Nizami Street

Nizami Street is the axis where old and new Baku blend without much effort. The partly pedestrianised stretch runs about two kilometres from Sahil metro station to the area around the Baku Opera and Ballet Theatre. At any hour there are people: groups of young people with headphones, tourists checking their phones, families with pushchairs and employees of nearby banks and ministries heading out for lunch. The uneven cobblestone surface makes you watch where you step.

The cream-coloured limestone facades from the 19th and early 20th centuries are what gives Nizami Street its character. Many retain wrought-iron balconies and cornices with eclectic ornamentation, a legacy of the first oil boom era when Baku attracted architects from across Europe and Russia. Interspersed among these facades are international brands, terrace restaurants, ice-cream parlours and the occasional craft shop. Coffee on the terraces of Nizami costs between 4 and 7 manats, considerably more than in neighbourhoods like Sovetski or Narimanov.

At night Nizami Street is lit by classical-style lamp posts and the atmosphere becomes livelier: music spilling from bars, groups gathered on terraces until late. In summer the terraces run until the early hours, and Baku's dry heat makes the night the most bearable time to stroll. The street has no great monuments of its own, but works well as a starting point for exploring the historic centre and understanding how the city lives.

Nizami Street came into being with the urban expansion of Baku in the late 19th century, when the wealth of the first oil boom overflowed the walls of the walled city. During Russian rule it was called Torgovaya — Commercial Street — and concentrated shops, hotels and oil company headquarters. With Sovietisation it was renamed after the medieval poet Nizami Ganjavi, born in the Azerbaijani region in the 12th century and a central figure of literature in the Persian language. The buildings lining it reflect the singular cosmopolitanism of oil-era Baku, where Azerbaijanis, Russians, Armenians, Iranians and European businessmen coexisted, all leaving their mark on the eclectic architecture that survives today.

• 19th-century limestone facades The buildings with eclectic ornamentation, wrought-iron balconies and worked cornices are the street's real value. The best-preserved ones are in the central stretch, between Nizami station and Fountains Square.
• Fountains Square (Fontan Meydanı) Connected laterally to Nizami Street, it is the most crowded meeting point in the centre: fountains, benches and a constant bustle that continues well into the night.
• Central pedestrian stretch The section between Sahil and Fountains Square has the best terraces and the greatest density of people. Weekend afternoons are when it is most lively.
• Contemporary art galleries Several small spaces with work by contemporary Azerbaijani artists occupy ground floors and mezzanines of historic buildings along the street and in adjacent lanes.
• Icheri Sheher (Old City) The western end of Nizami Street is just a few minutes' walk from the gates of the walled city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.

Photo gallery

Nizami Street runs through the centre of Baku with direct access from three metro stations: Sahil, Icheri Sheher and Nizami. From Heydar Aliyev Airport, a taxi costs between 20 and 35 manats (approx. 12–20 USD) depending on the time; the express bus connects with the metro network. From anywhere in the historic centre you can walk there in under ten minutes.

Nizami Street can be visited year-round, but spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the most comfortable conditions: between 18 and 25 degrees and pleasant afternoon light. Summer is hot, with highs of 35–38 degrees; at midday the street, with almost no shade, becomes stifling. The best approach then is to head out from 19:00 onwards, when it cools and the terraces fill. Winter is mild for the region: it rarely drops below 0 degrees.