From Socks to Cement: Karavan Publishes an Honest Guide to the Sadarak, Bina and Absheron Markets

Karavan Rent A Car in Baku has published a guide to Baku’s largest markets — Sadarak, Bina and the new Absheron — in its Travelers Club.

All three markets are in Lokbatan, off the Salyan highway. The guide’s authors start with tourists’ most common mistake: people look for the Bina trading centre in the Bina settlement near the airport, even though it stands next to Sadarak. The confusion has a history — according to local sources, Sadarak started trading in 1995 near the Bina settlement and moved to Lokbatan in 2009.

Sadarak is one of the largest trading centres in Azerbaijan, drawing entrepreneurs from neighbouring countries as well. It sells almost everything: clothing, appliances, tableware, carpets, building materials and car parts. Tourists compare Bina to a colourful flea market and single out its tableware. The new Absheron market, opened in 2022 right behind Sadarak, specialises in building materials and homeware: it has more than a thousand shops but hardly any clothing.

The core of the guide is practical: 10 rules for not overpaying, from comparing prices in neighbouring rows to testing appliances in front of the seller. It also covers carpet export rules: foreigners need a certificate from the National Carpet Museum, and items made before 1950 cannot be exported.

The guide is for general information only: prices, opening hours and rules at the markets may change, and the company does not advise on matters related to their operation.

Read the full guide on the company’s website. Reach Karavan Rent A Car in Baku by phone, WhatsApp, or Telegram at +994-55-455-22-45.