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Mark Elliott

A teacher turned travel-writer, Mark’s first visits to the Caspian region were a 1984 sojourn to Iran’s rainy north coast then a 1994 odyssey via Kazakhstan and Caspian Russia on his ‘way home’ from a three year stay in Japan. In 1995 he became entranced with the Caucasus while researching what would become the ‘cult backpacker bible,’ Asia Overland. He has since returned two dozen times, penned several guidebooks to Azerbaijan and Georgia, written for Azerbaijani websites and magazines and presented several documentaries about the region.

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President Ilham Aliyev Calls for Armenian Constitutional Reform to Aid Lasting South Caucasus Peace

Recent weeks have seen some hopeful signs of diplomatic work that is quietly edging the South Caucasus closer to lasting peace. However, some key pitfalls remain as Aliyev told TURKPA yesterday.

Caucasus, Politics & Economy

New Caledonia’s Turmoil

In one of the weirdest geopolitical twists of recent years, France has levelled some rather strange accusations against Azerbaijan. And all over a part of the world that most Azerbaijanis have probably never heard of—or hadn’t until recently.

Aliyev In Berlin

The Azerbaijani President continued a week of international globetrotting spending Friday at Germany’s Petersberg Climate Dialogue, part of the important preparations for the 2024 COP29 meetings to be held in Baku.

Positive signs of a rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Armenia?

Since before the break-up of the USSR, Armenia and Azerbaijan have seen each other as mortal enemies, yet normalizing relations could be a win-win situation. Comments from both Baku and Yerevan this week suggest that moves toward this normalization might finally be on the horizon.

The Lachin Road—A Big Deal in 2023 but Now Fading into Memory

On 23/24 April 2023, just one year ago today, observers doubted the wisdom of Baku’s decision to install a checkpoint on the Lachin Road. Today, with the whole situation changed, Azerbaijan reflects on a crucial move in the long game of regaining full control over Karabakh.

Aliyev and Putin Mark the 50th Anniversary of Siberia’s ‘Other’ Great Railway Line

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was in Moscow on 22 April 22, where he met with Vladimir Putin to celebrate the anniversary of the BAM Railway, the construction of which involved many Azerbaijanis, not least the president’s father, Heydar Aliyev.

Caucasus, Stories

Russia Starts Sending Home its Karabakh Peacekeepers

Russia has started a pull-out of its troops from Azerbaijan, implying Moscow’s acceptance that their peacekeeping role in Karabakh is now irrelevant.

Vardanyan: A Peace-Loving Prisoner or Someone Standing in the Way of Peace?

Russian-billionaire turned Armenian activist-politician Ruben Vardanyan has reportedly been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in a move that seems aimed at persuading the world’s media to reassess his situation: he is currently awaiting trial in Azerbaijan for “terrorism-funding” charges.

Culture, Politics & Economy

Dolma Diaries

A Georgian, an Armenian, and an Azerbaijani—all three students at a German university—are allocated a shared flat in Berlin. How will they get on, ‘living with the enemy?’ This is the starting premise for the excellent mini-series Dolma Diaries screening via YouTube.

Cross Cultural Casualties at Crocus City

Many dozens died on Friday in an awful concert massacre in Moscow, cited by some as being terrorist retaliation for Russia’s involvement in Syria. Amongst the victims was an Azerbaijani-Armenian couple whose love had bridged an altogether different conflict.

Ardashir’s Palace and Circular City—Iranian Firsts

Visitors to southeastern Iran tend to focus on the city of poets, Shiraz, and the nearby ruins of Persepolis, the ancient Persian capital destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330BC. However, around 100km further south is a lesser-known series of ancient remains.

Iran, Stories

The Safavid Dynasty – Azerbaijani heritage

The Safavids are often associated in Western minds with the 17th-century architectural wonders of Isfahan, Iran. But their roots were Azerbaijani and throughout their long rule, the language used by their bureaucracy was a form of Azerbaijani Turkish.

Caucasus, Central Asia, Iran, Stories

Armenia Engages its European Diaspora in a Non-political Grass Roots Attempt to Stabilize the Country

The 2024 “Engage Armenia Forum” has set off a five-country roadshow around Western Europe to drum up more active diaspora participation in Armenia’s development. A varied range of options are on offer, and such grassroots attempts to internationalize the country could be a major boost towards ensuring a more stable, peaceful Caucasus.

Mahammad Rasulzade 140th Anniversary

Few outside the Caucasus will know his name. However, for most Azerbaijanis, Mahammad Amin Rasulzade—born 140 years ago today—is one of history’s most pivotal figures, rising to prominence during the country’s first period of independence, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (‘ADR,’ 1918-1920).

Happy Sadeh

Today is Jashn-e Sadeh, an Iranian winter festival celebrated each year on the 10th of Bahman in the Iranian calendar and of Mehr in the Zoroastrian, which falls on 30 January.

Culture, Iran

Azerbaijani Delegation walks out of PACE

Azerbaijan's delegation from PACE, the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe, has withdrawn from the organization citing "racism, Azerbaijanophobia, and Islamophobia."

Abkhazia’s Top Art Gallery Destroyed by Fire

Priceless canvasses with Yoko Ono links were among many irreplaceable artworks lost in a tragic conflagration that destroyed the most important gallery of Abkhazia.

Caucasus, Culture, Regions, Stories

Maragheh/Maraga, Iran: Once home to Eurasia’s greatest astronomical observatory

Even frequent visitors to Iran rarely think of visiting Maragheh, yet its tomb towers and historical observatory site retain distant resonances of a magnificent history.

Caucasus, Culture, Iran

Moynak – Memories of the Aral Sea

Back in the 1960s, Moynak, Uzbekistan had been a bustling fishing port on a peninsula jutting into the Aral Sea’s southern flank. Now it is around 100km from the Aral’s nearest coast. Mark Elliott when there to find what’s left of the place.

Central Asia, Stories

Chess Championship Reminds the World of a Tragically Lost Azerbaijani Star

The Gashimov Chess Tournament has concluded in Gabala, Azerbaijan. But beyond the games themselves, the event reminds the world of one of the sport’s great young players whose life was cut short in 2014.

Where in the World? Nukus and the Incredible Savitsky Museum

Uzbekistan is ever more popular with tourists thanks to its trio of majestic Silk Route cities, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. But what about the far west of the country? Mark Elliott heads to Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan.

Central Asia, Culture

Aliyev Unplugged – candid comments and responses in Baku

This week’s announcement in Azerbaijan of snap elections along, with new hopes for peace, were prefaced with in depth comments by President Aliyev which have helped clarify his stance on many key issues.

Khiva – A 21st-century Visitor’s Experience

Khiva, Uzbekistan is the Silk Route’s most memorable city claims veteran travel writer Mark Elliott who first visited back in 1994 when he counted a mere 7 foreign visitors in town. These days it’s an understandable tourist magnet. Here are Mark’s tips for making the most of a visit.

Azerbaijan Welcomes the Latest International Court of Justice Ruling on Karabakh

On Friday (November 17) the ICJ delivered the latest ‘order’ in the long-running international legal battle between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s Pivot towards Nato Creates Waves

The arrival of French military hardware in Armenia via Georgia highlights the complex challenge for Yerevan in negotiating a path through rapidly evolving new geopolitical realities.

The Case of Vagif Khachatryan: Azerbaijan’s Indictment of the First Karabakh Armenian Accused of War Crimes

An ethnic Armenian from Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for crimes dating back to 1991. For Baku, it’s the first major prosecution of someone accused of wartime massacres. However, Khachatryan insists he’s innocent.

UN Team Visits Karabakh and Talks to Remaining Residents in Khankendi

Some Armenians called it too little too late, but a UN fact-finding mission has now been to Karabakh and, while regretting the mass exodus of citizens, found no reports of violence against civilians or new damage to property.

Words of Wisdom - Armenian Academic and Former Minister Gerard Libaridian Shares His Views on Peace in Karabakh

The Armenians of Karabakh can still sign up to a “manageable” agreement on integrating into Azerbaijan, argues Gerard Libaridian, but they need to stop a sense of self-denial in failing to recognise that they won’t get everything they want.

Caucasus, Opinion

Caspian Region Gets New UNESCO Listings

On September 18, Unesco unveiled 27 new World Heritage features including three in the Caspian Region countries, plus the extension of another in Azerbaijan.

Caucasus, Central Asia, Culture

Lachin Revives its Artistic Side

This weekend, artists and musicians brought a real buzz to Lachin City, culminating in a gala concert that appeared to delight Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and his wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, for whom it doubled as a kind of birthday treat.

Caucasus, Culture

Humanitarian Aid as Propaganda: the Karabakh Convoy and a Contrasting Ukrainian Example from 2014

In 2014, when Russia proposed sending convoys of ‘humanitarian aid’ to prop up its de-facto puppet states in Eastern Ukraine, the West reacted angrily. However, this month the EU and UN backed Armenia’s attempts to send a convoy to Karabakh. Hypocrisy?

Thomas Goltz 1954-2023

War journalist, educator, and all-round maverick Thomas Goltz died on July 29. He rose to prominence in Eurasia with his unique first-hand reports from conflicts in Georgia, Chechnya, and especially Karabakh, where he was one of the first to report the Khojali massacre.

Shusha Global Media Forum

Is the world heading for a ‘post-truth’ world as AI starts to affect journalism? This was just one of several important questions debated by a high-powered conference of international media figures over three days in Azerbaijan’s cultural capital, Shusha. Mark Elliott attended for the Caspian Post.

President Aliyev Unplugged: A Personal Reflection

At last weekend’s Shusha Global Media Forum, Caspian Post correspondent Mark Elliott had a rare opportunity to join a lengthy in-person Q&A with Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev. Here he shares his impressions of the event.

Azerbaijan’s “National Press Day”

Azerbaijan celebrated its National Press Day on July 22, a day that is tied to the publication of an Azerbaijani language newspaper 148 years ago.

Round Six in Brussels: Modest Progress on Karabakh… then Russia Throws a Curved Ball

While Aliyev and Pashinyan’s latest Brussels meeting marked a fairly unremarkable continuation of their slow, steady progress towards an eventual peace treaty, Moscow’s reaction was an unexpected change of posture regarding their on-the-ground peacekeepers.

Macron Takes Some Verbal Stick at Baku’s NAM Summit

This week Azerbaijan hosted the latest summit meeting of the Non Aligned Movement. President Ilham Aliyev, the organsation’s current chairman welcomed numerous heads of state to Baku but the press focused particularly on his criticisms of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Another Major Meeting Between Azerbaijani and Armenian Teams Keeps the Peace Process Moving Forward

Three days of high level talks aimed at finding a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan concluded as planned on Thursday despite more deaths on the ground in Karabakh at the start of the week.

Lachin Return Starts

On 28 May, the first group of IDPs returned to Lachin, over 30 years since they were forced to leave.

Hadis to Take to the Screen at Annecy

An Azerbaijani production, Hadis, was chosen from over 3200 others to be shown at the Annecy Festival. The animation is a homage to Hadis Najafi, who was shot dead during the 2022 protests in Iran.

Caucasus, Iran, Stories

Heydar Aliyev – Centenary of Azerbaijan’s ‘National Leader’

Today marks 100 years since the birth of Heydar Aliyev, who is referred to as Azerbaijan’s 'national leader.'

Habil Mammadov’s Agdam Dreams

Music teacher, Habil Mammadov, hopes to organize a concert where his students can perform in his newly liberated hometown of Aghdam, where he was forced to flee from occupation.

Good News on Malaria in the Caspian Region

Good news about malaria in the Caspian Region: there isn’t any!

Policy Reverse Offers Hope of Protection to North Ossetia’s Beautiful Digorsky Gorge

One of North Ossetia’s potentially attractive tourist destinations, the Digorsky Gorge, is to be ‘saved’ from mineral extraction and offered stronger protection according to the republic’s political chief.

Xinaliq - the Highest Village in the Caucasus?

Xinaliq, one of Caucasus's highest settlements, is a magical place with its own language and timeless traditions.

Richard Sorge – Azerbaijan’s James Bond

Learn more about Richard Sorge, widely celebrated as "the spy to end all spies." Born in Azerbaijan to Russian and German parents, he went on to influence the course of WW2.

A New Invitation Offers Another Step Toward a Karabakh Peace?

A triple tweet from Azerbaijan opens up the possibility of a new, higher-level round of talks between Baku and the Karabakh Armenian community. Will it lead anywhere?

Shootout at Karabakh - Five Dead, What Are the Implications?

The Intriguing Postage Stamps of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

For an unusual side glimpse at the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920), take a look at the state’s small and appealingly basic series of postage stamps.

Ani: an Ancient Ghost City with 21st-Century Implications

Molla Nasreddin - the Man and the Magazine

Molla Nasreddin magazine highlighted the hypocrisy of the Muslim clergy, the inequality of women, the imposed backwardness of the poor due to inadequate education and the unreasonable disdain of the Russified intelligentsia towards all things Azerbaijani.

Earthquake Assistance and the Armenia-Turkiye Relationship

It’s an understatement to call Armenia-Turkiye relations ‘frosty.’ However, with the dispatch of Armenian aid workers, there are encouraging signs of a reopening of dialogue.

Omid the Lonely Love Bird

After losing his partner, Arzu, in 2008, Omid has flown the 5000km migration alone. Read the background story on the last Siberian crane to fly the Western Route.

The Karabakh Nightingales

Nightingales are not just birds in Azerbaijan. They’re also celebrated singers - a member of the Karabakh Nightingale Ensemble producing one of the most celebrated recordings of 20th century Mugham music.

Legendary Georgian Vakhtang ‘Buba’ Kikabidze Dies at 84

Legendary Georgian singer and film actor, Vakhtang Kikabidze, has died at the age of 84. He was famed for his Soviet-era performances but also for his vocal political support of Georgia and against Moscow’s post-2008 aggression.

Why Christmas Comes Later in Orthodox Countries

Today is Christmas Day for Georgians, Ukrainians, Russians and some other Eastern Orthodox Christians. But why do they celebrate on January 7? Well, it all has to do with ignoring a 16th-century pope.

Changing Times in Nakhchivan

December 31 is the World Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis, a day commemorating the tearing down of border fences between Nakhchivan and Iran in 1989. What’s happened to Nakhchivan since then, and why has its leader recently resigned?

The Mysterious Leopards of the Caspian Region

You might not associate leopards with the Caspian countries, but in fact there are two distinct sub-species in the region. Both are very rare, but naturalists and photographers have been gathering ever more evidence of their survival.

Iran’s Continuing Crack Downs and Their International Effects

Italy is the latest to criticise Iran’s crackdown on protesters. But although Iran might be using softer language recently, it seems that Tehran still sees its heavy-handed policy as successful. Are there any winners in this situation?

Iran, Politics & Economy

Ganja’s Burgeoning Café Scene

Mark Elliott explored the cafe culture of Ganja during his visit to Azerbaijan last month. Turns out it's much more than tea.

Birding Hotspot Besh Barmaq

One of Eurasia's great flyways funnels migratory birds between the Azerbaijani shore of the Caspian Sea and the steep crag of Besh Barmag. This year an international team of ornithologists spent three months counting them.

Tashkent Fair Showcases Uzbekistan’s Broadening Approach to Tourism

The Tashkent International Tourism Fair is the biggest showcase for new ideas in tourism in the Central Asia region. Uzbekistan's Samarkand is set to be the World Tourism Capital in 2023.

Thousands of Caspian Seals Found Dead on Russian Beaches

This past weekend thousands of Caspian Seals were found dead on the beaches of Dagestan in Russia. Learn a bit more about the endangered species and what might have happened here.

Driving to Shusha – a Personal Experience

November 8 is "Victory Day" in Azerbaijan, commemorating the day Azerbaijani forces retook the city of Shusha during the 2nd Karabakh War. In this article, Mark Elliott takes us with him to see what's along the road to Shusha.

Tourism in the Caspian Region: What We Learned from WTM 2022

London’s World Travel Market is a window into the heart of the global tourism industry. This year, the Caspian Region was better represented than ever before.

Roads and Corridors Between Azerbaijan and Armenia

If both sides step back from semantic arguments, a solution for opening Armenia-Azerbaijan borders could be within reach.

Cyber Warfare – Iran, Demonstrations, Exploding Steel Plants and the Albanian Connection

Hackers again hit Iranian state TV this weekend, posting an image of the Supreme Leader in rifle crosshairs. Who is behind the hacks and what is the Albanian connection in this latest round of an undeclared cyber-war?

Diplomatic Manoeuvres over the Caucasus

September’s re-ignition of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has set forth a flurry of international diplomacy. What’s going on and why?

Leila’s Violin

A young musician arrives in an Azerbaijani mountain village in a prize-winning short film called "Leila's Violin," written with a dreamlike magic and stylistic elements reminiscent of the great director Sergei Parajanov.

The Nobel Brothers and Azerbaijani Oil - A Pre-Soviet Tale

The Nobel Prize is just one of many legacies of a Swedish family whose investments and remarkable new innovations helped transform Azerbaijan’s oil production from the 1870s, helping Baku to be one of the world’s main petro-cities by 1905.

Questions Raised by the Vostok-2022 Military Exercises in Far Eastern Russia

Vostok 2022, a week of military exercises in far eastern Russia, apparently saw 50,000 men from 14 countries on manoeuvres. Were there really contingents from both Yerevan and Baku?

Davit Gareja - Keshikchidag, the Border-Straddling Monastic Marvel

A group of ancient Christian hemit caves known as Davit Gareja in Georgia and Keshikchidag in Azerbaijan straddles the border on a semi-desert scarp. Could the site’s management offer an opportunity for cultural cooperation?

Ninjutsu In Iran – Developing Respect and Humility, not Budding Assassins

No, they aren’t assassins, despite what the world was once told by a careless headline writer. A full decade later the non-story of Iran’s lady ninjas continues to reverberate.

Azerbaijan’s First Set of Returnees Head for the Completely Reconceived “Smart Village” of Aghali

‘Welcome home’ to ten Azerbaijani families who on July 19 became the first returnees to move into the high-tech “smart village” of Aghali in the de-occupied Zangilan Region of Karabakh.

The Historical Background of Crimea’s Tatars

Crimean Tatars (2)

Regions, Stories

Georgia’s “Stairway to Heaven,” the Katskhi Pillar

Simon Stylites was a 5th century Christian mystic, later celebrated by Tennyson for having spent decades meditating on the top of a pillar. In Katskhi, Georgia, you’ll find a chapel in the sky, refashioned for latter-day Stylites.

Who Are the Tatars of Crimea?

Russia's war in Ukraine is just the latest conflict to afflict one of Europe's least know ethnic groups - the Crimean Tatars.

Azerbaijan’s Karabakh Horses Wow the Windsor Horse Show Again

What’s a modern-day gift fit for a king – or queen? Azerbaijan thinks it knows the answer, at least when it comes to Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.

Stihia – Uzbekistan’s Middle-of-Nowhere Festival of Electronica

Last weekend experimental techno music fans in Uzbekistan became champions for publicizing one of the world’s most dire ecological catastrophes. How? Simply by attending the ultra-remote Stiha Festival.

Sayat Nova - the 18th Century Caucasian Troubadour-poet Who Continues to Inspire

Sergei Paradjanov's The Colour of Pomegranates (1968) is a beautifully stylized examination of the 18th-century minstrel poet who went by the pen name 'Sayat Nova.' He composed songs in Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian and other languages.

Garry Kasparov: The Chess Star’s Baku Years

Chess legend Garry Kasparov, who later became a prominent opposition figure in Russian politics, spent his childhood and formative years in the multi-cultural melting-pot that was Soviet Baku. Recently, he has talked more about the assistance he received in his youth from both his devoted mother and the Azerbaijani authorities that provided key facilities he needed to focus on becoming world champion.

The Balaban - Common Bonds in the Caucasus

The mournful sound of a twin-reed traditional oboe brings a mysterious atmosphere to many a movie sound track and was one of the recordings that NASA included on its 'Hello Aliens This is Earth' gold disc that was sent into space with the Voyager probes. The instrument’s name might be Balaban, Duduk or Mey according to your language but its wistful music could be seen as a potential bridge to transcend national divisions between nations.

What’s on your Table? Comparing the Region’s Nowruz/Novruz Traditions

Call it Novruz, Nowruz, Nooruz, Nauryz or Navruz, the spring equinox festival is the most significant holiday period for Iran, Azerbaijan and many people in Central Asia. However, the associated customs vary considerably between countries and regions.

Caucasus, Central Asia, Culture, Iran

The “Unexpected Gift” of March 8 - a Surprise for Ex-pats in Baku  

If you have female colleagues based in the Caspian Region, don’t forget flowers or gifts for them on March 8 – International Women’s Day. Mark Elliott tells the story of one ex-pat in Azerbaijan who made that mistake once, and never made it again.

The Udi People of Nij, Azerbaijan

Among the many ethnolinguistic communities in Azerbaijan, we find the Udi people of Nij. Considered to be the descendants of the ancient Caucasian Albanians, they speak a language indigenous to the Caucasus. What can we know for sure of the group's history?

Bagh-e Sanghi – The Stone Garden

A surreal 1976 film about a deaf ‘prophet’ creating an absurdist ‘Stone Garden’ in the middle of Iran’s semi-desert turns out to be loosely based on truth. Its star was the creator of just such a ‘garden’ where lifeless trees produce heavy stone fruit. The Caspian Post’s Mark Elliott went to have a look at the lonely site, which remains mesmerizingly intact.

Khash: The Hangover Cure of the Caucasus

Care for some cow foot soup? Khash is a popular Caucasian stew, often eaten early in the morning or as a hangover cure. It might not look very appetizing but it's great with company and vodka, especially in the cold season.

Pir Shalyar – A Remarkable Festival in the Glorious Village of Howraman Takht

Hair flies wildly as dervishes perform trance-like ‘dances’ on the rooftops of a spectacular Kurdish stepped village. Welcome to Howraman Takht’s Pir Shalyar Festival in far western Iran.

History of the Caucasus: At the Crossroads of Empires – Book Review

Christoph Baumer's latest book from I.B. Tauris publishers sets a new bar for scholarship when it comes to the Caucasus.

Iran’s Caspian Coast – Memories From a 1984 Journey

Mark Elliott remembers his first visit to the Caspian and ponders the apparent contradictions of seaside resorts where attractions include rain and the chance to swim fully dressed.

“Voices of Peace” – the UK’s Azerbaijani Diaspora Celebrate and Dream of Healing in the Caucasus

London’s musical "Voices of Peace" event stands out amid a flurry of celebrations one year after Azerbaijan’s reclaiming of its once-occupied lands through the Second Karabakh War.

Towerhouses of the Caucasus

These are some of the most under-publicized and unforgettable sights in Europe. Join us as we explore the Towerhouses of the Caucasus.

The Eighth Life – The Greatest Georgian Epic Since Rustaveli?

Read our review of the brilliant, brick-thick novel 'The Eighth Life.' Nino Haratischvili tells the gripping if harrowing story of 20th-century Georgia through an intensely personal series of fictional life stories.

Lagan – The Curious Caspian Town That Nobody’s Heard Of

A prize-winning Caspian park design brings new attention to the wannabe port town, home to Europe’s biggest Buddhist statue. Welcome to Lagan – a little place with big dreams.

“Street” Culture in the Caspian Region

Parkour, skateboarding and desert raves in a land “out of time?” Join Mark Elliott as he celebrates alternative athletes, artists, and culture throughout the region and, like the break-dancers of Kazakhstan, turns misconceptions on their head. Tell us what we missed - what are your alternative top spots? Who are your heroes on the margins?

Does the Caspian Sea Monster Really Exist?

Made with technology a “good thirty years ahead of its time,” the Soviet MD-160 was a marvel in engineering and aeronautics. Maybe it was too ambitious: the last of its kind is beached as a tourist attraction on Dagestan’s Caspian sea shore.

In Search of the Little Black Fish

Remembering the short but inspiring life of Samad Behrangi

Sari Gelin - Who Does it Really Belong To?

Rediscovering the folk song whose melody bridges cultures in a divided region.

The 28th of May

Azerbaijan's "Republic Day": the most powerfully symbolic date in the national calendar?

The Power of a Line

Danger lurks when states try to delineate complex borders that had never been envisaged as international frontiers.

A Transcaucasian Benelux: Could It Happen?

Following the geopolitical upheaval of the 2020 Second Karabakh War, new avenues might be opening for exploring a previously utopian idea.

The Caspian’s Culinary Kaleidoscope

This is truly a region where home-grown culinary traditions remain paramount.

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Greenland and the Arctic (Lonely Planet Country Guides) Paperback – 17 Jun. 2005

• Print length 352 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Lonely Planet Publications
• Publication date 17 Jun. 2005
• Dimensions 12.7 x 1.91 x 19.69 cm
• ISBN-10 1740590953
• ISBN-13 978-1740590952
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lonely Planet Publications; 2nd edition (17 Jun. 2005)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1740590953
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1740590952
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.91 x 19.69 cm
• 23,243 in Specialty Travel
• 138,531 in Home & Garden (Books)

About the authors

Mark elliott.

Mark Elliott is an English travel writer best known for travel books and articles on Azerbaijan, and for unusual map-based route guides for Asia. His first major work, Asia Overland, (co-authored with Wil Klass) was an ultra-budget manual for those wishing to cross the continent in the pre-Internet era. It garnered something of a cult following among overland travellers of the day as did the 2003 regional follow-up, Southeast Asia Graphic Guide. Elliott has contributed to around 50 Lonely Planet books covering destinations from Bosnia to Belgium, Iran to Taiwan.

Etain O'Carroll

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• BREAKING: Durham University postpones Durham Union debate after pro-Palestinian protest
• UCU vote to start the possibility of launching formal dispute with Durham University
• University and pro-Palestinian student representatives discuss University investments in second meeting
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In conversation with Mark Elliott: In defence of the travel guide

By Harriet Willis

“In the age of Trip Advisor, why should we still buy paperback travel guides?” This is my first question for Mark Elliott, travel writer, Palatinate alumnus and past President of the Durham Union society. Elliott is best known for his unique ‘treasure-map’ style travel books that guide tourists around lesser-known Asian countries (Asia Overland, SE Asia Graphic Guide), and also for contributing to over 50 Lonely Planet guides.

“If you’re doing an interrail trip where all you need to know is the location of key sights for a selection of cities, then maybe you don’t need one,” Elliot starts, “just look up the best hostel online and you’re ready. However, for those planning on spending a bit more time in one country, a guidebook can be a good way to get you started – especially if you’re seeking a cultural experience rather than a list of activities. To get to know the people, a good start is to pick some short-term travel goals that get you slowly off the standard traveller route – the guidebook can be useful by offering locations where you are likely to be a rarity as a foreigner. In such places, without the guidebook, it is all too easy to stumble into cultural faux pas without even realising why.”

“Of course, the particular need for a guidebook will vary greatly depending on where you visit. If you’re going to Norway – where [a lot of people speak English – when you turn up at a hotel, you will discover that a lot of things are self service, and that you really should have called ahead to book. But, you will learn that as you go. On the other hand, if you step out of a plane in Novosibirsk, you likely didn’t realise that virtually no one speaks English. And you probably didn’t realise that to buy a train ticket you have to write your name in Cyrillic. You can’t just learn that stuff as you go. In places like this, having a guidebook can be a massive help, if only in showing phrases and hotel names to taxi drivers who can’t read Latin script.”

“Another important point – the way that a publisher might sell the importance of a guidebook – is that you’re buying a ‘trustworthy voice’”. Whilst he doesn’t want to be quoted on precise accusations, Elliott then suggests that there’s a wide suspicion that in certain countries, online ratings get flooded with reviews that have been essentially paid for, thus undermining the reliability of ratings for numerous hotels and restaurants.”

In Novosibirsk, you probably didn’t realise that to buy a train ticket you have to write your name in Cyrillic

Described as a ‘masterpiece’ by the Guardian, Elliott’s guidebook to Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan: With Excursions to Georgia) is crammed with hand-drawn maps with thoughtful annotations detailing points of information. Knowing that Google Maps could possibly be a substitute, I asked why he felt inspired to create such a guide.

“You have to bear in mind that my first books were written in the 1990s. They were all map-based be cause there were no maps available for many of the places I was covering. It was essentially a pre-Internet world. Nowadays, we live in a world where anyone with a phone or laptop can draw up a perfect map of anywhere on Earth in seconds. Whereas, in certain ex-Soviet countries back then, just being in possession of a detailed topographic map could be considered a form of espionage. So my maps, often made by simply walking the streets and counting paces, were simply the best I could do. And they were very useful in their day. You’ve got to remember there has been a huge change in perceptions to tourism since then.”

Elliott’s guide to Azerbaijan and Georgia (Azerbaijan: With Excursions to Georgia) is advertised as the only detailed guide to the country. “Why should I visit somewhere that has such little written on it?” I ask.

My first books were all map-based because there were no maps available

“Georgia still isn’t a massive draw for Brits compared to some European countries, but its popularity has grown enormously and it is currently one of the new travel hotspots for European backpackers – relatively easy and cheap yet still with a great sense of exploration. For example, look at Georgia’s glorious multiday mountain treks – for example in Swaneti or between Tusheti and Khevsureti. You’ve got soaring Alpine mountains and many of the delights that you might have in, say, the classic New Zealand trails, but none of the crowds and certainly no need to pre-book a place as you need to do on popular routes like the Milford Track.”

But isn’t the development of new routes bad for the ecosystem? “Over time, if there are too many tourists, then maybe. But for now numbers remain very modest. And on top of that, a lot of the villages up there [in Tusheti] were dying. The populations of poor shepherds now supplement their incomes by supplying simple accommodation to tourists and providing pack horses and serving as guides. Limited tourism has actually made some of these beautiful villages – complete with their astonishing five-storey stone towers – economically sustainable. Places that were on the verge of extinction are essentially being resurrected. Everybody wins”

Places that were on the verge of extinction are essentially being resurrected

One of my questions for Elliott, given his 30 years of travel experience, is about unexpected cultural insights that might prove surprising to an oblivious tourist.

“In Azerbaijan there are plenty of curiosities that you might never stop to notice without someone telling you. The whole Absheron peninsula surrounding the capital looks a little drab at first glance but with a good guide you can find places where fire comes spontaneously out of the ground, holy hoof prints and even a shrine where you can get a bottle broken over your head as a way to cure you from jumpy nerves. Don’t worry – it doesn’t hurt. On any city courtyard you’re likely to find bags of bread hanging from trees – usually mouldy. Why do you think that is? The answer is that bread is seen as coming from God so should be treated with reverence. For example, if you’re eating and you happen to drop a piece of bread on the ground, you should pick it up and kiss it and then put it carefully aside. You don’t throw away bread with other waste, either. Hence there is a dilemma of how do you get rid of the stuff. Those tree-hanging bags solve the problem.”

“Another place ripe for serious cultural misunderstandings was in Cameroon. I’d come to write what I thought would be a rather uncontroversial magazine article on some rare birds in the country’s northwest highlands. But the complication was that the area where the birds lived was on the borderline between two of Cameroon’s 180 mini kingdoms, each with its own language, culture and fon (monarch). The polite way to visit as an outsider is to start off by presenting oneself to the fon. In the kingdom of Kom, this meeting turned out to be something like walking onto the set of an Indiana Jones movie. The fon sat on his throne finished with ivory tusks at the focus of a rough stone amphitheatre. Facing him were his courtiers, lolling in strange poses. I had been carefully briefed and thus came equipped with the requisite bottle of J&B Rare whisky which was promptly placed within the king’s stash… and now and again handed to various courtiers to drink. It was like a student party night with all kinds of ‘down in one’ drinking rules. Failing to sink one’s drink, and many other breaches of etiquette, were liable to incur fines denominated in goats. Yes, real goats. I was fined two goats for taking a photo of the fon. Looking him in the eyes was worth two more.”

Photograph: Richard Cotman via Flickr creative commons

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• Lucasfilm / Movies / News / Star Wars

R.I.P. Mark Elliott: Voice Behind Disney Trailers

by John Bishop · April 6, 2021

You have heard his voice many, many times…

Sad news. Mark Elliott, the voice behind many a Disney promo and trailer, passed away Saturday, April 3. He was 81.

Deadline reported :

Elliott’s career with Disney began with a 1977 trailer for the studio’s re-release of 1950’s Cinderella. His association with Disney would continue into the early years of the 21st century, with credits ranging from trailers to his narration for the anthology series The Magical World of Disney.

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Elliott worked in various radio markets before landing in Los Angeles in 1970, moving into the city’s voiceover landscape with the trailer for 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit and radio voiceovers for Star Wars . Other non-Disney credits include trailers for The Goodbye Girl (1977), Best Picture Oscar winner Chariots of Fire (1981), and, in 1983, All the Right Moves. Also, that year, Elliott voiced the series-finale promo for M*A*S*H.

Friends React

His good friend and colleague Joe Cipriano posted about Mr. Elliott on Facebook :

“[At the beginning of his career, Cipriano] sat there watching Mark Elliott do the primetime comedy promos,” he began. “With Mark, I learned how our shared radio background was the perfect experience for promos.

“Mark was a true gentleMAN – Getting to share all of our scenes in Lake Bell’s ‘In a World’ was the icing on the cake.

“I’m so sad about Mark’s passing,” he said.

USAToday.com reported :

According to Elliott’s rep Peter Varano, the actor died over the weekend.

“He was an incredibly talented voice-over actor. His career spanned decades and inspired many newcomers to the industry,” Varano said in a statement. “Though many fans only knew him as a voice, we were fortunate to know him as a person. His talent was only surpassed by his generosity and kindness.” 

Announcing A Phenomenon

You can also hear Elliot’s dulcet tones in this radio spot for the original Star Wars in 1977.

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John Bishop

A graduate of Boston and Northeastern universities, John Bishop, became the beat reporter for BostonBruins.com before the B’s 2006-07 hockey season. While with the Bruins, “Bish” traveled North America and Europe to cover the Black & Gold’s every move via laptop, blog, and smartphone. The co-author of two books, Bygone Boston and Full 60 to History: The Inside Story of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, John covered the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010 and the B’s 2011 championship run and banner raising before taking a faculty/communications position at a prep school outside Boston in 2013. He lives with his wife Andrea, and sons Jack, Scott, and Luke, in central Massachusetts.

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List of Famous Travel Writers

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Belgium & Luxembourg 5 (Lonely Planet) Paperback – May 21, 2013

There is a newer edition of this item:.

Fabulously historic and bursting with cuttingedge art, yet never really showy, these little countries are full of big surprises, whether you’re ducking for oranges at a surreal Belgian carnival or finding glorious castles among Luxembourg’s forested hills. .Inspirational images, in-depth festival coverage, detailed city maps and recommendations from our expert authors. .Planning features and top itineraries to help you plan the perfect trip. .Local secrets and hidden travel gems that will make your trip unique. .PLUS chocolate, mussels, must-try beers and art nouveau.

Coverage Includes:  Planning chapters, Brussels, Bruges, Western Flanders, Antwerp, Eastern Flanders, Western Wallonia, The Ardennes, Luxembourg, Understand and Survival Guide.

• Print length 336 pages
• Language English
• Publisher GeoPlaneta
• Publication date May 21, 2013
• Dimensions 5.12 x 0.71 x 7.8 inches
• ISBN-10 1741799503
• ISBN-13 978-1741799507
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ GeoPlaneta; 5th edition (May 21, 2013)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1741799503
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1741799507
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.7 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.12 x 0.71 x 7.8 inches
• #4 in Luxembourg Travel Guides
• #61 in General Belgium Travel Guides
• #154 in General Netherlands Travel Guides

About the authors

Mark elliott.

Mark Elliott is an English travel writer best known for travel books and articles on Azerbaijan, and for unusual map-based route guides for Asia. His first major work, Asia Overland, (co-authored with Wil Klass) was an ultra-budget manual for those wishing to cross the continent in the pre-Internet era. It garnered something of a cult following among overland travellers of the day as did the 2003 regional follow-up, Southeast Asia Graphic Guide. Elliott has contributed to around 50 Lonely Planet books covering destinations from Bosnia to Belgium, Iran to Taiwan.

Lonely Planet

With over 150 million guidebooks in print, Lonely Planet is a trusted source for any traveler. Since our inception in 1973, we've inspired generations of travelers to discover amazing places and enabled curious travelers to get off the beaten paths to appreciate different cultures and become agents of positive change.

Mark Elliot

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