobustan; allow about 5 h 00 of riding. It goes by way of Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's, Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill, back through Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill and back through Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Kichikdash mountain
The plateau of Gobustan is a dry, stony place, grey and ochre, with boulders scattered across low hills as if a giant had emptied a bag of rubble and left. Kichikdash, whose name means Little Stone, is one of those hills, a rocky outcrop in the reserve a few kilometres from the town of Qobustan, with the Caspian Sea visible in the distance on a clear day. Its bigger neighbour is Boyukdash, Big Stone, and together they hold some of the oldest pictures in the Caucasus.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Kichikdash mountain is where the day begins. Next is Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's.
2. Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's
Baku is windy by name and by nature, and the old walled city on the Caspian shore has been catching the wind for about a thousand years. Inside the walls, known locally as Icherisheher, a maze of narrow stone lanes winds between mosques, caravanserais and houses with carved balconies. The Maiden Tower, a stout round tower of mysterious age and purpose, rises near the sea, and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, built in the fifteenth century as the residence of the rulers of Shirvan, sits on the hill above. UNESCO listed the walled city and the palace together in 2000.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's comes up about 59 km into the recorded legs. Next is Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill.
3. Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill
Gobustan is a stony, wind-scoured landscape of low hills and mesas south of Baku, near the shores of the Caspian Sea, and on its rocks, people carved images over thousands of years: hunters with bows, boats with rowers, dancers, wild cattle, deer and goats. More than six thousand petroglyphs have been recorded here, dating back as far as the end of the last ice age, and the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape was listed by UNESCO in 2007.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Kichikdash mountain closes the day.
Leg by leg
Kichikdash mountain to Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's
Kichikdash mountain → Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's is 59 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's to Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill
Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's → Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill is 53 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill to Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's
Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill → Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's to back through Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill
Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's → back through Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill is 53 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill to back through Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's
back through Jinghindagh mountain -Yazylytepe hill → back through Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's to Kichikdash mountain
back through Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's → Kichikdash mountain is 57 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.