Baku

Baku Bakı
Top: Baku Bay; Baku Business Centre Center: Heydar Aliyev Palace; Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall Bottom: Maiden Tower; Government House; Baku TV Tower.
Seal
Baku Location in Azerbaijan
Coordinates:
Country	Azerbaijan
Government
- Mayor	Hajibala Abutalybov
Area[1]
- Total	2,130 km2 (822.4 sq mi)
Elevation	-28 m (-92 ft)
Population (2009)[2]
- Total	2,039,700
- Density	900/km2 (2,331/sq mi)
Time zone	AZT (UTC+4)
- Summer (DST)	AZST (UTC+5)
Postal code	AZ1000
Area code(s)	12
Website	BakuCity.az

Baku (Azerbaijani: Bakı), sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakou, is the capital, the largest city, and the largest port of Azerbaijan and all the Caucasus. Located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, the city consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City (21.5 ha). Dating to antiquity, its urban population at the beginning of 2009 was estimated at just over two million people.^[2]

The Walled City of Baku along with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. According to the Lonely Planet's ranking Baku is also amongst the world's top ten destinations for urban nightlife.^[3]

Baku is divided into eleven administrative districts (raions) and 48 townships. Among these are the townships on islands in the Baku Bay and the town of Oil Rocks built on stilts in the Caspian Sea, 60 km (37 mi) away from Baku.

The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Azerbaijan. Many large Azerbaijan institutions have their headquarters there, including SOCAR, one of the world's top 100 companies, is also based in the city.^[4]

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Oil boom 3 Geography 3.1 Location 3.2 Geology 3.3 Climate 4 Governance 4.1 Districts of Baku 5 Demographics 6 Economy 6.1 Tourism 7 Culture and contemporary life 7.1 Architecture 7.1.1 Historical city core 7.2 Nightlife 7.3 Music 7.4 Media 7.5 Parks and gardens 7.6 Sports 8 Infrastructure 8.1 Communication 9 Transportation 9.1 Air 9.2 Navigation 9.3 Metro 10 Education 11 Notable Bakuvians 12 International relations 12.1 Twin cities 12.2 Partnership relations 13 Gallery 14 See also 15 References 16 External links

Etymology

The name Baku is widely believed to be derived from the old Persian names of the city باد-که Bād-kube, meaning "Wind-pounded city", in which bād means "wind" and kube is rooted in the verb کوبی kubidan, "to pound", thus referring to a place where wind is strong and pounding. Indeed, the city is renowned for its fierce winter snow storms and harsh winds.^[5] It is also believed that Baku refers to Baghkuh, meaning "Mount of God". 𐎲𐎠𐎥𐎠 Baga (now باغ bagh) and 𐎣𐎠𐎢𐎳𐎠 kaufa (now kuh) are the Old Persian words for "god" and "mountain" respectively; the name Baghkuh may be compared with Baghdād ("God-given") in which dād is the Old Persian word for "give". Arabic sources refer to the city as Baku, Bakukh, Bakuya, and Bakuye, all of which seem to come from a Persian name.

Various different hypotheses were also proposed to explain the etymology of the word Baku. According to L.G.Lopatinski^[6] and Ali Huseynzade^[7] Baku is derived from Turkic word for "hill". Caucasian history specialist K.P. Patkanov also explains the name as "hill" but in the Lak language.^[7] The Turkish Islamic Encyclopedia presents the origin of the word Baku as being derived from the words Bey-Kyoy, which mean "the main city" in Turkic. Also another theory suggest that the name Baku is derived from the ancient Caucasian Albanian city which present was called Baguan.

History

Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv
Reference	958
Region**	Middle East
Inscription history
Inscription	2000  (24th Session)
Endangered	2003-2009
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The first written evidence for Baku dates to the 1st century AD.^[8] Much of its history since that time has been linked to various Persian Empires.

The city became important after an earthquake destroyed Shamakhy in the 12th century, when the ruling Shirvanshah, Ahsitan I, chose Baku as the new capital. In 1501, Safavid Shah Ismail I laid a siege on Baku. At this time the city was however enclosed within the lines of strong walls, which were washed by sea on one side and protected by a wide trench on land. In 1540 Baku was again captured by the Safavid troops. In 1604 the Baku fortress was destroyed by Iranian shah Abbas I.

On 26 June 1723, after a lasting siege using cannons, Baku surrendered to the Russians. According to Peter the Great's decree the soldiers of two regiments (2,382 people) were left in the Baku garrison under the command of Prince Baryatyanski, the commandant of the city. In 1795, Baku was invaded by Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar to defend against tsarist Russia's ambitions to subjugate the South Caucasus. In the spring of 1796, by Catherine II's order, General Zubov's troops began a major campaign in Transcaucasia. Baku surrendered after the first demand of Zubov who had sent 6,000 troops to capture the city. On 13 June 1796 the Russian flotilla entered Baku Bay and a garrison of Russian troops was placed in the city. General Pavel Tsitsianov was appointed Baku's commandant. Later, however, Czar Paul I ordered him to cease the campaign and withdraw Russian forces. In March 1797 the tsarist troops left Baku but a new tsar, Alexander I, began to show a special interest in capturing Baku. In 1803, Tsitsianov reached an agreement with the Baku khan to compromise, but the agreement was soon annulled. On 8 February 1806, upon the surrendering of Baku, Huseyngulu khan of Baku stabbed and killed Tsitsianov at the gates of the city.

In 1813, Russia signed the Treaty of Gulistan with Persia, which provided for the cession of Baku and most of the Caucasus from Iran and their annexation by Russia.

Oil boom

The first oil well was mechanically drilled in the Bibi-Heybat suburb of Baku in 1846, though a number of hand-dug well predate it. Large-scale oil exploration started in 1872, when Russian imperial authorities auctioned the parcels of oil-rich land around Baku to private investors. Within a short period of time Swiss, British, French, Belgian, German, Swedish and American investors appeared in Baku, among them were the firms of the Nobel brothers together with the family von Börtzell-Szuch (Carl Knut Börtzell, who also owned the Livadia Palace) and the Rothschild family. An industrial oil belt, better known as Black City, was established near Baku. By the beginning of the 20th century almost half of world production was being extracted in Baku.^[9]

In 1917, after the October revolution and amidst the turmoil of World War I and the breakup of the Russian Empire, Baku came under the control of the Baku Commune, which was led by veteran Bolshevik Stepan Shaumyan. Seeking to capitalize on the existing inter-ethnic conflicts, by spring 1918, Bolsheviks inspired and condoned civil warfare in and around Baku. During the infamous March Days, using the support of the Dashnak Armenian militia in the city, and under the pretext of suppressing Musavat party, Bolsheviks attacked and massacred thousands of Azeris and other Muslims in Baku.^[10]

On 28 May 1918, the Azerbaijani faction of the Transcaucasian Sejm proclaimed the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in Ganja. Shortly after, Azerbaijani forces, with support of the Ottoman Army of Islam led by Nuru Pasha, started their advance into Baku, eventually capturing the city from the loose coalition of Bolsheviks, Esers, Dashnaks, Mensheviks and British forces under the command of General Lionel Dunsterville on 15 September 1918. Thousands of Armenians in the city were massacred in revenge for the earlier March Days.^[11] Baku became the capital of the ADR. On 28 April 1920, the 11th Red Army invaded Baku and reinstalled the Bolsheviks, making Baku the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

Geography

Location

Baku is located in the southern shore of Absheron peninsula.

Geology

In the vicinities of the city there are a number of mud volcanoes (Keyraki, Bogkh-bogkha, Lokbatan and others) and salt lakes (Boyukshor, Khodasan etc.).

Climate

Baku has an arid climate, with hot and dry summers and cold and occasionally wet winters. However, unlike many other cities with this climate, Baku does not see extremely hot summers. This is basically due to its northerly latitude and the fact that it is located on a peninsula. Baku and the Absheron Peninsula on which it is situated, is the most arid part of Azerbaijan (precipitation here is around or less than 200 mm (8 in) a year). The majority of the light annual precipitation occurs outside summer, but none of these months are particularly wet. During Soviet times, Baku with its long hours of sunshine and dry healthy climate, was a vacation destination where citizens could enjoy beaches or relax in now-dilapidated spa complexes overlooking the Caspian Sea.

As the origins of its name suggests, Baku is a very windy city throughout the year, and gale-force winds, the cold northern wind Khazri and the warm southern wind Gilavar are typical here in all seasons. Indeed, the city is renowned for its fierce winter snow storms and harsh winds.^[5] The speed of the Khazri sometimes reaches 144 km (89 mi), which can cause damage to crops, trees and roof tiles.^[12]

Summer is hot and dry, with the daily mean temperature in July and August averaging 26.4 °C (79.5 °F), and there is very little rainfall during that season. During summer the Khazri sweeps through which brings desired coolness in summer.

Winter is cold and occasionally wet, with the daily mean temperature in January and February averaging 4.3 °C (39.7 °F), During winter the Khazri sweeps through; driven by masses of polar air, temperatures on the coast frequently drop below freezing and makes it feel bittely cold. Winter snow storms do occur but are rare and snow usually remains only for a few days after each snowfall.

The average annual temperature of Baku and that of the Earth differ by less than 0.1 °C (0.18 °F) : it is 14.2 °C (57.6 °F).^[13]

Climate data for Baku
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source: World Meteorological Organisation (UN)[14], Hong Kong Observatory[15] for data of sunshine hours

Governance

Districts of Baku

Today, Baku is divided into 11 rayons (administrative districts) and 5 settlements of city type.^[16][17]

• Khazar (Xəzər rayonu)
• Binagadi (Binəqədi rayonu)
• Garadagh (Qaradağ rayonu)
• Khatai (Xətai rayonu)
• Narimanov (Nərimanov rayonu)
• Nasimi (Nəsimi rayonu)
• Nizami (Nizami rayonu)
• Sabail (Səbail rayonu)
• Sabunchu (Sabunçu rayonu)
• Surakhany (Suraxanı rayonu)
• Yasamal (Yasamal rayonu)

Demographics

Until 1988 Baku had very large Armenian, Russian, and Jewish population that contributed to cultural diversity and added in various ways (music, literature, architecture) to Baku's history treasure chest. Under Communism, the Soviets took over the majority of Jewish property in Baku and Kuba. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliev has returned several synagogues and a Jewish college nationalized by the Soviets, to the Jewish community. He has encouraged the restoration of these buildings and is well-liked by the Jews of Azerbaijan. Renovation has begun on seven of the original eleven synagogues, including the Gilah synagogue, built in 1896, and the large Kruei Synagogue.^[18] The new Azerbaijan constitution grants religious freedom and asserts that there is no state religion.

Currently the vast majority of the population of Baku are ethnic Azerbaijanis (more than 90%). The intensive growth of the population started in the middle of the 19th century when Baku was a small town with the population of about 7 thousand people. The population increased again from about 13,000 in the 1860s to 112,000 in 1897 and 215,000 in 1913, making Baku the largest city in the Caucasus region.^[19]

Baku has been a cosmopolitan city at certain times during its history, meaning ethnic Azerbaijanis did not constitute the majority of population.^[20] In 2003 Baku additionally had 153,400 internally displaced persons and 93,400 refugees.^[21]

Year	Azerbaijanis	Russians	Armenians	Iranian Citizens	Germans	Jews	Georgians	Total
1897	40,148	37,399	19,060	9,426	2,460	2,341	971	111,904
1903	44,257	56,955	26,151	11,132	3,749	n/a	n/a	155,876
1913	45,962	76,288	41,680	25,096	3,274	9,690	4,073	214,672

Economy

Baku's largest industry is petroleum, and its petroleum exports make it a large contributor to the Azerbaijan's balance of payments. The existence of petroleum has been known since the 8th century. In the 10th century, the Arabian traveler, Marudee, reported that both white and black oil were being extracted naturally from Baku.^[22] By the 15th century, oil for lamps was obtained from hand-dug surface wells. Commercial exploitation began in 1872, and by the beginning of the 20th century the Baku oil fields were the largest in the world. Towards the end of the 20th century much of the onshore petroleum had been exhausted, and drilling had extended into the sea offshore. By the end of the 19th century skilled workers and specialists flocked to Baku. By 1900 the city had more than 3,000 oil wells, of which 2,000 were producing oil at industrial levels. Baku ranked as one of the largest centres for the production of oil industry equipment before World War II. 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 produced half of the world's oil supply: Azerbaijan and the United States are the only two countries ever to have been the world's majority oil producer. Currently the oil economy of Baku is undergoing a resurgence, with the development of the massive Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field (Shallow water Gunashli by SOCAR, deeper areas by a consortium lead by BP), development of the Shah Deniz gas field, the expansion of the Sangachal Terminal and the construction of the BTC Pipeline.

The city remains as the economic and business center of the country. In fact, the city is a center for finance, insurance, real estate, media and the arts of Azerbaijan. The infrastructure development in the surrounding areas such as the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the creation of the Baku Business Centre and the expansion of Port Baku further reinforce the economic significance of the city.

The Baku Stock Exchange is Azerbaijan's largest stock exchange, and largest in the Caucasian region by market capitalization.

According to the Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Baku ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world, alongside Vienna and Berlin in 2009.^[23][24]

Tourism

Baku is one of Caucasus most important tourist destinations; with hotels in city earning 7 million euros in 2009.^[25] The tourism sector also plays an important part in the city's economy, providing income, employment and expanding business opportunities. As an extension of this, many large worldwide hotel chains have presence in the city.

The city boasts many popular tourist attractions, such as the Government House, International Mugham Center, Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Amburan, One and Thousand Nights and Shikov beaches, Yanar Dag and Oil Rocks.

Other tourist attractions include the city centre retail area, which contains shops from chain stores up to high-end boutiques such as Gucci, Emporio Armani, Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana and Bulgari. The city has several shopping malls, including the Amay Shopping Center, Azerbaijan's largest inner city shopping mall.

Hotels, from five-star to budget types, have cropped up everywhere to accommodate the influx of tourists each year. There are many hotels near Baku's entertainment and business districts.

Culture and contemporary life

The city has many amenities for a wide range of cultural activities, drawing both from the rich local dramatic portfolio and from the international repertoire; it also has a large range of museums, most notably historical and art ones. Many of the city's cultural sites were celebrated in 2009 when Baku was designated Islamic Culture Capital.^[26] Baku also chosen to host Eurovision Dance Contest 2010.

Among Baku's notable cultural venues are Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall, Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. The main movie theatre is Azerbaijan Cinema. Festivals include the Baku International Film Festival, Baku International Jazz Festival, Novruz Festival, Gül Bayramı (Flower Festival) and the National Theater Festival.^[27][28]

Architecture

Baku has wildly varying architecture, ranging from the Old City core to modern buildings and spacious layout of Baku port. Many of the city's most impressive buildings were built during Azerbaijan Democratic Republic period, when architectural elements of the European styles were combined with each other as evidenced in the eclecticism.^[29]

With labor and builders who created it, Baku obtained an original and unique appearance, deservedly earned him a reputation as the Paris of the East.^[30]

Late modern and postmodern architecture began to appear in the early-2000s. With the economic development, old buildings such as Atlant House have been razed to make way for new ones. Buildings with all glass shell appears around the city, with the most prominent example being the SOCAR Tower and Flame Towers.

Historical city core

The historical centre of Baku consists from Old City with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, which became the first location in Azerbaijan classified as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

Most of the walls and towers, strengthened after the Russian conquest in 1806, survived. This section is picturesque, with its maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings: the cobbled streets past the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, two caravansaries (ancient inns), the Maiden Tower (nice view of the harbor), the baths and the Juma Mosque (it used to house the Carpet and Applied Arts Museum, but now is a mosque again). The old town core also has dozens of small mosques, often without any particular sign to distinguish them from the next building.

In 2003, UNESCO placed the Inner City on the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing damage from a November 2000 earthquake, poor conservation as well as "dubious" restoration efforts.^[31]

Nightlife

Baku has a reputation for offering a vibrant nightlife, and many clubs that are open until dawn can be found throughout the city. The clubs with eastern style provides special treats of cuisine of Azerbaijan with local music, where western styled clubs are more targeted for the young and energetic crowd.^[32] Most of the public houses and bars are located near Fountain Square and are usually open until the early hours of the morning.

Baku is home to restaurants catering to every cuisine and occasion. Restaurants range from being rather luxurious and expensive to being ordinary and affordable.^[33]

According to Lonely Planet, Baku is one of world's top 10 party cities for having ultimate experience.^[3][34]

Music

The music scene in Baku can be traced back to ancient times and villages of Baku, generally revered as the fountainhead of meykhana and mugham in the Azerbaijan.^[35][36]

In recent years, the success of Azerbaijani performers such as AySel, Elnur Hüseynov and Arash in Eurovision has significantly boosted the profile of the Baku music scene, prompting international attention.

The 2005 was a landmark in the development of jazz in the city, who is home of legendary jazz musicians like Vagif Mustafazadeh, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh and Rain Sultanov.^[37][38] Among Baku's prominent annual fairs and festivals is Baku International Jazz Festival, which includes world's biggest jazz names.^[39][40]

Baku also has a thriving International Center of Mugham, which is located in Baku Boulevard.^[41]

Media

The majority of Azerbaijan's media companies (including television, newspaper and radio) are headquartered in Baku. The films The World Is Not Enough and The Diamond Arm are set in the city, while Amphibian Man includes several scenes filmed in Old City.

Baku is home to the Azerbaijani national media and AzTV, ANS, Azad Azerbaijan TV, Ictimai TV, Lider TV, Space TV, Khazar TV channels. Some of the most noteworthy Baku newspapers include the daily Zaman (The Time), Bakinskiy Rabochiy (The Baku Worker), Echo and the English-language Baku Today.

Various radio stations are also located in Baku. Out of the city's radio stations ANS ChM, Ictimai Radio, Radio Antenn, Burc FM, and Lider FM Jazz are some of the more influential competitors with large national audiences. ANS ChM was one of the first private and independent FM radio broadcasting service in the Caucasus and Central Asia regions when it was established in May 1994.^[42]

Parks and gardens

Baku has large sections of greenery either preserved by the National Government or designated as green zones. The city however, continues to lack a green belt development as economic activity continues to pour into the capital, resulting in massive housing projects along the suburbs.^[43]

Baku Boulevard is a pedestrian promenade that runs parallel to Baku's seafront. The boulevard contains an amusement park, yacht club and musical fountain, and various statues and monuments. The park is popular with dog-walkers and joggers, and is convenient for tourists, being adjacent to newly built International Center of Mugham and musical fountain.

Other prominent parks and gardens include Heydar Aliyev Park, Samad Vurgun Park, Narimanov Park and the Fountains Square. The Martyrs' Lane, formerly the Kirov Park, is dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives during the Nagorno-Karabakh War and also to the 137 people killed on Black January.

Sports

Baku was bidding for the 2016 Summer Olympics, but was eliminated on 4 June 2008.^[44] It is also bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The city's two main football clubs are Neftchi Baku (currently in the Azerbaijan Premier League) and FK Baku, both of whom play at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium. Neftchi has won five Azerbaijani titles, whilst FK Baku has won twice. Baku also has several clubs in the premier and regional leagues, including Inter Baku, Olimpik-Shuvalan in Premier League, MOIK Baku, Adliyya Baku and Bakili Baku in Azerbaijani First Division. In the Azerbaijan Basketball League, Baku is represented by Gala BC Baku, BC Aztop Baku, NTD Devon Baku whose home is the Palace of Hand Games.^[45]

First class sporting facilities were built for the indoor games, including the Palace of Hand Games and Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex. It hosted many sporting events, including Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in 2007 and 2009, 2005 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, 2007 FILA Wrestling World Championships and 2010 European Wrestling Championships, 2009 Women's Challenge Cup and European Taekwondo Championships in 2007.^[46][47]

Baku is also one of world's leading chess centres, having produced famous grandmasters like Teimour Radjabov, Vugar Gashimov, Gary Kasparov, Faik Hasanov and Rauf Mammadov. The city also annually hosts the international tournaments such as Baku Chess Grand Prix, President's Cup, Baku Open and currently bidding to host 42nd Chess Olympiad in 2014.^[48][49]

Infrastructure

Bulk power supply of Baku is provided by five 110 kV lines. As of 8 February 2008 three of them (total length 23.6 km/15 mi) have been completely refitted and modernized with their carrying capacity being doubled.^[50] Three 110 kV and twelve 35 kV substations were commissioned recently.^[50] Water supply is secured by several lines, the purest water comes from Khachmaz and Shollar lines.^[51]

Communication

Baku had its first permanent internet link only in 1995, through the Academy of Sciences. Dial-up internet access has been available since 1991. ADSL service was made widely available in 2007. The city is served by the English language paper Baku Today.^[52]

Transportation

Throughout history the transportation system of Baku used the now defunct horsecars, trams and narrow gauge railways. There are two official taxi companies in the city: the yellow Star cabs and the white taxis with blue sign from "Azeri Taxis".

Air

The Heydar Aliyev International Airport is the only commercial airport serving Baku. The new Baku Cargo Terminal was officially opened in March 2005. It was constructed to be a major cargo hub in the CIS countries and is actually now one of the biggest and most technically advanced in the region.^[53]

There are also several smaller military airbases near Baku, such as Baku Kala Air Base, intended for private aircraft, helicopters and charters.^[54]

Navigation

Sea transport is vital for Baku, as the city is practically surrounded by the Caspian Sea from the east. Shipping services operate regularly from Baku across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnovodsk) in Turkmenistan and to Bandar Anzali and Bandar Nowshar in Iran.^[55]

The commuter ferries, along with the high speed catamaran Seabus (Deniz Avtobusu), also form the main connection between the city and the Absheron peninsula.^[56]

Metro

Local transport includes the Baku Metro, a rapid transit system notable for its art, murals, mosaics, and ornate chandeliers. Baku Metro was opened in November, 1967 and includes 22 stations at present, while 170 million people used Baku Metro over the past five years.^[57]

In 2008, the Chief of the Baku Metro, Taghi Ahmadov, announced plans to construct 41 new stations over the next 17 years. These will serve the new bus complex as well as the international airport.^[58]

Education

Baku has many universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools. Many of Azerbaijan's most prestigious universities are in Baku, including Baku State University, Azerbaijan State Oil Academy, Academy of Public Administration, Azerbaijan Medical University, and Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. Some of the biggest national universities located in Baku are:

• Baku Academy of Music
• Azerbaijan State Economic University
• Baku Slavic University
• Azerbaijan Technical University
• Azerbaijan University of Languages
• Azerbaijan Architecture and Construction University
• Azerbaijan Tourism Institute

After Azerbaijan gained independence, the fall of communism led to development of a number of private institutions, including Western University, Odlar Yurdu University and Qafqaz University. Some of the biggest public universities located in Baku are:

• Khazar University
• Azerbaijan International University

Publicly run kindergartens and elementary schools (years 1 through 11), are operated by local wards or municipal offices.

Notable Bakuvians

Because of intermittent periods of great prosperity and as the largest city in the Caucasus and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the Soviet Union, Baku prides itself on having produced a disproportionate number of notable figures in the sciences, arts and other fields. Some of the houses they resided in display commemorative plaques.

Famous authors of the city include Edward Topol, the author of The Pyramid. The Soviet Mafia, Mikayil Mushfig, author of the well known poems and Aliagha Vahid, poet, pioneer of the meykhana music genre.

Baku is the hometown of the current President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev,^[59] Mstislav Rostropovich, famous cellist,^[60] Vagif Mustafazadeh and Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, famous jazz musicians, Genrich Altshuller, inventor, and Lev Landau, famous physicist and winner of Nobel Prize in Physics, Tariyel Mirzoyev, famous businessman also known as zajravshiysa baron and Raphael Hasanov, known as "Rafa", nulevoy striker who is currently playing for FC Ahmedli JEK Union.^[61]

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Azerbaijan

Twin cities

Baku is twinned with:^{[62][in chronological order]}

City	Country	Year
Dakar	Senegal	From 1967[63][64]
Naples	Italy	From 1972[65]
Basra	Iraq	From 1972[63]
Sarajevo	Bosnia-Herzegovina	From 1975[63][64]
Houston	United States	From 1976[66]
Bordeaux	France	From 1979[63]
Tabriz	Iran	From 1980's[64]
Mainz	Germany	From 1984[64]
Izmir	Turkey	From 1985[67]
Vũng Tàu	Vietnam	From 1985[63]

Partnership relations

Partnership relations also exist at different levels with:^[68] Berlin, Paris, Aberdeen, Vienna, Stavanger, Tbilisi, Astana, Minsk, Moscow, Volgograd, Kizlyar, Tashkent and Chengdu.

Gallery

Building of the National Assembly	Baku Boulevard	Azerbaijan State Economic University	Baku TV Tower	Akhundov National Library
Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall	State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre	Carpet Museum	Yacht club	Monument to Ismail I
Baku Jazz Center	International Center of Mugham in Baku Boulevard	Rashid Behbudov theater	Baku building	Avenue in Baku

See also

• Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
• Sumgait

References

External links

• Baku travel guide from Wikitravel
• UNESCO/ICOMOS (April 29, 2003). "Joint UNESCO-ICOMOS Mission to the Walled City of Baku". UNESCO/ICOMOS. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001305/130571e.pdf. 
• Baku's profile at the Organization of World Heritage Cities website
• Baku hotels
• Baku city guide
• Information about Baku and Baku people around the world
• UNESCO World Heritage Site listing Walled City of Baku

Preceded by Alexandria, Djibouti, Lahore

Capital of Islamic culture 2009

Succeeded by TBA

Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan Districts Absheron · Agdam · Agdash · Aghjabadi · Agstafa · Agsu · Astara · Babek · Balakan · Barda · Beylagan · Bilasuvar · Dashkasan · Fizuli · Gadabay · Goranboy · Goychay · Goygol · Hajigabul · Imishli · Ismailli · Jabrayil · Jalilabad · Julfa · Kalbajar · Kangarli · Khachmaz · Khizi · Khojali · Khojavend · Kurdamir · Lachin · Lankaran · Lerik · Masally · Neftchala · Oghuz · Ordubad · Qabala · Qakh · Qazakh · Gobustan · Quba · Qubadli · Qusar · Saatly · Sabirabad · Sadarak · Salyan · Samukh · Shabran · Shakhbuz · Shaki · Shamakhi · Shamkir · Sharur · Shusha · Siazan · Tartar · Tovuz · Ujar · Yardymli · Yevlakh · Zangilan · Zaqatala · Zardab Cities Baku · Ganja · Khankendi · Lankaran · Mingachevir · Naftalan · Nakhchivan City · Shaki · Shirvan · Sumqayit · Shusha · Yevlakh Names in italics indicate parts of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic

Raions of Baku Xəzər • Binəqədi • Qaradağ • Xətai • Nərimanov • Nəsimi • Nizami • Sabail • Sabunçu • Suraxanı • Yasamal

Baku Capital: Baku Artyom · Badamdar · Bayil · Bakıxanov · Balaxanı · Baş Ələt · Bibiheybət · Biləcəri · Bilgəh · Binə · Bukhta-Ilicha · Bülbülə · Buzovna · Cənubi · Çeyildağ · Chërnyy Gorod · Çilov · Çilov-Neft Daşları · Dənizkənarı · Dübəndi · Dzhabar · Əhmədli · Ələt · Əmircan · Gürgan · Gürgən-Pirallahı · Heybət · Hövsan · İkinci Qala · Imeni Vorovskogo · Jiloy · Kələzağ · Keşlə · Kirov · Korgöz · Kotal · Kürdəxanı · Lökbatan · Maştağa · Mərdəkan · Müşviqabad · Nardaran · Neft Daşları · Pirallahı · Pirsaat · Pirşağı · Puta · Qala · Qaraçuxur · Qaraibad · Qarakosa · Qaya · Qızıldaş · Qobustan · Qoşaqışlaq · Ramana · Rəsulzadə · Sabunçu · Şağan · Sahil · Sahqaya · Sanqaçal · Şıxlar · Şonqar · Stepan Razin · Şubanı · Sulutəpə · Şüvəlan · Türkan · Üçtəpə · Xanlar · Xocəsən · Yeni Ələt · Yeni Günəşli · Yeni Suraxanı · Zabrat · Zağulba Bağları · Zəfəran · Zığ · Zirə

Capitals of Asia West and Southwest Asia Central Asia East Asia Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Amman, Jordan Ankara, Turkey 7 Baghdad, Iraq Baku, Azerbaijan 7 Beirut, Lebanon Damascus, Syria Doha, Qatar Jerusalem, Israel and Proclaimed for Palestinian Authority 6 8 Kuwait City, Kuwait Manama, Bahrain Muscat, Oman Nicosia, Cyprus 8 Ramallah, Palestinian Authority de facto Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sana'a, Yemen Tbilisi, Georgia 7 Tehran, Iran Yerevan, Armenia 8 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Astana, Kazakhstan 7 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Dushanbe, Tajikistan Tashkent, Uzbekistan  South Asia Dhaka, Bangladesh Islamabad, Pakistan Kabul, Afghanistan 1 Kathmandu, Nepal Kotte, Sri Lanka 3 Malé, Maldives New Delhi, India Thimphu, Bhutan Beijing, People's Republic of China (PRC) Pyongyang, North Korea Seoul, South Korea Taipei, Republic of China (ROC) 2 Tokyo, Japan Ulan Bator, Mongolia 1  Southeast Asia Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Bangkok, Thailand Dili, East Timor Hanoi, Vietnam Jakarta, Indonesia Kuala Lumpur 4 and Putrajaya,5 Malaysia Manila, Philippines Naypyidaw, Burma Phnom Penh, Cambodia Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 9 Singapore, Singapore Vientiane, Laos 1 Often considered part of Central Asia  2 Commonly known as Taiwan  3 Full name is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte  4 Formal   5 Administrative  6 See Positions on Jerusalem for details on Jerusalem's status  7 Transcontinental country  8 Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe  9 Entirely in Melanesia but having socio-political connections with Southeast Asia

Capitals of European states and territories Capitals of non-sovereign territories or constituent nations shown in SmallCaps Western Northern Central Southern Eastern Amsterdam, Netherlands Andorra la Vella, Andorra Belfast, Northern Ireland Brussels, Belgium 5 Douglas, Isle of Man4 Cardiff, Wales Dublin, Ireland Edinburgh, Scotland Lisbon, Portugal London, United Kingdom Luxembourg, Luxembourg Madrid, Spain Monaco, Monaco Paris, France Saint Helier, Jersey4 Saint Peter Port, Guernsey4 Copenhagen, Denmark Helsinki, Finland Longyearbyen, Svalbard Mariehamn, Åland Islands Oslo, Norway Reykjavík, Iceland Riga, Latvia Stockholm, Sweden Tallinn, Estonia Tórshavn, Faroe Islands Vilnius, Lithuania Belgrade, Serbia Berlin, Germany Bern, Switzerland Bratislava, Slovakia Budapest, Hungary Ljubljana, Slovenia Prague, Czech Republic Vienna, Austria Warsaw, Poland Vaduz, Liechtenstein Zagreb, Croatia Ankara, Turkey 1 Athens, Greece Gibraltar, Gibraltar4 Nicosia, Cyprus 2, Northern Cyprus 2, 3 Podgorica, Montenegro Pristina, Kosovo 3 Rome, Italy San Marino, San Marino Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Skopje, Republic of Macedonia Tirana, Albania Valletta, Malta Vatican City, Vatican City Astana, Kazakhstan 1 Baku, Azerbaijan 1 Bucharest, Romania Chişinău, Moldova Kiev, Ukraine Minsk, Belarus Moscow, Russia 1 Sofia, Bulgaria Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic 3 Sukhumi, Abkhazia 3 Tbilisi, Georgia 1 Tiraspol, Transnistria 3 Tskhinvali, South Ossetia 3 Yerevan, Armenia 1 1 Transcontinental country.  2 Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe.  3 Partially recognised country.  4 Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.  5 Also the seat of the European Union, see Location of European Union institutions and Brussels and the European Union.

World Heritage Sites in Azerbaijan Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape  · Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower ·