MUD VOLCANOES

Mud volcanoes are one of the country's major natural attractions. The most interesting site to observe this natural phenomenon is 80 km from Baku, and a few minutes by car from Qobustan site. The sources of methane gradually go back to the surface, resulting in water and clay alluvial: Ground bubbles then form at the ground of the ground, before they burst brightly and come up with the walls of the craters. There are more than 230 methane sources in the country, but not all are active. Some are in the sea and sometimes give birth to small ephemeral islands. Of the 800 mud volcanoes identified in the world (land or sea), nearly half are in Azerbaijan.

On the site near Qobustan, you can observe craters of very different sizes, the widest ones running several meters in diameter, the smallest ones reaching only a few centimetres. The whole form forms an almost lunar landscape in the middle of the desert. This is certainly one of the most impressive natural phenomena in the country. The locals regularly immerse themselves in the warm mud of the craters before they get dry in the sun. The practice would be deemed to be excellent for health.