Baku (Baki)
1,500 years ago. The first written reference to Baku dates from 885, although archaeologists have found remains of a settlement predating by several centuries the birth of Christ. The city became important after an earthquake destroyed Shemakha and the of the 12th century and the Shirvanshah, Ahistan I, made Baku the new capital. There are a few theories about the origin of the name, the most widely known being that Baku comes from bad kube, meaning "city of winds". The climate is sunny and arid, with gale-force winds that sweep through on occasion, caused by masses of polar air. Baku is located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea and is Azerbaijan's largest city, with wonderful beaches, spas and a striking setting on the salty Caspian Sea. The basis of Baku's economy is petroleum. The existence of petroleum has been known since the 8th century. By the 15th century oil for lamps was obtained from surface wells. Commercial exploitation began in 1872, and by the beginning of the 20th century the Baku oil field was the largest in the world. Towards the end of the 20th century much of the land's petroleum had been exhausted, and drilling had extended into the sea. Baku ranks as one of the largest centres for the production of oil industry equipment. The World War II Battle of Stalingrad was fought to determine who would have control of the Baku oil fields. Fifty years before the battle, Baku supplied half of the world's oil production. In recent years oil has made the city affluent again, but Baku is still a conservative place. You don't see many women covering their heads, but you'll notice many small revealing details e.g. ladies go to the toilet for a cigarette, couples don't kiss in public... Today's Baku is really three cities rolled into one: the old town (icheri shekher), the boomtown and the Soviet-built town. The centre of Baku is the old town, which is also a fortress. The walled city of Baku became in December 2000 the first location in Azerbaijan classified as world cultural site by UNESCO. Most of the walls and towers, strengthened after the Russian conquest in 1806, survive. This section is picturesque, with its maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings. Wander the cobbled streets past the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, two caravansaraies (ancient inns), the 11th-century Maiden's Tower (nice view of the harbour), the baths and the Djuma Mosque (it used to house the exquisite Carpet and Applied Arts Museum, but now is a Mosque again... and by the way the carpets are now at the former V.I. Lenin museum). The old town also has dozens of small mosques, often without any particular sign to distinguish them from the next building. The boomtown, south of the old city, was built after massive oil exploitation began nearly a century ago and has interesting beaux-arts architecture. Fine arts, history and literature museums are located there, all housed in the mansions of pre-Revolutionary millionaires. Modern Baku, mainly a Soviet brain-child spreads out from the walls, its streets and buildings rising up hills that rim the Bay of Baku. The flow money brought by the oil industry in the 21st century changed the skyline, with numerous tall building of doubtful architecture and quality framing the city. Greater Baku is divided into 11 districts and 48 townships. Among these are townships on islands in the bay and one island town built on stilts in the Caspian Sea, 100 kilometres from Baku proper ('Oil Rocks'). If you have a the stamina, it is worth walking uphill to the Martyr’s Cemetery, formerly the Kirov park (there is also a funicular, but it's often out of order, so you better take a taxi). This area is now dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives during the war with Armenia and also to the 137 people who were killed on 19 & 20 January 1990 when Soviet tanks and troops took to the streets of Baku. Photographs of victims featured on each tomb-stone are sobering and poignant. Now 20 January has become a national holiday of deep emotional meaning. Many expats working oil industry in the oil industry are to be found around Baku, but tourists are still a rare sight. The government has be busy campaigning abroad, but Baku and Azerbaijan are still not 'tourist ready'. However things are changing and Baku boasts its first tourism information center, at Hajibeyov St. 36, created with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Baku Public Transportation Baku has bus, tram, trolley-bus and underground services. These are inexpensive and the network is very comprehensive, though the comfort, quality and reliability of the services varies. Baku is the only city in Azerbaijan with a metro service. Baku metro is very practical, stations are generally clean and safe. Trains are also clean and run every two or three minutes. Fares are cheap and independent from the lenght of the journey. There are two main lines, one going around the city centre and another roughly in a northwest- southeast axis, plus two small appendixes. The two main metro lines meet near Baku's central railway station, at the double station of Jafar Jabbarly/28th May - the entrance is trough Jafar Jabbarly. The old town is served by the Baku Soviet station. The other downtown station is Sahil, near the 26 Comissars square. The only surface station is Bakmil, right before the depot. The stations were built with the grandiosity expected of Soviet designers and are an attraction by their own right, although improved maintenance as well as investment and modernization are urgent. Don't miss the amaising mosaics at Nizami station, the marble and copperwork at Elmlyar Akademiyasy station or the tall marble columns and the mosaic at Ganjlik station. All stations are underground with the exception of Bakmil, right before the depot. Beware if you are using an old map: several stations had their names altered following independence from the USSR (eg. 28 May was 28 April, Gara Garayev was Aurora, Sahil was Baky Komissary...!). The trains operate from 6:00 am till 1:00 am the next day. To use the metro you should buy a magnetic card and charge it with as many trips as you wish. This is required even you need to do a single trip. At present the are no single trip tickets, only the above mentions magnetic cards, although the equipment installed in the stations allows such tickets. A good alternative to public transport in Baku is to hire a private car with driver. A minimum charge is approximately 60 Euro a day (for 8 hours).
manats, though it is possible to negotiate much lower fares if you have the patience. Expect to be asked more if you dont't speak Azeri or Russian. Driving may be a little adventurous and rear seat belts do not abound. Taxis do not generally accept foreign currencies. Make sure you have change before travelling as some drivers may not. There are only two official taxi companies in Baku, use either the yellow Star cabs, or the white taxis with blue sign from Azerq Taxis. Those with blue license plates are officially licensed and are considered to be safer. As in Russia it is common practice to flag down private cars and agree on a price for the ride, it may seem strange initially, but you soon get used to this. Emergencies in Baku
to ask for information or directions. Remember to carry your passport with you at all times when you are outside. Azeris are required to do this, and if you do, it will make things easier for you in case you are stopped by the police. In other situations do not get the police involved unless you really need to. It's advisable to get in touch with your embassy first. So far the only European Union embassies are from: Finland (just an honorary consulate), France, Germany, Greece, Italy, SLovakia, Sweden and the UK. Pick your choice if your country is not represented in Baku. If you really must contat the police, then Baku Main Board of Police Department is at Mardanov Brothers str., 39, Baku, AZ1014, phone.: (994 +12) 490-91-15, fax: (994 +12) 493-42-65, e-mail: info@bpi.gov.az. |
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