Baku

Baku is one of the hardest capitals to categorise in the Caucasus. Within ten minutes' walk of Icheri Sheher — the walled medieval old city from the 12th century — you find the Neftchiler Avenue with five-star hotels and the Flame Towers skyscrapers. The city has grown in layers since the first oil boom in the late 19th century, and each layer — Arab, Persian, Tsarist colonial, Soviet, post-Soviet — left recognisable architecture.

The densest area for a two-or-three-day visitor is the historic centre and the neighbourhood surrounding it up to the Caspian Boulevard. Icheri Sheher has narrow streets with limestone houses, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, and operates as a lived-in neighbourhood — there are bakeries, cafés and children playing by the medieval walls. The Boulevard offers the seafront promenade and views over the Caspian.

Azerbaijani cuisine in Baku deserves time: plov with chestnuts and dates, dushbara (dumpling soup), lamb kebabs and dolma with vine leaves are the most representative dishes. Restaurants in the historic centre have outdoor tables in summer that stay open late.

Baku has existed as a settlement since at least the 8th century, when it was a minor port on the Caspian coast. The city gained importance under the Shirvanshahs in the 12th–15th centuries, when the walls of Icheri Sheher and the palace were built. Persian domination in the 17th–18th centuries preceded Russian annexation in 1806. The first great transformation came with industrial oil extraction in the 1870s–1900s, which financed the construction of the neoclassical centre and brought European architects to the city. The Soviet era added boulevards and residential neighbourhoods. The post-Soviet boom of the 2000s–2010s, fuelled by revenues from the BTC pipeline, produced the skyscrapers and the Heydar Aliyev Center.

• Icheri Sheher (old city) The 12th-century walled enclosure with the Maiden Tower, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, medieval streets and cafés. UNESCO World Heritage since 2000.
• Maiden Tower A 12th-century tower of uncertain function — perhaps defensive, perhaps an observatory or Zoroastrian altar. The views from the top over the Caspian Bay and modern centre are excellent.
• Flame Towers The three flame-shaped skyscrapers dominating Baku's skyline at night, illuminated in red, orange and green. The most photogenic viewpoint is from Baku Park above the centre.
• Caspian Boulevard The 3 km seafront promenade along the bay, with gardens, bars and views back to the old city terraces. Lively at sunset and at night in summer.
• Heydar Aliyev Center Zaha Hadid's building, with white curves and no angles, with permanent exhibitions on Azerbaijani history and culture. The visit takes between one and a half and two hours.
• Taza Bazaar The city's largest covered market, with spices, dried fruits, herbs and local products. Ideal for end-of-trip shopping.

Photo gallery

Baku has an international airport (Heydar Aliyev International Airport) with direct flights from several European capitals. The metro connects the airport to the centre in 20–25 minutes. Airport taxi costs between 15 and 25 manat. The city centre is compact and walkable; the metro has two lines and runs efficiently.

The best time is April to June and September to November: pleasant temperatures (20–26 °C) and clear sky. Summer (July–August) can be very hot (38–42 °C) and dry. Winter is mild but windy — the Caspian wind is famous in the city. Autumn has the best light quality for photography.