Popular Airport | Mazar i Sharif Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 1 hour 50 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 1553 Km |
Located along the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan’s capital Baku is a rising star in the East gaining notoriety for its oil, gas, and caviar. Baku is a city that attracts the attention people migrating from Asia and other countries in the region, and businessmen from all around the world. The city’s only airport is the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, named after the National Leader and third President of Azerbaijan. The airport serves 5 million passengers annually.
You can get to the airport, which is located 25 km away, from the city center by car or a combination of the metro and airport buses.
The easiest and cheapest way to get to the airport from the city center is by airport bus. Bus line 116 departs from Vurgun Park, located in central Baku, and takes about 50 minutes to get to the airport.
The metro system in Baku provides transportation to many central locations in the city like the Old City, 28 May Street, and the Caspian Sea. However, to get to the airport from the city center you have to first take the metro and then get on a bus. From central locations in the city like the Old City, Cafer Cabbari, and Khatai you can take the metro to the 28 May and Koroglu stations. From here you can get on bus line 116, which runs to the airport or take a taxi to the airport.
Since the city is rich in oil, fuel is cheap, making traveling by car a very attractive option. Getting to the city center from the airport is very easy. One of the city’s most important avenues, Heydar Aliyev Avenue will connect you to the Boyuk Shor Highway, which goes to the airport. From the highway take the Airport exit. The airport contains indoor and outdoor parking lots where you can park your personal car for a certain fee.
Although it is not very large Heydar Aliyev International Airport is an important junction, especially for passengers traveling between Europe and Asia. The airport offers passengers a variety of eating, drinking, and shopping venues.
The airport has 2 terminals, Terminal 1, which was completely renovated, and Terminal 2, which serves domestic flights. The airport contains world famous fast food chains like Burger King, McDonald’s, and KFC, as well as restaurants that offer delicious flavors unique to Azerbaijani cuisine.
The international terminal has a large Duty Free shop as well as souvenir shops where you can buy items unique to Russian and Azeri culture. The airport features free wireless internet connection.
Mazar I Sharif, a border town close to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, is the most important and biggest city of Behl Region located in the north of Afghanistan. Due to its geographical location, it has a very strategic position both in terms of politics and transport.
The city has taken its name from the belief that Ali's grave is here. The city center is made up of straight blocks that spread around Ali's tomb and cut each other perpendicularly. When you move towards the city center, all the roads would take you to this big square with the tomb, surrounded by greenery.
Already the intersection of the other roads is also squares. The traffic rules are not generally applied in the city, and as a result, there is a feeling of chaos in the roads. Traffic is almost always cramped.
Bikes and motorcycles are frequently used means of transportation in the city center. It is possible to see luxury cars and horse-drawn cars in traffic together. Mazar I Sharif railroad connects it with the neighbor Uzbekistan and the train reaches the city center. Priority in rail transport is not human transport but merchandise transport. This makes Mazar I Sharif an important trade transfer point for Afghanistan, beyond being a religious destination.
Although there are buses for long distance journeys, transportation in the city center is provided by special vehicles. From here you can go to the capital city of Kabul by bus or plane. If you want to see Belh, the birthplace of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, you can reach this old settlement with a 30-minute car journey.
The Mazar I Sharif International Airport is quite small and does not offer transportation to the city center by public transport. You can reach the city center by taxi, rental car or hotel shuttles from the airport which is 12 kilometers east of the city center. The airport does not have regular services. You have to ask when you get there.
Although it is very easy to find in a hostel or motel Mazar I Sharif, there are not much bigger hotels. You should check with your hotel whether or not they provide a shuttle service and make reservation in advance so that they can pick you up from the airport.
Taxi is means of transportation that is frequently used to get to the city center from the airport. If there is not much traffic, you can reach the city center in 16 minutes. It’s a good idea to have a deal about the fare with the taxi driver before you take the cab.
Renting a car is the most preferred method of transportation in Mazar I Sharif since you need to negotiate price with taxis, there are problems about public transportation and it is very convenient for those who want to go to surrounding cities.
Since the roads are not generally asphalt, the Jeep is the most preferred type of vehicle. You can reach the city center in about 16 minutes on a straight road for about 12 kilometers after connecting to the AH76 motorway from the airport connection road.
If you rent a car during your travel, you should be aware that traffic rules are not strictly applied in the city.