The unique Ateşgah Məbədi is an 18th-century fire temple whose centrepiece is a flaming hearth above which arches a pillared stone dome with four side flues. These flues also spit dragon breath…but only on special occasions, notably the four Tuesdays leading up to Novruz. The fire-altar sits in a roughly triangular courtyard surrounded by simple stone cells of former devotees with well over a dozen now hosting a well-explained museum. Allow around an hour to see it all.
Although the site was originally a place of worship for Zoroastrians, the fortified complex you see today was built by 18th-century Indian Shiva devotees.
From the bus 184 terminus, cross the rail tracks via the almost disused commuter train station, then turn left and walk three minutes passing a baronial–hall-style cafe-restaurant.
