One of the former Soviet republics, the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan in Azerbaijani) faces the southwestern quadrant of the Caspian Sea, bordering Russia to the north and Iran to the south. In the central part of the country's coastline the Absheron (Abşeron) Peninsula projects about 60 km (37 mi) into the Caspian. The capital Bakı (Baku) is located near the base of the peninsula on the south side. The city has a population of about two million and a large port that serves cross-Caspian shipments as well as cargos bound to or from Russia or the Mediterranean via the Volga and Don waterways. The present territory of Azerbaijan was incorporated into the Russian Empire in the early 19th century so the historic lighthouses are of Russian heritage. Following the Russian Revolution Azerbaijan became one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union in 1920. The country has been independent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. We are in need of "on the ground" information concerning the current condition, status, and activity of Azerbaijan's lighthouses, so if you able to visit any of them please let me know whatever you find out. Current photos would also be very welcome! Azerbaijan is divided into 66 districts (rayon) and 11 cities (şəhər). The Azerbaijani language is written now in a Latin script rather than the Cyrillic used in Soviet times. The language uses a modified form of the Turkish alphabet but it also includes the Cyrillic short-a character ә. As in Turkish the dotted (İ and i) and dotless (I and ı) forms of the letter I are different letters. The Azerbaijani word for a lighthouse is mayakı, plural mayakları (borrowed from the Russian word mayak), or dәniz kәnarı (borrowed from the Turkish deniz feneri). As in Turkish, ada or adası is an island, yarımada is a peninsula, burnu is a cape, burun ("nose") is a headland, and liman is a harbor. The Caspian Sea is known as the Xəzər Dənizi (Hazar Sea) in Azerbaijani. Lighthouses in Azerbaijan are presumably maintained by the State Maritime Administration. Names of the lighthouses are given in Azerbaijani with the Russian names in curly brackets {}. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Because the Caspian Sea is landlocked its lights are not listed on the international light lists.
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![]() Maiden Tower, Bakı, November 2019 photo copyright Heather Craven; used by permission |
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![]() Qaradağ Light, Qaradağ ex-Trip Advisor photo; may be reproduced with attribution |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Russia: Caspian Sea | South: Northern Iran
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Posted March 12, 2007. Checked and revised July 7, 2024. Lighthouses: 19. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.