Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is 28 metres (92 ft) below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world and also the largest city in the world below sea level. Baku lies on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, on the Bay of Baku. Baku's urban population was estimated at two million people as of 2009. Baku is the primate city of Azerbaijan—it is the sole metropolis in the country, and about 25% of all inhabitants of the country live in Baku's metropolitan area.
Sumgait is a city in Azerbaijan, located near the Caspian Sea, on the Absheron Peninsula, about 31 kilometres away from the capital Baku. The city had a population of 491,068 at the 2019 Census, making it the second largest city in Azerbaijan after Baku.
Martyrs' Lane or Alley of Martyrs, formerly known as the Kirov Park, is a cemetery and memorial in Baku, Azerbaijan dedicated to those killed by the Soviet Army during Black January 1990 and in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1988–1994.
Old City or Inner City is the historical core of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The Old City is the most ancient part of Baku, which is surrounded by walls. In 2007, the Old City had a population of about 3000 people. In December 2000, the Old City of Baku, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall, located in Baku, is the main concert hall in Azerbaijan built in 1910. Since 2006 Murad Adigozalzade is the director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall.
The 23rd Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships were held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 29 June to 1 July 2007.
Tourism in Azerbaijan has been an important sector of the Azerbaijani economy since the 1990s. According to Azerbaijan's Center for Economic and Social Development, the country is in 39th place among 148 countries in tourism competitiveness indicators. The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that Azerbaijan is among the top ten countries with the greatest increase in visitor exports from 2010 to 2016. The country had the world's fastest-developing travel and tourism economy in 2017. To promote tourism, Azerbaijan sponsored Atlético Madrid jerseys reading "Azerbaijan – Land of Fire". In 2018, a new tourism brand and a slogan "take another look" were introduced.
The JW Marriott Absheron Baku is a high-rise hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan, opened in 2012. It is located on Azadliq Square next to Pushkin's Park and the Crescent Hotel on the edge of the Caspian Sea.
The architecture of Baku is not characterized by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time.
The Government House of Baku, also known as House of Government, is a government building housing various state ministries of Azerbaijan. It is located on Neftchiler Avenue and faces the Baku Boulevard. The rear side of the building faces busy Uzeyir Hajibeyov Street of central Baku. Government House was designed for 5,500 people.
Baku International School (BIS) is a school located in Baku, Azerbaijan, which was established by the Quality Schools International (QSI) group in 1994. The school provides preschool education, elementary education, middle school, and secondary education. The school programs are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) in the United States.
Park Bulvar is a multi-story shopping mall located on Baku Boulevard, downtown Baku, Azerbaijan.
The National Flag Square is a large city square off Neftchiler Avenue in Bayil, Baku, Azerbaijan. The National Flag Square covers 60 hectares overall. The area of the upper part is 3 hectares. The square features the state symbols of Azerbaijan—the coat of arms and the anthem—and a map of the country.
AF Hotel Group is a well known hotel chain in Azerbaijan. It is a four-star hotel chain and aqua park resorts in centre of Baku and Novkhani Baku, which is 21 kilometres from the centre of Baku. The hotel chain has 1009 rooms which makes it second largest hotel chain in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The 2015 European Games, also known as Baku 2015 or Baku 2015 European Games, were the inaugural edition of the European Games, an international multi-sport event for athletes representing the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the European Olympic Committees. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 12 to 28 June 2015, and featured almost 6,000 athletes from 50 countries competing in 30 sports, including 15 summer Olympic and 2 non-Olympic sports.
The sixth European Athletics Team Championships took place on 20 and 21 June 2015.
Baku Sports Palace is an indoor arena located in Baku, Azerbaijan. Originally the arena is named as Palace of Hand Games until 2015. It is located near the Baku Boulevard on the Caspian Sea coast. It was built in 1974 and was renovated in 2015. The palace consists of 1736 seats.
The Khagani Garden, better known as the Molokan Garden, is one of the oldest parks in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It is small in area, and is located in the Sabail district of the city. It bears the name of the medieval Persian poet Khagani Shirvani. On the south, the garden is bounded by Uzeyir Hajibeyov Street, on the north by Khagani Street, on the east by Gogol Street, and on the west by Rasul Rza Street.
The Khan's Garden is a historical garden located in Icherisheher, being part of the Baku Khans Palace's complex. The Khan's Garden is located in the first courtyard of the palace in front of the house that belonged to the Khan's family. There is a small pool in the center of the garden. Also, on the territory of the garden, there is an ovdan and a tandir.
