Baku, Azerbaijan

Baku – Capital & Largest City of Azerbaijan

Bakuis the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan and also the largest city on the Caspian Sea as well as of the Caucasus region, located 28 metres below sea level. It makes the lowest lying national capital in the world as well as the largest city in the world that is located below sea level. It is situated on the southern shore of Absheron Peninsula that projects in the Caspian Sea comprising of two principal sections, the downtown area and the old Inner City. Baku’s urban population at the beginning of 2009 was over two million inhabitants and officially around twenty five percent of the inhabitants live in Baku’s metropolitan area.It is one of the most beautiful world’s cities at the joint of Europe and Asia.

The port city of Baku, the industrial, cultural as well as the political capital of Azerbaijan, located on the western Caspian seaside is rich in oil fields and it has 11 administrative districts and 5 townships. Baku is also the largest cultural centre of Azerbaijan. It is the place where a national theatre, the first of its kind lifted the curtain where the first opera was performed. The first Azerbaijan newspaper was published as well as the first library was opened here

Largest Industrial Centre

Presently, Baku is known to have around thirty museums, seven theatres, eleven institutions of higher studies, philharmonic, opera theatre, cinema theatres, film studio and libraries which are accommodated in the city’s most beautiful buildings with interior decoration that are every bit amazing as their interior cultural content.Being the largest industrial centre, it is the place of ancient oil fields, popular Oil Stones, unique plant of deep water foundation, modern drilling floating units and high capacity derrick barges.

 Moreover it is also famous for developed oil refineries, petrochemicals, chemical, light food, engineering branches of industries together with oil equipment production, building material, instruments, radio electronics and electrical engineering.as well as shipbuilding. In addition to this, Baku is also a large rail junction as well as a port terminal in the Caspian Sea and from 1967; the Baku underground was operational in the capital.

Old City/Icheri Sheher – Inner City

Interesting site of Baku is the Old City which is enclosed within the fortress wall or Icheri Sheher – Inner City and this open air museum along with the popular Maiden Tower which is located here is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The fortress architectural appearance is different from its unique originality and contains 44 monument of medieval architecture which includes the unique Palace of the Shirvanshahs, earlier residence of the rulers of Shirvan.

A Zoroastrian monument – fire worshipers’ temple `Ateshgah’, is around 30 km away from Baku in Surakhani village. Some distance further in the village of Gobustan is a rare monument of world culture one of earliest centres of human civilization with 4,000 rock drawings of people and animals and this historical art reserve has also been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. There are several shopping centres, boutiques, exhibition venues, restaurants together with world famous brands hotel. Baku is an amazing place to explore with its wonderful architectural appearance.