The vessel “Surakhani”, owned by Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO), played a big role in the history of Azerbaijan’s oil transportation by sea. The tanker “Surakhany” with a length of 123.5 meters and a deadweight of 4696 tons belongs to the type of vessels “Engineer A. Pustoshkin”, first launched in the Caspian Sea in 1957. Until recently, the Surakhany tanker was used as an oil refinery station for the Shipping Company. In 2017, it was decided to turn the ship into a museum. To turn the tanker into a museum, a major overhaul was carried out on the ship and reconstruction work was carried out. For this purpose, the human and technical resources of the ASCO Bibi-Heybat Shipyard and Khazar LLC were mobilized. More than 2,000 ship repair workers were involved in the repair and reconstruction of the hull and other parts of the ship. The experience of countries such as Great Britain, the Netherlands and Turkey, which have ancient shipping traditions, was also used in creating the museum. In order for the museum ship to meet international standards, cooperation was built with more than 100 influential foreign and local companies. Using the most modern technological equipment, various innovative solutions are applied in the halls. In the museum, visitors will be able to get a closer look at the history of the Caspian Sea, oil production in the Absheron, the development of shipping, ships considered one of the first in the world, sea giants, navigation aids that are integral attributes of shipping, maritime hubs with a history of about 5,000 years, as well as equipment used in the operation of ships. The museum also has a restaurant where you can taste both national cuisine and seafood.

The opening of the world’s first tanker museum in Baku will provide local residents and the growing number of tourists with the opportunity to get acquainted with the history of the Caspian Sea and shipping in our country, and the heroic work of our brave sailors. The tanker-museum “Surakhani” will play the role of a bridge connecting the past and future of shipping in Azerbaijan, which has ancient maritime traditions.