Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan is a contrast of sleek, modern architecture and historic landmarks. It has a unique culture due to its location with influences from the West and the East. And there are a lot of interesting places to visit in Baku, Azerbaijan.
You’ll find lots of parks, shopping streets and outdoor cafes while exploring the city as well as a long boardwalk along the Caspian Sea. The main areas of the city are well taken care of and very clean. It’s also a lively place to walk around in the evening as a lot of families are out later.
I visited Baku on a tour through the caucasus which included Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Azerbaijan was our first country to cover and the tour started in Baku.
Where is Baku, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is located in the Caucasus region and sits in an area between Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Because of its location, it can be considered transcontinental as Europe’s borders include part of Azerbaijan. To the north of Azerbaijan is Russia and Georgia. The west side borders Armenia and the south borders Iran.
There’s also been some land disputes with Armenia which is why you might notice the disconnected area below. Currently there are no border crossings open between Armenia and Azerbaijan. So even though there’s a section of Azerbaijan that isn’t part of the mainland, you’ll need to fly to reach it or drive through Iran or Turkey.
The eastern side of Azerbaijan is bordered by the Caspian Sea and Baku is right near the water towards the center of the coastline.
About Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan was previously part of the Soviet Union but became an independent country in 1991. They are a major producer of oil and gas, making up 90% of its exports and are also home to the world’s first mechanically-drilled oil well. There’s a lot of wealth in Azerbaijan from the oil industry, but the country is still emerging in the market.
Walking around Baku, you’ll notice a great contrast in buildings. There are lots of historical buildings with ornate details amongst the newer, very modern designs of museums and office buildings. We happened to visit right before a Formula 1 race and the track takes you right along a historic fort.
Places to Visit in Baku
Flame Towers
The Flame Towers are an iconic part of Baku’s skyline comprised of three modern buildings that flare out like a flame. This is in reference to Azerbaijan’s nickname as the ‘land of fire’ as there are regions where the ground emits flames due to the country’s abundance of oil and gas.
Inside the towers are apartments, office blocks and a hotel, so you’ll likely just see them from the outside looming over the surrounding buildings. It also lights up at night with dancing flames.
Martyrs’ Lane + Highland Park
Martyrs’ Lane is a war memorial and cemetery to recognize those that were killed during Black January by the Soviet Army in 1990. (Azerbaijan and many other countries declared their independence in 1991.) The Eternal Flame, seen below, is also part of the memorial.
You’ll eventually reach Highland Park if you continue walking along the paths. It will bring you to a wide open terrace that overlooks the city.
We didn’t have the clearest day to really get the full view in. Our guide also said it was very unusual and he’d never seen it like that before, but it stayed this way for our duration in Baku.
Dənizkənarı Milli Park
Baku Boulevard/Dənizkənarı Milli Park is a waterfront promenade next to the Caspian Sea. It’s a thriving place at night and safe to walk around. The boardwalk stretches quite a ways along the coast and there are many highlights to see along the way.
The Park Bulvar shopping mall, the Baku Ferris wheel, National Flag Square and the Carpet Museum are all attractions that are right by the coast. We stumbled upon a rooftop bar and restaurant to sit at and watch the evening crowd.
Carpet Museum
Azerbaijan is well known for its carpets and you’ll see carpets for sale all over Baku. You’ll see them in the markets, carpet stores, souvenir shops, draped over fences and laid out along the ground.
To get a better idea of the history of carpets, head to the carpet museum along the water–you can’t miss it as the building is designed as a huge rolled carpet. You can learn all about the different techniques to carpet making and view the largest collection of Azerbaijani carpets.
Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center
The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center is an iconic building in Baku designed by the famous architect, Zaha Hadid. The curved structure reflects the sunlight at golden hour and sits on a hill with a great view of the surrounding cityscape.
This was one of my favorite places to visit in Baku and I’m normally not a museum person. It wasn’t necessarily the exhibits that did it for me, though there are some cool, modern pieces to see. But the building itself is a work of art.
Inside is a mix of modern and historical exhibits across several floors. At the time I visited, there was a carpet, instrument and doll exhibit amongst others. You’ll also find modern pieces of art while you walk through and there was a really cool modern sculpture exhibit to walk through as well.
If you can, try to visit right before golden hour so you get outside as the sun is starting to set. The building reflects the cityscape and sunset on the windows and it’s a great place to head in the evening.
I Love Baku Sign
If you’re visiting the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, you might as well walk to the I ❤️ Baku sign. There’s an expansive lawn off the entrance with stairs and pathways walking down and the sign is at the bottom. The cultural center is directly behind it so it’s a cute little photo op.
Bibiheybat Mosque
Just outside Baku is the Bibiheybat Mosque. The original mosque was built in the 13th century but was completely destroyed. What stands today is a recreation of that mosque and it was built in the 1990s. On the inside are lots of ornate, gold accents and an emerald green ceiling.
The opening times I’ve found are conflicting–unfortunately we didn’t make it here on our tour due to our day running longer and missing the timeframe.
Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature
The Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature is located not far from Fountain Square and easy to see on a walking tour. The building is named after a famous Azeri poet named Nizami Ganjavi and the outside of the building consists of statues of six famous Azerbaijani writers.
Inside the museum are rare books, over 3000 manuscripts, illustrations, exhibits and more.
Fountains Square + Nizami Street
One of the most popular pedestrian streets in Baku is Nizami Street. This popular shopping street is lined with beautiful buildings of various architecture and is recognizable by its patterned black and white street.
It begins at Fountain Square which is a large public square with many fountains that were constructed during the time Azerbaijan was under Soviet rule. The street ends at Rashid Behbudov Street and along the way you’ll find many shops, restaurants and hotels.
Old City
The Old City in Baku takes you back in time and is a walled city near the coast. There are a lot of things to see here and it can definitely take some time to explore. We spent the better part of a day walking through and there was still a lot we didn’t get to I’m sure. Inside you’ll find lots of historical points of interest, souvenir shops and restaurants.
Palace of the Shirvanshahs
One of the main points of interest within the Old City is the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Ibrahim I of Shirvan, who was part of the Shirvanshah dynasty, moved the capital from Shemakha to Baku and that’s when construction of the palace took place.
It’s a 15th-century palace and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are 9 buildings within the palace including a mosque and mausoleum. You can also get a great view of the contrast of old and new within the city from the courtyard walls.
Maiden Tower
You also can’t go to the Old City without seeing the Maiden Tower, which was built as part of the fortress. The Maiden Tower is one of the most notable landmarks within Baku and is even featured on the Manat, the currency of Azerbaijan. It’s also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The tower is from the 12th century though it was built over remnants of structures that date back from the 6th and 7th centuries BC.
There are circular stairs that take you to the top of the tower. Along the way are small exhibits of a museum with information of Baku’s history. That top gives you a 360º view of the area.
Open Air Museum
Right next to the Maiden Tower is where you’ll find a little open air museum. There are several old statues and for the most part, you can view them from above on a small balcony. The area was at one point an old market place where trade used to take place.
Museum of Miniature Books
Within the Old City is a small museum of miniature books. I anticipated maybe 2-inch books or something, which they did have. But they also has some completely minuscule books that are the size of your finger nail. They are actually written in and you’ll obviously need a magnifying glass to have a chance at reading it.
It’s a free museum and easy to pop in and see it real quick.
Baku Eye
Along the Caspian Sea is where you can find a Ferris wheel called the Baku Eye. It stands 200 feet tall with enclosed cabins. Tickets are about $5 and there didn’t look to be many people there so you’d likely be able to walk right on. It’s located just down the road from the Carpet Museum.
Heydar Mosque
Another mosque in Baku to see is the Heydar Mosque, which is located towards the edge of the city. The Heydar Mosque and surrounding courtyard cover an area of 12,000 sq. meters making this the biggest mosque in Azerbaijan.
The mosque is actually very new as it opened in 2014. Make sure you have your knees, shoulders and head covered to go inside.
Getting Around
Baku is an easy city to get around and there are a few ride share apps you can use. The most recommended is Uber AZ (which is a different app then your regular Uber app). Make sure to download and set it up ahead of time. Rides come out to just a couple dollars, so very affordable to use.
Other options are Bolt and Yango, though if you use Bolt here, make sure you choose a comfort plus or higher as there have been complaints at the basic level.
Our hotel happened to be about a 20 minute walk from the sea. Lots of people are out late at night and it’s safe to be out walking around. We explored on foot for awhile and then just used Uber AZ to get back.
Where to Stay
Baku has a lot of affordable and nice places to stay. We ended up staying in a place a little further out that was about a 20 minute walk to the boardwalk. There wasn’t much else around us but it was fine. Plus, because ride shares are super cheap, it doesn’t really matter if you stay further out.
But if you’re looking for walkable areas, there are several places to check out. Nasimi is where you’ll find a lot of restaurants, shopping and nightlife. You can stay near Fountain Square and Nizami Street which is a pedestrian street.
If you’d like to stay near the historical attractions, then Old Town will be a great place for you. It’s very walkable and there’s plenty of shops and restaurants around here too.
Things to Know
- Safety – Having not known a lot about this area, safety was one of the first things brought up to our guide. He assured us we were very safe walking alone and that even if you were to leave your phone behind, it would either be where you left it or someone would turn it in for you to find. (We didn’t test this though obviously.) His reasoning was that there are cameras all over the city (there are) and officers patrolling the city everywhere (also true), so anyone would be stupid to try something. I never felt unsafe here.
- Currency – The currency used here is the Azerbaijani Manat, 1 AZN = $.59. I also use an ATM to withdraw local currency, though some of the exchange rates we came across were pretty low and worth checking into.
- Language – The official language is Azerbaijani or Azeri, which is closely related to Turkish. English is pretty widely spoken, so you shouldn’t have much of an issue.
- Visas – Depending on where you’re from, you may need to apply for a visa to visit Azerbaijan. I applied for an e-visa about a week before my trip and had no problem receiving it in time for my trip.
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