Persian for "hole"), but might perhaps be a reference to the fire glow as well (سرخ/sorkh/surkh is Persian for "red"). A historic alternative name for Azerbaijan as a whole has been Odlar Yurdu, Azeri for "land of fires". The etymology in Sanskrit for Surakhany is "mine of the gods" from sura which stands for the "gods", who stand in opposition to the asuras, the demons. Surakhany in Tati (the language of Surakhany, close to Persian) means “hole with the fountain”. History Surakhany is located on the Absheron peninsula, which is famous for being a locality where oil oozes naturally from the ground and flames burn perpetually — as at Yanar Dag — fed by natural hydrocarbon vapours issuing from the rock. Sarah Ashurbeyli notes that the Atsh is distorted Atesh (“fire”) and Atshi-Baguan means “Fires of Baguan”, referring to Baku. The word Baguan comes from the word Baga, which means “God” in Old Persian, and Bhaga, भग, also means "God" in Sanskrit. "Seven holes with eternal fires" were mentioned by German traveler Engelbert Kaempfer, who visited Surakhany in 1683. Estakhri (10th century) mentioned that not far from Baku (i.e., on the Apsheron Peninsula) lived fire worshippers. This was confirmed by Movses Daskhurantsi in his reference of the province of Bhagavan (“Fields of the Gods” i.e., “Fire Gods”). In the 18th century, Atashgah was visited by Zoroastrians. The Persian handwriting Naskh inscription over the entrance aperture of one of the cells, which speaks about the visit of Zoroastrians from Isfahan: Persian inscription: Transliteration of Persian inscription: ātaši saf kešide hamčon dak jey bovāni reside tā bādak sāl-e nav-e nozl mobārak bād goft xāne šod ru *sombole sane-ye hazār-o-sad-o-panjāh-o-haštom Translation: Fires stand in line Esfahani Bovani came to Badak [Baku] "Blessed the lavish New Year", he said:The house was built in the month of Ear in year 1158.The 1158 year corresponds to 1745 AD. Bovan (modern Bovanat) is the village near Esfahan. The word Badak is a diminutive of Bad-Kubeh. (The name of Baku in the sources of the 17th and 18th centuries was Bad-e Kube). At the end of the reference is the constellation of Sombole /Virgo (August–September). In the name of the month the master mistakenly shifted the “l” and “h” at the end of the word. According to Zoroastrian calendar Qadimi New Year in 1745 AD was in August. Interesting information about Zoroastrianism in Baku is given by D.