Barda, Azerbaijan

Capital City

With a population of just 30,908, Barda is a sleepy Azerbaijani backwater, a far cry from the glitz of Baku. Agriculture and dairy dominate the local economy, while the city's medieval history as the seat of the Caucasian Albanian church lends it a dusty, forgotten air. Centuries of earthquakes and Mongol invasions have erased much of Barda's architectural heritage, save for a handful of modest landmarks. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, and the city's proximity to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone raises safety concerns. Unless you crave a quiet, uneventful life far from the madding crowd, Barda is not the place for you.