"Exploring Taza Bazaar" Baku Off The Beaten Path Tip by Kelvin71

Baku shows a European facade on Nizami Kuchasi, but the Taza Bazaar is distinctly Central Asian. The entrance to the bazaar is located about a block south of the "Blue" Mosque on Vurgun.

Walk past the shops near the entrance selling hardware to get to the heart of the bazaar. Particularily good buys include:

Azeri Jams:
Pommegranate and Honey flower jams. Azeris consume coupius amounts with tea. A bottle should cost 1/2 Shirvan, so bargain.

Caviar:
Most foreigners come to the bazaar to buy fresh beluga. The fresh beluga is sold in 113g glasses and you should not pay more than 10 Shirvan a glass, especially during the summer. The fresh caviar, despite my religious attempts at refrigerating it, does not keep for over two weeks. Recommend you consume fairly quickly.

Tea:
The famous region for tea is Lankaran, near the border with Iran. The quality varies, from extremely tannic (staining your teacups) to fairly mild. If you want to buy in bulk, the bazaar is the best place to do it. They sell tea in 1kg bags. If you want smaller samples, stick to the local Beta brand tea. Going price, about about 4 Shirvan/kg.

ps: 1 Shirvan is 10,000Manat. Locals refer to the note as the "Shirvan" as it depicts the Shirvan Shah's palace in the Old City. 1 Shirvan is approx: US$1.90