It is very interesting to visit the ancient city of Baku. Noisy bazaars, picturesque districts of the old city, modern new buildings – all this forms an amazing cocktail. It is here that you can especially clearly see how quickly Azerbaijan is developing, because all new items first of all get to Baku. And this is really a great option for a summer vacation.
Facts about the city of Baku
- It was here that the first circus in the Soviet Union once opened.
- They were filmed in Baku the famous film «The Diamond Hand». Partially.
- Tourists immediately pay attention to the measured rhythm of Baku life. It is almost impossible to see cities rushing somewhere here, everyone is calm, no one is in a hurry.
- It is customary to bargain in the markets in Baku. This gives pleasure to both parties, therefore, not to bargain when buying means disrespecting the seller.
- The Nobel brothers, including Alfred, the founder of the Nobel Prizes, produced oil in Baku. They founded an oil producing industrial company here (interesting facts about the Nobel Prize).
- Here, during the World War 2, almost all the oil in the USSR was produced – up to 85% in some years.
- Baku still retains its unique look, but the city is still growing. Especially striking is the trinity of skyscrapers that were erected near the center. The height of each of them reaches 235 meters.
- The same things and services in Baku usually cost more for tourists than for locals. There are often no price tags.
- The first modern oil well on Earth was once drilled here (interesting facts about oil).
- The center of Baku lies 28 meters below sea level.
- With a population of about a million and a quarter people, not counting the same number living in the suburbs, more people live in Baku than in many small countries.
- About 60 surrounding villages are de facto included in the urban area.
- Of all the ports of the Caspian Sea, Baku is the largest.
- Also, the Azerbaijani capital is the largest of all cities located in the Caucasus.
- In 1908, the first an opera performance in the East.
- There are many taxi cabs here, exactly the same as in London (interesting facts about London).
- The population density in Baku exceeds 1000 people per square kilometer.
- This city can be called the heart of the world, because the average annual temperature here is equal to that on our planet as a whole.
- Representatives of more than seventy peoples and nationalities live in Baku. Everyone speaks Azerbaijani, but the older generation, who lived in the times of the USSR, often still remembers Russian.
- In 1900, the first Muslim women’s school in the Caucasus was opened here. Its construction was sponsored by local philanthropist Haji Tagiyev.