Women in Azerbaijan are traditionally treated with utmost respect, as it is also the case in the entire CIS/former USSR area. Female travellers should not act surprised or indignant when their Azerbaijani male friends pay their bills at restaurants, open every door in front of them, offer their hand to help them climb down that little step or help them carry anything heavier than a handbag - this is not sexual harassment or being condescending to females. Male travellers should understand that this is exactly the sort of behavior that most Azerbaijani girls and women will expect from them, too.
When you are invited into an Azerbaijani home, make sure to bring them a gift. Anything is fine from flowers (be sure to get an odd number of flowers, as an even number is associated with funerals) to chocolate (but not wine and other alcoholic beverages), and indeed something representative from your country. In Azerbaijani culture it is the thought behind the gift, rather than the price, that matters. And if you really want their respect, thank your host for the invitation and compliment them. The host will make sure to make you feel at home, so don't take advantage of their kindness.
When you arrive at the house take off your shoes just outside or immediately inside the door, unless the owner explicitly allows you to keep them on. Even then, it might be more polite to remove your shoes. You may be offered slippers to wear. Do not worry that your feet will get dirty - the floors are just as clean as the walls - Azerbaijanis are very neat and clean people.
Azerbaijanis respect elderly people, so in a bus, tram, subway and in other forms public transportation, young(er) people will always offer you a place to sit if you are an old(er) person as well as a handicapped person or a pregnant woman or have children with you.
It is respectful to bend slightly (not a complete bow) when greeting someone older or in a position of authority. Younger people always initiate greetings with older people or those in a position of authority.
As mentioned above, it is considered polite to let women first to board and leave the bus, tram, subway and in other forms public transportation or to enter and leave a room.
If you do not know the person well, use their first name followed by an appropriate honorific. For women, use "Xanım" - pronounced "hanm" ("Mrs."). For men, use "Cənab" - pronounced "jenab" ("Mr"). If they do speak English use their last name preceded by the appropriate English honorific "Mr." or "Mrs.". The English honorific "Ms." does not exist in the Azerbaijani language, as women are not distinguished (or discriminated) according to married and unmarried status and addressing a young woman "Ms" would be considered inappropriate and offensive.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Azerbaijan
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Azerbaijan - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Azerbaijan hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Azerbaijan Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
