A Short Guide to Baku
Updated: Feb 27, 2020
Will There Be Blood?
Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, the most populous of the three Caucasian capitals with around two million inhabitants, has come a long way since the unlamented collapse of the U.S.S.R, and having come through a period of bitter war with Armenia (over Nagorno Karrabach – which they lost) and power struggle in the 90’s it is now run effectively, if somewhat undemocratically, by the self-appointed Aliyev dynasty – who don’t so much govern Azerbaijan, as own it. It is a bracing, vibrant, and occasionally surreal city in which buildings are mushrooming at an alarming rate – every view of Baku is one of construction, with some of the most audacious and bizarre building projects being undertaken anywhere in the world. Baku’s astonishing reinvention is largely down to two factors – chiefly its huge wealth of oil and gas reserves which at times literally seep through the soil (which it is no longer obliged to cede to Moscow) – and secondly the ambition of its unfortunately authoritarian ruling family.
Baku is not a city for the faint of heart – it is as off the beaten track as you can get, and nothing about travel in Azerbaijan is easy. But to those who are willing to sacrifice some western comfort and come with an open mind, it is a city with some weird and wonderful treasures, which you will probably find you have all to yourself: tourism is a concept only just beginning to take shape here. And if you can ignore the recent placing of Azerbaijan as the world’s 152nd least corrupt country (which means it is the 28th most and actually more corrupt than both the Congo and Zimbabwe and equal with Iraq - which may or may not hinder you as a tourist) – and questionable environmental health - you might just have one up on some of your backpacking mates who have been everywhere…just don’t mention Armenia!
Best of Baku
Since their completion in 2013, the Flame Towers in downtown Baku have become the focal point of the city, and given it a sense of energy and pride. Three innovative and state-of-the-art buildings which are unusually flame-shaped light up the night sky, and a spectacular evening light show takes place every day. The towers dominate the City and they really do look like they are on fire. Walk along the seafront at night and take a photo of the Flame tower reflected in the Caspian Sea. Sadly, there is nothing much inside to see, nor a viewing platform in any of the buildings, which no doubt command superb views of the city. The next best place to get your bearings is the ancient old city, Icharishahar. Just practice a few times before asking directions! Like the kernel of a nut, everything in Baku originates from here, spreading out endlessly east and west along the coast and blurring into the surrounding industrial hinterland. Middle-eastern in flavour, this is a pedestrianised haven in which you can wander unimpeded by the city’s ubiquitous traffic. It contains the two most-visited tourist sights, Maiden Tower and The Palace of the Shirvanshas.
The most instantly recognizable of Baku’s genuine tourist sights, the surprisingly squat and medieval 29m tower overlooks the Caspian from the far end of the old town and affords great views out over the (ahem) glistening, azure waters and surrounding old town – and its rapidly changing environs. From here, you can begin a well-thought out audio-guide tour of the old town, which gives you some nice insights into the history of Baku – the highlight of which is undoubtedly the afore-mentioned Palace of the Shirvanshas, a painstakingly-restored 15th century complex, and the finest surviving piece of Middle Age (Persian) architecture in Azerbaijan. Here, you get a feel for everyday life within the palace walls, from the crypt to the cistern, the hammam and the mosque. For an even better view out over the town, climb up the hill to Martyr’s Alley - an evocative if at times mawkish memento to those who lost their lives in the Red Army’s 1990 quelling of a popular uprising in the city. An eternal flame burns at the end of a long row of engraved tombstones to the martyrs, looking out on the wide sweeping arc of Baku bay.
Mad Max Weirdness
The real joy of Baku is discovering its wacky hinterland; a Mad-Max landscape, stretching east into the Caspian on the Abseron peninsula, it’s a weird mixture of post-industrial waste - populated by nodding donkeys, disused factories and off-shore oil-rigs (the opening desolate scenes of Bond film The World Is Not Enough were shot here – and oddly compelling natural and man-made sights, the like of which you won’t see anywhere else in the world.
Where better to start than