Baku is more than the capital of Azerbaijan. It is a city where the ancient and the modern sit side by side on every street. The attractions of Baku span an enormous range of time, from prehistoric rock carvings to ultramodern architecture.
Heydar Aliyev Center: a symbol of new Baku
One of the main symbols of modern Baku is the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Zaha Hadid. In 2014, the Design Museum in London named it Design of the Year, the first time an architectural project received the award. Inside are a museum and exhibition halls, and one of the permanent attractions is Mini Azerbaijan, with miniature models of well-known buildings and landmarks from around the country.
The Old City (Icheri Sheher): the heart of ancient Baku
The oldest part of the capital, the Old City, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Here you will find the Maiden Tower, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the fortress walls and narrow cobbled streets. The Palace of the Shirvanshahs dates from the 15th century, while the Maiden Tower is generally dated to the 12th century, although earlier structures have been found beneath it.
Modern attractions in Baku
The city's new architecture stands out against its historic monuments:
- Flame Towers: three skyscrapers, 182, 165 and 161 meters tall, whose facades are covered with LED screens that display flames after dark. They were built between 2007 and 2012 and have become one of the city's symbols.
- Baku Crystal Hall: a sports and concert venue on the Caspian shore, built for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest.
- International Mugham Center: a building on the seaside boulevard, opened in 2008 and dedicated to the Azerbaijani tradition of mugham.
- Baku Convention Center: a 2015 complex designed by the Austrian studio Coop Himmelblau.
- Carpet Museum: a building shaped like a rolled carpet on Seaside Boulevard, opened in 2014.
New buildings in a historic style
Among Baku's new construction, many buildings are styled after the architecture of the late 19th- and early 20th-century oil boom, which is one of the city's distinctive features. For example, the design of the InterContinental Baku draws on architecture from that period, with some details inspired by the poetry of Nizami Ganjavi.
Walking through the city center
To get a feel for the city, take a stroll along Nizami Street, known as Torgovaya. The pedestrian section runs from Fountains Square to Rashid Behbudov Street and is lined with buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, built with money from oil magnates. Many travelers compare it to European cities, and it is especially lively in the evening.
Attractions outside the center
Baku is surrounded by historic and natural sites:
- Ateshgah (the "Fire Temple"). The present complex in Surakhany was built in the 17th and 18th centuries by Indian communities on the site of an older fire sanctuary. It is a pentagonal complex with an altar, cells and a caravanserai.
- Yanar Dag ("Burning Mountain"). Natural gas seeping from the hillside burns continuously, and the flames stay lit even in rain. Yanar Dag is on the Absheron Peninsula, about 30 km from the center.
- Gobustan. A reserve about 60 km from Baku, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2007, with more than 6,000 rock engravings that UNESCO says span up to 40,000 years.
- Central Botanical Garden. Founded in 1936, it is a good place for a quiet walk.
- Seaside Boulevard and Highland Park. The boulevard stretches along the Caspian, and a funicular takes you up to Highland Park for a panorama of the bay, the Flame Towers and the Old City.
Why choose Baku
Baku combines ancient architecture with bold modern projects. Its sights suit both history lovers and architecture enthusiasts: there are quiet lanes in the Old City as well as the lights of modern towers.
If you are planning a trip to Azerbaijan, start getting to know the country with Baku.
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