Azerbaijan: A rare stop on the old Silk Road

Marianne Schwankhart explores the mysterious attractions and unexplored treasures of Azerbaijan The wet earth gurgled and bubbled around me - thick, slushy mud volcanoes oozing from the ground, later to dry out and form a lunar landscape. Just off the Caspian Sea, they are caused by the release of gases and liquids - and Azerbaijan has more than any other country in the world.