Baku, Capital city by the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan.
Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, spreading over several districts along the western coast of the Caspian Sea at 28 meters below sea level. The city connects a walled historic core with broad Soviet-era boulevards and new glass fronts, stretching from a seaside promenade to the bare hills of the Absheron Peninsula.
The first written record of Baku appears in 885, and by the 11th century the city became the capital of the Shirvanshah dynasty. The oil boom of the late 19th century turned Baku into an international industrial hub, drawing investors from Europe and Russia.
Baku brings together Western pace and Eastern rhythm, with modern towers standing beside old lanes where tea houses remain open for workers and managers alike. In the Old City streets, vendors roll out carpets on stone pavement while families gather along the seafront boulevard in the evenings to walk and feel the breeze from the water.
Heydar Aliyev International Airport links Baku with cities in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, while a three-line metro crosses the twelve administrative districts. Most sights are reachable on foot or by metro, and a light jacket is useful on windy days.
Baku sits lower than any other national capital in the world, and in several places natural petroleum surfaces and has burned without pause for centuries. These burning hillsides, known as Yanar Dağ, were once revered by Persian fire worshippers and still draw visitors today.
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