When Europe Meets Asia

Baku is one of the most beautiful world cities located just at the point where Europe meets Asia. It is the capital of Azerbaijan, just by the Western Caspian Sea.

Baku is the largest cultural center of Azerbaijan. It is the place where the national theatre was the first in the Muslim East to lift its curtain; the first opera was performed; the first Azerbaijan newspaper was published; and the first Azerbaijan library was opened. Today Baku is known to have 30 museums, 7 theatres, 11 institutions of higher education, a philharmonic orchestra, opera theatre, film studio, cinema theaters and libraries housed in the city’s most beautiful buildings. Their interior decoration is every bit as good as their interior cultural content.

I really enjoyed my day in this city, which is so diverse. I was intrigued by the mixture of architecture – the mix of new and old.

Baku was the host of the Eurovision song contest in 2012.

 

A nice fun day in a square in the middle of the city of Baku.

People around enjoying the nice sunny weather.

The Beautiful Caspian sea. I was sitting here and enjoying the view. I should have brought my sunglasses. It was really bright.

Amazing ruins in the city centre.

Here, I tried to show the old city, with the striking skyscrapers behind. I thought it was a good mix. I didn’t have a good zoom on my camera for this view.

Many of the architectural monuments of Baku were built on the ruins of very old buildings belonging to the pagan period in the history of Azerbaijan. Thus, according to archaeologists, the Maiden Tower is built on the site of a pagan temple. The basement of Sabail castle also contains some fragments of the older buildings. Juma mosque in the Icheri-sheher can also be listed among such monuments.

A carpet shop I passed when walking around. Beautiful hand made carpets.

Choices of many souvenirs available around the city centre.

Around Juma Mosque there are lots of shop selling all the kinds of art crafts you can imagine.

The tower of Absheron. It is built alongside the city wall.

Walking along side the City walls.

A beautiful gate and me standing by it.

Beautiful architecture alongside the city.

Icheri Sheher is the oldest living quarter in Baku. It was declared a historical and cultural reserve in 1977, and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

Sometimes, Icheri Sheher is referred to as a fortress, because its area of 221 km2 is fully surrounded with a well-preserved vallum. The territory of Icheri Sheher was inhabited with people as early as in the Bronze Age and by the VIII-XI centuries it had been completely populated.

I enjoyed my time in Baku. I thought it was a great city with amazing architecture!