Following the Caspian Fleet: From the Surakhany Museum Ship to the Ship Graveyard

Your visit begins on the main deck of the Surakhany tanker. Built in 1957, the ship carried oil products across the Caspian Sea, connecting Baku with other ports, including Astrakhan, Turkmenbashi, and Anzali. It first worked as part of the Soviet fleet and later joined the Caspian Shipping Company, whose successor is ASCO.

During the tour, the museum guide will tell you about the tanker’s history, its design, and the conditions of sailing on the Caspian Sea. Through the story of one ship, you will learn more about sea transport, which connected coastal cities and supported the development of the oil industry in the region for many years.

After visiting the main deck, you will continue inside the ship. You will see the crew’s living rooms, the dining room, the kitchen, and the narrow corridors used by sailors during their journeys. The preserved rooms help you imagine daily life far from the shore, where the ship was both a workplace and a home.

The engine room is another important part of the visit. It still contains machines, instruments, and original control panels that helped the tanker work. The guide will explain how the ship’s equipment worked and how the crew helped keep the vessel moving safely. Interactive displays make it easier to understand the technical details.

The visit ends on the captain’s bridge. Sea maps, navigation tools, and control equipment show how the crew chose the ship’s direction and found their way during journeys. There is also a VR area where a virtual experience helps you imagine what it was like to control a ship at sea.

The museum visit takes about 1.5 hours. The entrance ticket and an official museum guide are included in the tour price.

The ship graveyard is especially interesting for people who enjoy photography and want to discover unusual places. Instead of typical city views, you will find large ship bodies, metal structures, salt marks, and old names painted on the sides of the ships. Reflections on the calm Caspian Sea create extra lines and shapes in your photos.

Some of the best photos can be taken in the late afternoon, when the soft sunlight brings out the orange colours of the rust and the texture of the old metal. Silver reflections on the water add contrast, while the ships look especially impressive.

Your guide will suggest good places for photography and help you choose angles that show the size of the ships and the atmosphere of the area. When planning your photo session, it is important to consider the weather, light, and access rules. The use of drones is limited by local rules in this coastal area and is not included in the tour.

After visiting the ships, you can stop at a fish restaurant on the shore of Bibi-Heybat. The restaurant serves grilled fish, traditional Azerbaijani starters, and tea. If you want to try local food, look for kutum lavangi, a fish dish with a tasty filling that is popular in Azerbaijan.

The restaurant is right by the water, making it a good place to relax after the visit and enjoy another side of Baku’s maritime atmosphere. This optional stop takes about one hour.