A crossroads of peoples and faiths
At the junction of Europe and Asia, dozens of peoples and several religions have lived side by side for centuries. A mosque, a church and a synagogue — in one city, on one land.
What this is
Azerbaijan lies at a historical crossroads of the Great Silk Road — between the Greater Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and the Iranian plateau. For centuries peoples, languages and religions passed through this land, and many of them settled here. So, within a relatively small area, a mosaic of ethnicities and faiths took shape, coexisting for centuries.
This coexistence is a historical reality, reflected in the geography of settlement, the architecture of the cities and the makeup of the communities. Since the 2010s, the state has elevated this diversity to the rank of an official policy — "Azerbaijani multiculturalism" — declaring the equality of citizens and the protection of the cultures of small-numbered peoples.
Where to start
PeoplesFrom the Azerbaijani majority to the indigenous peoples of the Caucasus: Lezgins, Talysh, Udi, Mountain Jews.II
ReligionsIslam, Christianity, Judaism and the ancient heritage of the fire worshippers — side by side.III
Jews of AzerbaijanThree communities and the unique Krasnaya Sloboda near Quba — with no history of antisemitism.IV
Heritage and placesA map of multiculturalism: the fire temple, mosques, churches and synagogues of a single country.V
Policy and institutionsWhat the state does and declares in the field of intercultural dialogue.Here a mosque, a church and a synagogue have stood a few steps apart for centuries — and this is ordinary city life, not an exception.
A special page
Three communities — Mountain, Ashkenazi and Georgian Jews — and Krasnaya Sloboda near Quba, one of the few compact Jewish settlements in the world. The absence of historical antisemitism is one of the strongest arguments for genuine tolerance.
Open the sectionBefore you read
We try to distinguish between the documented historical coexistence of peoples and the official policy of multiculturalism, which since 2014–2016 has also become an element of state branding. We present the former as fact and the latter as a declared programme.