ABSTRACT
Azerbaijan is one of the oldest centres of saffron (Crocus sativus) in the world. According to written testimonies, saffron was cultivated in some regions of Azerbaijan more than a thousand years ago (Askerov 1934), the practice having been introduced from Asia Minor and Persia. However, a more precise date for the appearance of saffron cultivation in Azerbaijan has not been determined. Saffron escapes have been found in the foothills of the main Caucasian mountain range in the Cubinsky, Shamakhinsky and Gueokchaiksy regions in Azerbaijan (Grossheim 1940).
