Getting There
As Boyuk-Zira is an island in the Caspian Sea and a strategic object, it can only be observed on the distance from the boat. Boats have their own schedule, but they are object to occasional changes. To obtain the current schedule, you can inquire at the ticket office located at the port right in front of the Park Boulevard Mall.
What to Expect
Boyuk-Zira Island, also referred to as Nargin Island in Azerbaijan, is situated in the Caspian Sea’s Baku Bay, approximately ten kilometers south of the city. It covers a relatively small area, spanning approximately three-square kilometers.
Boyuk Zira is the biggest island that separates the Baku Bay from the sea south of the Absheron Peninsula. Caspian seals, sturgeon, and numerous types of birds, such as teal ducks, herring gulls, and grebes are some of the species that can be found on and around Boyuk Zira Island.
History
In 1719, Russian Emperor Peter I gave the island its name, because it resembled the island of Nargin in the Gulf of Finland. A modern name of the island is “Boyuk Zira”, which was also its initial name, and is originated from the merging of two words – “boyuk” means “big” in Azerbaijani and “jazira” means “island” in Arabic.
