Known as the "Land of Fire," Azerbaijan is a country located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. While it has accumulated riches from being a trading post along the Silk Road, the country has been devastated by invading hordes charging from the four cardinal points on the compass. Azerbaijan is a country born from the explosive encounters between the Persian and Turkic Worlds, inheriting a red-hot history and culture. Rule under Persian shahs, Turkic khans, and Russian tsars has added bursts of color to the beautiful threads comprising the carpet of Azerbaijan."Splendid Azerbaijan: The History and Culture of the Land of Fire" will let you discover the secrets hidden by the perfumed rose garden of this Eurasian country. From nomads roaming the steppes of Central Asia to global citizens living at the foothills of the Caucasus and the shores of the Caspian, Azerbaijanis have a charismatic spark that torches like wildfire the soul. At the heart of Azerbaijani culture is a sweet-sounding Turkic language spoken in the streets of Baku, similar to the languages spoken in the bejeweled cities of Samarkand in the East and Istanbul in the West.