The 'Land of Fire', Azerbaijan is neither Europe nor Central Asia, it's a nexus of ancient historical empires, but also a new nation that is rapidly transforming itself. The cosmopolitan capital, Baku, surrounds an ancient city with dazzling 21st-century architecture by the Caspian Sea. In the surrounding desert you will find ancient petroglyphs, mud volcanoes and natural gas fires that have been burning for centuries..