Mardakan Arboretum, Botanical garden in Mardakan, Azerbaijan.
Mardakan Arboretum is a botanical garden on the Absheron peninsula covering roughly 24 hectares with over 1,800 plant species from different regions. The site displays both native Azerbaijani plants and foreign specimens arranged throughout the grounds.
The garden began as private property of oil industrialist Murtuza Mukhtarov before transitioning to state control in 1920. Official designation as an arboretum came in 1924, establishing its role in botanical research and plant conservation.
Two museums operate within the grounds: one dedicated to botanist Nikolai Vavilov and another honoring Russian poet Sergei Yesenin. These spaces let visitors connect with the scientific and literary figures who have shaped the location's identity.
The grounds rely on an extensive irrigation system with deep wells to maintain plant growth in the limestone-rich soil of the region. Visitors will notice how carefully water is managed across the site due to the peninsula's arid conditions.
The collection includes roughly 1,540 plant species native to Azerbaijan alongside numerous foreign specimens, making it an important center for botanical research and conservation. This blend of local and international species gives the garden particular scientific value.
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