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For other uses, see .
Nickname(s):
Location in Azerbaijan
Coordinates: :
Government
 o Mayor
 o City
2,130 km2 (820 sq mi)
-28 m (-92 ft)
Population (2014)
 o City
 o Density
996.38/km2 (2,580.6/sq mi)
 o 
 o Summer ()
Official name
Walled City of Baku with the
Designated
2000 (24th )
Reference no.
State Party
Azerbaijan
Baku (: Bak?, IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of , as well as the largest city on the
and of the
region. Baku is located 28 metres (92 ft) below , which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world and also the largest city in the world located below sea level. It is located on the southern shore of the , which projects into the . The city consists of two principal parts: the downtown area and the old
(21.5 ). At the beginning of 2009, Baku's
was estimated at just over two million people. Officially, about 25 percent of all inhabitants of the country live in Baku's .
Baku is divided into
(raions) and 48 townships. Among these are the townships on islands in the
and the town of
built on stilts in the , 60 km (37 mi) away from Baku. The Inner City of Baku along with the
were inscribed as a UNESCO
in 2000. According to the 's ranking, Baku is also among the world's top ten destinations for urban nightlife.
The city is the scientific, cultural and industrial center of Azerbaijan. Many sizeable Azerbaijani institutions have their headquarters there, including , one of the world's top 100 companies and . The , sheltered by the islands of the
to the east and the
to the north, is capable of handling two million tons of general and dry bulk cargoes per year. In recent years Baku has become an important venue for international events. It hosted the
in 2012 and will host the , 2016
The city is renowned for its harsh winds. This is reflected in the city's nickname, the "".
The name Baku is widely believed to be derived from the old
names of the city ???-???? Bād-kube, meaning "Wind-pounded city", in which bād means "wind" and kube is rooted in the verb ?????? 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. This is also reflected in the city's nickname as the "". A less probable
explains the name as deriving from Baghkuy, meaning "God's town". Baga (now ?? bagh) and kuy are the
words for "god" and "town" the name Baghkuy may be compared with
("God-given") in which dād is the Old Persian word for "give".
sources refer to the city as Baku, Bakukh, Bakuya, and Bakuye, all of which seem to come from a Persian name.
Various different hypotheses have been also proposed to explain the etymology of the word Baku to suit a given political agenda . According to L.G.Lopatinski and Ali Huseynzade, for example, Baku is derived from
word for "hill". Caucasian history specialist
also explains the name as "hill" but in the .
Main articles:
Roman stone inscription in
dating back to 84-96 A.D.
Around 100,000 years ago, the territory of modern Baku and
was savanna with rich flora and fauna. Traces of human settlement go back to the . From the
there have been rock carvings discovered near Bayil, and a bronze figure of a small fish discovered in the territory of the Old City. This have led some to suggest the existence of a Bronze Age settlement within the city's territory. Near , in a place called Umid Gaya, a prehistoric observatory was discovered, where on the rock the images of sun and various constellations are carved together with a primitive astronomic table. Further archeological excavations revealed various prehistoric settlements, native temples, statues and other artifacts within the territory of the modern city and around it.
In the 1st century, the
organized two Caucasian campaigns and reached Baku. Near the city, in , Roman inscriptions dating from 84–96 AD were discovered. This is one of the earliest written evidences for Baku.
marking the downfall of the Shirvanshahs at the hands of the Safavids.
During the 8th century Baku was the realm of the . The city frequently came under assault of the
and (starting from the 10th century) the .
built a navy in Baku and successfully repelled another Rus assault in 1170. After a devastating earthquake struck , the capital of , Shirvanshah’s court moved to Baku in 1191.
Relics from the sunken .
The Shirvan era greatly influenced Baku and the remainder of Azerbaijan. Between the 12th and 14th centuries, massive fortifications were undertaken in Baku and the surrounding towns. The , the , the , the Shagan Castle, the , the
and also the famous
on the island of the
was built during this period. The
were also rebuilt and strengthened.
By the early 16th century Baku's wealth and strategic position attracted the focus of its larger neighbors, and had already been ruled in the previous two centuries by the in Iran centred
and . The fall of the Ak Koyunlu brought the city immediately into the sphere of the newly formed Iranian , who, led by
laid siege to Baku in 1501 and captured it making it an integral part of his empire for the next centuries to come. The House of Shirvan, who ruled Baku since the 9th century, was extinguished.
At this time the city was enclosed within the lines of strong walls, which were washed by the sea on one side and protected by a wide trench on land. In 1540 Baku was again captured by the Safavid troops following an occupation by the Ottomans as a result of the . In 1578 the
captured Baku and held it till 1603, when it was again put under Persian control. In 1604 the Baku fortress was destroyed by Shah .
The fall of the Iranian Safavids gave rise to the various , who most of them were already established in the late Safavid era while the rest of them were established during the rule of Iranian ruler . After the death of Nader Shah in 1747, the semi-independent principality of
was formed. It was ruled by Mirza Muhammed Khan but soon became a dependency of the much stronger . During the time, the population of Baku was small (approximately 5,000), and the economy was ruined as a result of constant warfare.
Painting of Baku's shoreline in 1861 by .
On 26 June 1723, , Baku surrendered to the Russians and the Safavids were forced to cede the city alongside many other of their Caucasian territories. By 1730, the situation had deteriorated for the Russians as
successes in Shirvan forced the Russians to make an agreement near
on 10 March 1735, ceding the city and all other conquered territories in the Caucasus back to Iran.
By the end of the 18th century,
Russia now began a more firm policy with the intent to conquer all of the Caucasus especially at the expense of Persia and to a lesser extent Ottoman Turkey. In the spring of 1796, by ’s order, General ’s troops started a large campaign in the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia against
Persia following the
and Iran's subsequent restoring of its suzerainity over Georgia and . Zubov had sent 13,000 men to capture Baku, and it was overrun subsequently without any resistance. On 13 June 1796, a Russian flotilla entered Baku Bay, and a garrison of Russian troops was placed inside the city. Later, however,
ordered the cessation of the campaign and the withdrawal of Russian forces following his predecessor,
her death. In March 1797, the tsarist troops left Baku and the city became part of
In 1813, following the , Qajar Iran was forced to sign the
with Russia, which provided for the irrevocable cession of Baku and most of Iran's territories in the
to Russia. However it was not until the aftermath of the
that Baku came under nominal Russian rule, as the city was retaken by Iran during the war. When Baku was occupied by the Russian troops during the war of , nearly the entire population of some 8,000 people was ethnic .
Main article:
Oil workers, known as 'Neftchiler', digging an oil well by hand at Bibi-Heybat.
was mechanically drilled in the
suburb of Baku in 1846, though a number of hand-dug wells 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. The pioneer of oil extracting from the bottom of the sea was Polish geologist Witold Zglenicki. Soon after that Swiss, British, French, Belgian, German, Swedish and American investors appeared in Baku. Among them were the firms of the
together with the family
(Carl Knut B?rtzell, who also owned the ) and the . An industrial oil belt, better known as Black City, was established near Baku.
Professor A. V. Williams Jackson of Columbia University wrote in his work From Constantinople to the Home of Omar Khayyam (1911):
Baku is a city founded upon oil, for to its inexhaustible founts of naphtha it owes its very existence, its maintenance, its prosperity.... At present Baku produces one-fifth of the oil that is used in the world, and the immense output in crude petroleum from this single city far surpasses that in any other district where oil is found. Verily, the words of the Scriptures find illustration here: 'the rock poured me out rivers of oil.
Oil is in the air one breathes, in one's nostrils, in one's eyes, in the water of the morning bath (though not in the drinking water, for that is brought in bottles from distant mineral springs), in one's starched linen – everywhere. This is the impression one carries away from Baku, and it is certainly true in the environs.
By the beginning of the 20th century almost half of world production was being extracted in Baku. The oil boom contributed to the massive growth of Baku. Between 1856 and 1910 Baku's population grew at a faster rate than that of ,
Soldiers and officers of the army of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic shortly after the .
in Baku, circa 1920.
In 1917, after the
and amidst the turmoil of
and the , Baku came under the control of the , which was led by veteran Bolshevik . 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 , Bolsheviks and
seeking to establish control over the Baku streets, were faced with armed Azerbaijani groups. The Azerbaijanis suffered a crushing defeat by the united forces of the Baku Soviet and were massacred by Dashnak teams. An estimated 12.000 Azerbaijanis were killed in their own capital. After the massacre, on 28 May 1918, the Azerbaijani faction of the
proclaimed the independence of the
(ADR) in , thereby becoming the first Muslim-majority
. The newly independent Azerbaijani republic, being unable to defend the independence of the country on their own, asked the Ottoman Empire for military support in accordance with clause 4 of the treaty between the two countries. Shortly after, Azerbaijani forces, with support of the
led by , started their advance into Baku, eventually capturing the city from the loose coalition of , , ,
and British forces under the command of General
on 15 September 1918.
After the , the Azerbaijani irregular troops, with the tacit support of the Turkish command, conducted four days of pillaging and killing of the Armenian residents of Baku. This pogrom, known as the
was the retaliation for the previous pogrom of Azerbaijanis, known as the . Shortly after this Baku was proclaimed the new capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
The independence of the Azerbaijani republic was a significant but a short lived chapter. On 28 April 1920, the
invaded Baku and reinstalled the Bolsheviks, making Baku the capital of the .
The city underwent many major changes. As a result, Baku played a great role in many branches of the Soviet life. Since about 1921, the city was headed by the Baku City Executive Committee, commonly known in Russian as Bakgorispolkom. Together with the Baku Party Committee (known as the Baksovet), it developed the economic significance of the Caspian metropolis. From 1922 to 1930, Baku was the venue for one of the major
of the Soviet Union, serving as a commercial bridgehead to Iran and the Middle East.
Baku's growing importance as a major energy hub remained in sight of the major powers. During
and the , Baku had become of vital strategic importance. In fact, capturing the
was one of the ultimate goals of , carried out between May and November 1942. However the German Army's closest approach to Baku was no closer than some 530 kilometres (329 miles) northwest of Baku in November 1942, falling far short of the city's capture before being driven back during the Soviet
in mid-December 1942.
After the , Baku embarked on a process of restructuring on a scale unseen in its history. Thousands of buildings from the Soviet period were demolished to make way for a gree parks and gardens were built on the land reclaimed by filling up the beaches of the . Improvements were made in the general cleaning, maintenance, and garbage collection, and these services are now at Western European standards. The city is growing dynamically and developing at full speed on an east-west axis along the shores of the .
Greater Baku satellite image, , 6 September 2010
Baku is situated on the western coast of . In the vicinity of the city there are a number of
(Keyraki, Bogkh-bogkha,
and others) and
(, Khodasan and so on).
Baku has a
(: BSk) with warm and dry summers, cool and occasionally wet winters, and strong winds all year long. However, unlike many other cities with this climate, Baku does not see extremely hot summers. This is largely because of its northerly
and the fact that it is located on a peninsula on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Baku and the
on which it is situated, is the most arid part of Azerbaijan ( here is around or less than 200 mm (8 in) a year). The majority of the light annual precipitation occurs in seasons other than 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
complexes overlooking the Caspian Sea. The city's past as a Soviet industrial center has left it as one of the most polluted cities in the world.
At the same time Baku is noted as a very windy city throughout the year, hence the city's nickname the "", and gale-force winds, the cold northern wind
and the warm southern wind
are typical here in all seasons. Indeed, the city is renowned for its fierce winter snow storms and harsh winds. The speed of the khazri sometimes reaches 144 kph (89 mph), which can cause damage to crops, trees and roof tiles.
The daily mean temperature in July and August averages 26.4 °C (79.5 °F), and there is very little rainfall during that season. During summer the khazri sweeps through, bringing desired coolness. Winter is cool 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, temperatures on the coast frequently drop below freezing and make it feel bitterly cold. Wi
usually melts within a few days after each snowfall.
The average annual temperature in Baku and that of the Earth differ by less than 0.1 °C (0.18 °F): it is 14.2 °C (57.6 °F).
Climate data for Baku
Average high °C (°F)
Daily mean °C (°F)
Average low °C (°F)
mm (inches)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)
Avg. snowy days (≥ 1 cm)
Mean monthly
Source #1:
for data of sunshine hours
Source #2: Meoweather (Snowy days)
Today, Baku is divided into 12 rayons (administrative districts) and 5 settlements of city type. The mayor, presently , embodies the executive power of the city.
Azerbaijanis
more than 5000
Until 1988 Baku had very large Russian, Armenian, and Jewish populations which contributed to
and added in various ways (music, literature, architecture and progressive outlook) to Baku's history. With the onset of the
starting in January 1990, the city's large Armenian population was expelled. Under Communism, the Soviets took over the majority of Jewish property in Baku and Kuba. After the collapse of the Soviet Union,
returned several synagogues and a Jewish college, nationalized by the Soviets, to the Jewish community. He encouraged the restoration of these buildings and is well liked by the Jews of Azerbaijan. Renovation has begun on seven of the original 11 synagogues, including the Gilah synagogue, built in 1896, and the large Kruei Synagogue.
Today the vast majority of the population of Baku are ethnic
(more than 90%). When Baku was occupied by the Russian troops during the , nearly the entire population of some 8,000 people was ethnic . The intensive growth of the population started in the middle of the 19th century when Baku was a small town with a population of about 7,000 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.
Baku has been a cosmopolitan city at certain times during its history, meaning ethnic Azerbaijanis did not constitute the majority of population. In 2003 Baku additionally had 153,400
and 93,400 refugees.
The 13th-century . The mosque was built over the tomb of a descendant of .
Zoroastrianism had a long .
The urban landscape of Baku is shaped by many communities. The religion with the largest community of followers is Islam. The majority of the Muslims are , and the Republic of Azerbaijan has the second highest Shia population percentage in the world after . The city's notable mosques include , ,
There are some other faiths practiced among the different ethnic groups within the country. By article 48 of its , Azerbaijan is a
and ensures religious freedom. Religious minorities include , , , ,
Downtown Baku, with the
in the background.
Baku's largest industry is petroleum, and its petroleum exports make it a large contributor to Azerbaijan's . 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. 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
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
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
equipment before World War II. The World War II
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.
Currently the oil economy of Baku is undergoing a resurgence, with the development of the massive
field (Shallow water Gunashli by , deeper areas by a consortium led by ), development of the , the expansion of the
and the construction of the .
is Azerbaijan's largest , and largest in the
region by . A relatively large number of transnational companies are headquartered in Baku. One of the more prominent institutions headquartered in Baku is the , which is run by
and employs over 1,000 people. International banks with branches in Baku include ,
Baku is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Caucasus, with hotels in the city earning 7 million euros in 2009. Many sizable world
have a presence in the city. Baku has many popular tourist and entertainment spots, such as the downtown , the One and Thousand Nights Beach,
and . Baku's vicinities feature , an ever-blazing spot of natural gas. On 2 September 2010, with the inauguration of , Baku became home to the world's tallest , according to the . However, on 24 May 2011 Baku lost this record by just 3m to the city of Dushanbe in Tajikistan.
Baku has se the most famous city center malls are , , ,
and . The retail areas contain shops from chain stores up to high-end boutiques.
The city is listed 48th in the 2011
of the most expensive cities in the world conducted by the . Its
is one of the most expensive streets in the world.
The city has many amenities that offer a wide range of cultural activities, drawing both from a rich local dramatic portfolio and an international repertoire. It also boasts many museums such as
and , most notably featuring historical artifacts and . Many of the city's cultural sites were celebrated in 2009 when Baku was designated an Islamic Culture Capital. Baku was also chosen to host the .
Among Baku's prestigious cultural venues are , . The main
is Azerbaijan Cinema. Festivals include the Baku International Film Festival, , Novruz Festival, Gül Bayram? (Flower Festival) and the National Theater Festival. International and local exhibitions are presented at the .
As of 2012, the city along with
participates in
Main article:
built in the 11th–12th century, recognized as the symbol of the city.
Baku has wildly varying architecture, ranging from the
core to modern buildings and the spacious layout of the Baku port. Many of the city's most impressive buildings were built during the early 20th Century, when architectural elements of the European styles were combined in
style. Baku thus has an original and unique appearance, earning it a reputation as the 'Paris of the East'.
Late modern and postmodern architecture began to appear in the early 2000s. With economic development, old buildings such as Atlant House were razed to make way for new ones. Buildings with all-glass shells have appeared around the city, the most prominent examples being the , , , ,
and . These projects also caught the attention of international media as notable programs such as 's
did pieces focusing in on changes to the city.
The Old City of Baku, also known as the Walled City of Baku, refers to the ancient Baku settlement. 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 , two , the baths and the
(which used to house the
but is now a mosque again). The old town core also has dozens of small mosques, often without any particular sign to distinguish them as such.
In 2003, UNESCO placed the Inner City on the , citing damage from a , poor conservation as well as "dubious" restoration efforts.
The music scene in Baku can be traced back to ancient times and villages of Baku, generally revered as the fountainhead of
in the Azerbaijan.
In recent years, the success of Azerbaijani performers such as , , ,
has significantly boosted the profile of the Baku's , prompting international attention. Following the victory of Azerbaijan's representative
at the , Baku hosted the .
2005 was a landmark in the development of
in the city. It has been home to legendary jazz musicians like , , Rafig Babayev and Rain Sultanov. Among Baku's prominent annual fairs and festivals is , which features some of the world's most identifiable jazz names.
Baku also has a thriving , which is located in ,
and , one of the principal
in the city.
The majority of Azerbaijan's media companies (including television, newspaper and radio, such as , , ,
and ) are headquartered in Baku. The films
are set in the city, while
includes several scenes filmed in .
Out of the city's radio stations , 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
broadcasting service in the
and Central Asia regions when it was established in May 1994.
Some of the most influential Baku newspapers include the daily , Zaman (The Time), Bakinskiy Rabochiy (The Baku Worker),
and the English-language Baku Today.
Baku is also featured in the video game .
Baku boasts a vibrant nightlife. Many clubs that are open until dawn can be found throughout the city. Clubs with an eastern flavor provide special treats from the
along with local music. Western-style clubs target younger, more energetic crowds. Most of the
and bars are located near
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 luxurious and expensive to ordinary and affordable.
"1000 Ultimate Experiences", Baku placed 8th among the top 10 party cities in the world.
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 pours into the capital, resulting in massive housing projects along the suburbs.
is a pedestrian promenade that runs parallel to Baku's seafront. The boulevard contains an amusement park, , , statues and monuments. The park is popular with dog-walkers and joggers, and is convenient for tourists. It is adjacent to the newly built
and the musical fountain.
Other prominent parks and gardens include Heydar Aliyev Park, Samad Vurgun Park, Narimanov Park,
and the . The , formerly the Kirov Park, is dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives during the
and also to the 137 people killed on .
Baku will host a
race through the city streets starting in .
The city will also host three group games and one quarter-final of the
European Football Championship.
Since 2002, Baku has hosted 36 major sporting events and selected to host the . Baku is also to host the
Baku is also one of world's leading chess centres, having produced famous
like , , ,
and , as well as the arbiter . The city also annually hosts the international tournaments such as Baku Chess Grand Prix, President's Cup, Baku Open and currently bidding to host
First class sporting facilities were built for the indoor games, including the Palace of Hand Games and . It hosted many sporting events, including ,
in 2007. Since 2011 the city annually hosts
tennis event called .
participates in the
a 2.2 multi-stage bicycle race on the UCI Europe Tour.
Baku made a
to host the
and later made a
for the . However, Baku failed to become a Candidate City both times.
The largest sport hub in the city is
with 31,200 seating capacity. The city's three main football clubs are ,
of whom first has eight Premier League titles making Neftchi the most successful Azerbaijani football club. Baku also has several football clubs in the premier and regional leagues, including
in . The , a planned 65,000 seat
stadium, is currently under construction and will be based on Boyuk Shor settlement.
In the , Baku is represented by , ,
Baku , introduced in 2011
Throughout history the transport system of Baku used the now-defunct , trams and . As of
are ordered by Baku Taxi Company, and as part of a programme originally announced by the Transport Ministry of Azerbaijan, there is a plan to introduce London cabs into Baku. The move was part of ?16 million agreement between
and Baku Taxi Company.
Local transport includes the , a rapid-transit system notable for its art, murals, mosaics and ornate chandeliers. Baku Metro was opened in November 1967 and includes 23 170 million people used Baku Metro over the past five years. 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
as well as the international airport.
Plans are afoot to introduce a single Smart Card for payment on all types of city transport. The metro is now the only form of transport in Baku to use any type of card-based fare-payment system.
Baku's Central Railway Station is the terminus for national and international rail links to the city. The , which will directly connect , Georgia and , began to be constructed in 2007 and is scheduled for completion in 2015. The completed branch will connect Baku with
in Georgia, and from there trains will continue to , and
in Turkey.
Baku Yacht Club
Sea transport is vital for Baku, as the city is practically surrounded by the
to the east. Shipping services operate regularly from Baku across the Caspian Sea to
(formerly Krasnovodsk) in
in Iran. The commuter ferries, along with the high-speed catamaran Seabus (Deniz Avtobusu), also form the main connection between the city and the .
The Baku Port was founded in 1902 and since then has been the largest Caspian Sea port. It has six facilities: the main cargo terminal, the container terminal, the ferry terminal, the oil terminal, the passenger terminal and the port fleet terminal. The port's throughput capacity reaches 15 million
of liquid bulk and up to 10 million tons of dry cargoes. Beginning in 2010, the
is being reconstructed. The construction will take place in three stages and will be completed by 2016. The estimated costs are 400 Million US$. From April to November the Baku Port is accessible to ships loading cargoes for direct voyages from Western European and Mediterranean ports.
The State Road M-1 and the
are the two main motorway connections between Europe and Azerbaijan. The motorway network around Baku is well developed and is constantly being extended.
is the only commercial airport serving Baku. The new
was officially opened in March 2005. It was constructed to be a major cargo hub in the
countries and is actually now one of the biggest and most technically advanced in the region. There are also several smaller
near Baku, such as , intended for private aircraft,
and charters.
Logo of , established in 1919 as Azerbaijan's first university
Baku hosts many universities, junior colleges and vocational schools. , the first established university in Azerbaijan was opened in 1919 by the government of the . In the early years of the Soviet era, Baku already had ,
and . In the post-WWII period, a few more universities were established such as ,
and the . After 1991 when Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union, the fall of communism led to the development of a number of private institutions, including
which are currently considered the most prestigious academic institutions. Apart from the private universities, the government established the , the
and various military academies. The largest universities according to the student population are Baku State University and Azerbaijan State Economic University. In addition, there are the
and the Azerbaijan National Conservatoire in Baku established in early 1920s. Publicly run kindergartens and elementary schools (years 1 through 11) are operated by local wards or municipal offices.
The , the main state research organization in Azerbaijan is locating in Baku as well. Moreover, Baku has numerous libraries, many of which contain vast collections of historic documents from the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Soviet periods, as well as from other civilisations of the past. The most important libraries in terms of historic document collections include the , the , the Mirza Alakbar Central Library, the Samad Vurgun Library and the Baku Presidential Library.
The city has many public and private hospitals, clinics and laboratories within its bounds and numerous medical research centers. Many of these facilities have
equipment, which has contributed to the recent upsurge in "" to Baku, particularly from post-Soviet countries such as
and , whose governments send lower-income patients to the city for inexpensive high-tech medical treatments and operations.
Main article:
For more details on this topic, see .
Because of its intermittent periods of great prosperity as well as being 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. Some of the many prestigious residents include: Academy Award winners
and , one of the founders and head of the Soviet space program , Nobel Prize winner and physicist
and famous musicians such as , , ,
and . World-famous cellist
was born and raised in Baku, as was world famous chess player, .
, Film director and actor, founder and CEO of the prestigious .
, one of Baku's greatest composers.
, studied at the , won the
, People’s Artist of the USSR and famous theatre and film actress.
, Bakuvian poet who was executed for his works during the .
, one of the founders of the .
("Oscar") winning
and producer.
, President of the leading Russian
, one of the most famous singers of .
winning cellist.
State / Province / Region / Governorate
Bosnia and Herzegovina
United States
United States
United States
, Scotland
Partnership relations also exist at different levels with: Berlin, Paris, , , , , Moscow, , ,
Panorama of Baku
Old Baku ""
Aerial view of Baku, May 2012
View of Baku taken from the
. Archived from
on 24 November .
(2010). The Caucasus: An Introduction. Oxford University Press. p. 16.  .
from the original on 14 November .
. Reuters. 13 November 2009.
from the original on 23 November .
. Turkishweekly.net. 28 January .
. World Port Source 2010.
. Web.archive.org. Archived from
on 13 October .
Ган К.Ф. Oпыть объяснения кавказских географических названий. Тифлис, 1909
Retrieved on 24 June 2006
Ancient Observatory of Absheron. Gobustan, No 3 (1973)
. Archived from
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