OMM Redaksiyası
A media tour for local media representatives was held at the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex on Sept. 28, organized by Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency.
According to “Operative Information Center-OMM”, Murad Aghabayli, chairman of the board of the State Tourism Agency’s Protected Areas Management Center, said the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex, which opened on June 13, 2024, offers a distinctive tourism product and is among the destinations most visited by tourists arriving in Baku. The complex’s Tourism Information Center, exhibition hall providing comprehensive information about the characteristics and minerals of mud volcanoes, workshop offering pottery and oil painting master classes, and natural history exhibition hall displaying nearly 1,000 specimens of Azerbaijani and global fauna attract considerable interest from visitors.
The complex also provides comprehensive opportunities for tourists to explore mud volcanoes, which attract attention as a unique natural phenomenon. In the open area, visitors can closely observe the “Qilinc” mud volcano, consisting of eight cones arranged in a row, as well as an oil-erupting volcano. In addition, the “Toraghay” mud volcano — considered the largest mud volcano in Azerbaijan and the world, standing 402 meters high and measuring 150 meters in diameter — can be viewed from a distance.
Aghabayli said that creating modern tourism infrastructure around mud volcanoes raises public awareness about the volcanoes located in these areas and promotes them as natural heritage sites. He also provided information about facilities created for tourists at other protected areas and institutions operating under the State Tourism Agency, new tourism products being developed in the regions, recently implemented projects, and visitor numbers at tourism sites.
Aghabayli said that during January-August 2026, a total of 432,296 tourists purchased tickets to visit protected areas and museums operating under the State Tourism Agency. Of them, 303,426, or 70.19%, were foreign tourists, while 128,870, or 29.81%, were domestic tourists. A total of 95,260 people visited the protected areas and museums free of charge.
During January-August 2026, a total of 28,979 people purchased tickets to visit the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex. Of them, 26,235 were foreign tourists and 2,744 were domestic tourists. A total of 798 people visited the complex free of charge. The foreign tourists represented more than 150 countries. Citizens of China, Russia, Türkiye, Israel, India, Poland, Germany, Italy, Bahrain and the United States were among the most numerous.
Journalists’ questions were answered in detail during the media tour.
