AZE: Baku Downtown
Baku, Azerbaijan
Baku is the capital city of Azerbaijan that's situated at 28 m below sea level, making it the largest city in the world below sea level. It's also the largest city in the Caucasus region, covering an area of approximately 2,140 square kilometres. About 25% of the country's population live in the metropolis.
---
AZE: Baku Downtown <YOU ARE HERE!>
---
Let's begin with a few photos that I took while my BFF and I were being driven from Heydar Aliyev International Airport to Center City Hotel Baku.
 |
| The construction of Baku's National Gymnastics Arena took 5 years from 2009. |
 |
| I'm pretty sure that's a government building. |
The hotel where we were staying at during our trip is located near Icherisheher, the historical core of the city.
 |
| We were in Baku about two weeks before the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. |
 |
| Named after the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature, Nizami Park is one of the oldest parks in Baku. |
In close proximity to the hotel and the Double Gates of Icherisheher is a famous local confectionery shop called Sheki Sweet Home.
 |
| The shop is rather small, but there are lots of goods to choose from. |
Nizami Street and the surrounding areas are a bustling entertainment district with hotels, shops and restaurants abound.
 |
| Baliq ekmek (lit. fish sandwich) is a common street food item in Turkish cuisine. |
 |
| Fountain Square used to have dozens of fountains when it was constructed during the Soviet rule. |
 |
| We dropped by Baku's first McDonald's on our first day for dinner. |
 |
| At first I thought it was a Chinese cake shop. |
Below are some photos of the entertainment district during the day
 |
| Ticaret merkezi literally means 'shopping centre'. |
 |
| Just like in Turkey, corn on the cob seems to be a popular snack. |
Did you know that the world's first oil well was drilled in Baku in 1846?
 |
| Union of Artists of Azerbaijan was founded in 1932. |
 |
| Four Seasons Hotel Baku (5*) boasts a Beaux-Arts architecture. |
The traffic in the city has become chaotic over the past few years with staggering reports of injuries and deaths for pedestrians attempting to cross the busy roads. To tackle the problem, the government has built an extensive network of underground pedestrian walkways.
Language wise, English and Russian are understood in many places throughout the city. Azerbaijani is pretty much mutually intelligible with Turkish, even more so than the case of Malay and Indonesian according to one of the tour guides we encountered.
 |
| At the point of writing, the cost for a 24-hour ticket is AZN 25.00 (~S$19.65). |
 |
| Standing in the background is Baku TV Tower with a revolving restaurant on the 62nd floor. |
Baku Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city, which was first opened to the public in 1967. As is the case in many ex-Soviet nations, the stations feature exquisite decorations that blend national motifs with Soviet ideology, and they go very deep underground. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited.
We took the metro from Sahil station to Nariman Narimanov station to witness the cool-looking Heydar Aliyev Center.
 |
| Having a distinctively modern architecture, the building houses a conference hall, a gallery hall and a museum. |
 |
| Constructed in 2007, the curvy building was designed by Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi-British architect. |
 |
| In 2014, the Centre was awarded the Design of the Year Award by the UK's Design Museum. |
Not far front the Centre is the I Love Baku sign, which should make an Instagram-worthy picture.
 |
| Though I was drawn by the aroma of grilled meat, I didn't buy anything from that kiosk. |
From there, we walked in the southwest direction.
 |
| I believe the full name of that hotel is Kaspia Park Hotel (4*). |
Yasil Bazar is an indoor market full of fresh produce and local delicacies.
 |
| Feel free to bargain with the sellers to make the most of your cash. |
 |
| Dried flowers for tea, anyone? |
Can you spot a bear soft toy in the picture below?
The history of Baku Railway Station dates back to 1880 with the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi service. It then underwent reconstruction in 1926 to its present form.
Heydar Aliyev Palace is the main concert hall in Baku.
 |
| The concert hall has a capacity of 2,500 guests. |
Finally, we walked through a long walkway known as Fuzuli Park to Taza Pir Mosque.
 |
| Standing in front of Azerbaijan State Academic Drama Theater is a statue of Fuzuli, a 16th century poet. |
 |
| I was truly enjoying the fresh air at the lungs of the city. |
 |
| The mosque was the first religious building that made use of white stone in its construction in Baku. |
To end off, here are the list of eateries that we went to in Baku:
- McDonald's (Western)
- Cay Bagi 145 (Middle Eastern)
- Dolma Restaurant (Middle Eastern)
- Nergiz Restaurant (Middle Eastern)
- Sahil Bar & Restaurant (Middle Eastern)
- Imereti Georgian Restaurant (Georgian)
Comments
Post a Comment