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Bakı
Baku
City coat of arms
City coat of arms
Municipality: Baku
Area: 1000 km²
Altitude: -28 m
Population: 2,074,300 census 2003
Population density: 1280 persons/km²
Postal Code: AZ1000
Area code: 012
Municipality code: BA
Latitude: 41° 01' 52 N
Longitude: 21° 20' 25 E
Mayor: Hajibala Abutalybov
The Baku region.

Baku (Azerbaijani: Bakı, in full: Bakı şəhəri - The Baku City), sometimes known as Baky or Baki, is the capital and the largest city of Azerbaijan. It is located on the southern shore of the Apsheron Peninsula, at 40°23′N 49°52′E / 40.383°N 49.867°E / 40.383; 49.867. Modern Baku consists of three parts: the Old Town (İçəri Şəhər), the boomtown and the Soviet-built town. Population (January 1, 2003 census): 2,074,300[1]. About 3 million people live in metropolitan area (due to large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons).

The layout of the oil-rich city is rectangular, only in the oldest part of the city within the fortress walls the streets are crooked and narrow. The boomtown, south of the old city, was built after massive petroleum exploitation began nearly a century ago and has interesting beaux-arts architecture. Fine arts, history and literature museums are located there, all housed in the mansions of pre-Revolutionary millionaires.

Modern Baku spreads out from the city walls, its streets and buildings rising up hills that rim the Bay of Baku. Greater Baku is divided into 11 districts (Azizbayov, Binagadi, Garadagh, Narimanov, Nasimi, Nizami, Sabail, Sabunchu, Khatai, Surakhany and Yasamal) and 48 townships. Among these are townships on islands in the bay and one island town built on stilts in the Caspian Sea, 50-100 kilometres from Baku proper (the so-called Oil Rocks).

History

Main article: History of Baku

Overview

Downtown Baku
The Maiden Tower in old town Baku
File:1994 on min manat.jpg
1994 manat featuring the Palace of the Shirvanshahs.

The center of Baku is the old town, which is also a fortress. In December 2000, the "Walled City of Baku with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs Maiden Tower" (called the "inner town") became the first location in Azerbaijan classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 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. Wander the cobbled streets past the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, two caravansaraies (ancient inns), the 11th century Maiden Tower (nice view of the harbor), the baths and the Djuma Mosque (it used to house the Carpet and Applied Arts Museum, but now is a mosque again; the carpets got moved to the former Lenin museum). The old town also has dozens of small mosques, often without any particular sign to distinguish them from the next building. The Martyrs' Cemetery, formerly the Kirov park, is dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives during the war with Armenia and also to the 137 people who were killed on January 19 and 20, 1990 when Soviet tanks and troops took to the streets of Baku. Photographs of victims featured on each tombstone are sobering and poignant. Now 20 January has become a national holiday of deep emotional meaning.

In 2003, UNESCO placed the Walled City on the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing damage from a November 2000 earthquake, poor conservation as well as "dubious" restoration efforts.[1]

Antiquity

Baku's name is thought to orginate from one of two Persian phrases: Bagh-Kuh ("Mount of God") and bad kube ("city of winds"). Claudius Ptolemy used the names Barukh and Gaytaru, one of which is considered to refer Baku. In sources of V-VI centuries BC Baku is called Bagavan and Baguan.

The history of Baku dates back to 1st millennium BCE, first written reference to Baku dates from 885 CE. Archaeologists have found remains of a settlement dating several centuries before the Common Era.

The city was the location of an important fire temple of the religion of Zoroastrianism, which was prevalent before the Islamic conquest of the region.

Middle Ages

The city became important after an earthquake destroyed Shemakha and in the 12th century, ruling Shirvanshah Ahsitan I made Baku the new capital. In the 15th century Baku-born Arabic geographer Abdul Rashid-ibn-Salekh, nicknamed Bakuvi, gave a detailed description of the city. At the beginning of XIV century the marine trade revived. The ships belonging to the Italian merchants from Genoa and Venice arrived in the Baku port while the city traded with the Golden Horde, the Moscow Princedom and European countries. In 1501 Shah Ismail I Safavi laid a siege to Baku. At this time the city was however enclosed with the lines of strong walls, which were washed by sea on one side and protected by a wide trench on land. The besieged inhabitants of Baku fought with fortitude, relying on the impregnability of their fortification. Having seen the reluctance of the besieged to surrender Ismail ordered to undermine the part of the wall. Finally the fortress’s defense was broken and lots of inhabitants were annihilated. In 1540 Baku was again captured by the Safavid troops. In 1604 the Baku fortress was destroyed by Iranian shah Abbas I.

Russian conquest

File:Baku gub coa n655.gif
Coat of arms of the Baku governorate.

On June 26, 1723 after a lasting siege and firing from the cannons Baku surrendered to the Russians. According to Peter’s the Great decree the soldiers of two regiments (2,382 people) were left in the Baku garrison under the command of Prince Baryatyanski, the commandant of the city. By 1730 the situation had deteriorated as Nadir Shah's successes in Shirvan made the Russians conclude an agreement near Ganja on March 10, 1735 according to which the Russian troops were withdrawn from Baku. Again Baku went under the dominion of Iran. After Nadir's death the power seized Mirza Muhammad khan and became the head of the Baku khanate. Mirza Muhammad was followed by his son Malik Muhammad khan. However he died in 1784 leaving the Baku throne to his son Mirza Muhammad khan II. In 1795 Baku was invaded and destroyed by Aga Muhammad khan Kajar and the tsarist Russia began maintaining a policy of subduing Azerbaijan to itself. In the spring of 1796 by Yekaterina II’s order General Zubov’s troops started a large campaign in Transcaucasia. Baku surrendered after the first demand of Zubov who had sent 6,000 militants to capture the city. On June 13, 1796 the Russian flotilla entered the Baku bay and a garrison of the Russian troops was placed in the city. General P. D. Sisianov was appointed the Baku's commandant. Later however Pavel I ordered to cease the campaign and withdraw the Russian forces back. In March, 1797 the tsarist troops left Baku but a new tsar, Alexander I began to show a special interest in capturing Baku. In 1803 Sisianov reached an agreement with the Baku khan to compromise, but the agreement was soon annulled. On February 8, 1806, after the city was surrendered, under the accompaniment of the retinue Huseyngulu khan left the city to present the city’s keys to Sisianov.

In 1813, Russia signed the Treaty of Gulistan with Persia, which provided for the cession of Baku and most of the Caucasus from Iran and their annexation by Russia.

Oil boom

Since 1873 an oil belt of Baku began to be formed which was known as a Black City. Within a short period of time departments and representations of Swiss, English, French, Belgian, German and American firms were established in Baku, among them were the firms of the Nobels and Rothschilds. By the beginning of the XX century almost half of the oil reserves in the world had been extracted in Baku[2].

Soviet era

In December, 1906 the state of an emergency guard was introduced in the city and the position of an acting general-governor was abolished. World War I caused some elements of disorganisation in the city's oil region. After the collapse of the Russian Empire the first congress of the "Musavat" party took place in Baku to determine the future of the country. However on April 28, 1920 the 11th Red Army entered Baku and claimed the "Socialist revolution of the workers and peasants". In 1926 the first electric railway in the USSR was constructed to connect Baku with the suburban settlements of workers.

World War II

File:Transheya.jpg
Enver Aliyev. Entrenchments and antitank obstacles near Baku (during the operation Edelweiss). 1976, Ilya Repin Academy of Arts, Saint Petersburg.

Baku was the cradle of the Soviet oil industry, and as such, the major supplier of oil and oil products. In 1940 22,2 million tons of oil were extracted which comprised nearly 72% of all the oil extracted in the entire USSR. The US Ambassador to France, W. Bullitt, dispatched a telegram to Washington concerning "the possibilities of bombing and demolition of Baku" which were being discussed in Paris at the time. Charles de Gaulle was extremely critical of the plan according to both his wartime and postwar statements. Such ideas, he believed, were made by some "crazy heads that were thinking more of how to destroy Baku than of resisting Berlin". According to a report submitted on February 22, 1940, by General Gamelen to French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier, where he believed the Soviets would fall into crisis if those sources were lost. However during the Soviet-German War ten defense zones were built around the city to prevent possible German invasion. Taking into consideration the growing demand for oil, the Baku workers reached the record level of oil extraction in 1941 – 23,482 million tons. Never before such amount of oil had been extracted and up to now and this record has not been surpassed yet[3].

In the summer of 1942, the threat of attack became so strong that the Soviet authorities decided to terminate drilling operations to evacuate the most valuable machinery and equipment further East. By autumn, 764 oil wells in Baku were sealed and 81 complete sets of drilling equipment together with the personnel were transported to Turkmenistan. The date for the final attack and seizure of Baku had been fixed to September 25, 1942. However the concept failed shortly after.

Post-war era

To suppress the national movement during the perestroyka and ban the calls for sovereignty, the Soviet leadership launched a punitive actions carried out in the city in January, 1990 (the Black January). With the independence Baku as well as the entire Azerbaijan clashed with the hardships of the transition period.

Climate

File:Baku Satellite.jpg
Satellite view of Baku

Baku was one of very few places where Soviet citizens could actually enjoy beaches or relax in now-dilapidated spa complexes overlooking the salty Caspian Sea. The climate is hot and dry in the summer, cool and wet in the winter, when gale-force winds sweep through on occasion, driven by masses of polar air (strong northern winds Khazri and southern Gilavar are typical here); however, snow is rare at 28 metres below sea level, and temperatures on the coast rarely drop to freezing. The average annual temperature of Baku and that of the Earth come together to the tenth portions (14.2ºC).[2] The southwestern part of Great Baku is a more arid part of Azerbaijan (precipitation here is less than 150 mm a year). In the vicinities of the city there are a number of mud volcanoes (Keyraki, Bogkh-bogkha, Lokbatan and others) and salt lakes (Boyukshor, Khodasan etc.).

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Avg (°F) 37 37 42 51 62 71 77 77 69 60 51 42 55
Avg (°C) 3 3 6 11 17 22 25 25 21 16 11 6 13
Avg precipitation (in) 1.4 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.8 1.3 1.2 1.3 9.4
Avg precipitation (cm) 3.6 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.3 0.8 0.3 0.8 2.0 3.3 3.0 3.3 23.9
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

The vast majority of the population of Baku are ethnic Azeris (more than 90%). The intensive growth of the population started in the middle of the 19th century when Baku was a small town with the population of about 7 thousand people all in all. 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[4].

Baku was also a cosmopolitan city, where at several points throughout its history, ethnic Azeris were simply a minority group.

[3]

Year Armenians Azeris Georgians Iranian Citizens Jews Russians Total
1897 19,060 40,148 971 9,426 2,341 37,399 111,904
1903 26,151 44,257 N/A 11,132 N/A 56,955 155,876
1913 41,680 45,962 4,073 25,096 9,690 76,288 214,672

Economy

File:Neftyanikom.jpg
A sandstone monument to the Baku oil men.

The basis of Baku's economy is petroleum. 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[5]. 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 Baku oil fields 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 skilled workers and specialists flocked to Baku. By 1900 the city had more than 3,000 oil wells of which 2,000 of them were producing oil at industrial levels. Baku ranked as one of the largest centres for the production of oil industry equipment before WWII. The World War II Battle of Stalingrad 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: Azerbaijan and the United States are the only two countries ever to have been the world's majority oil producer. Currently the oil economy of Baku is undergoing a resurgence, with the development of the massive Azeri Chirag Gunashli field (Shallow water Gunashli by SOCAR, deeper areas by a consortium lead by BP) and the Shah Deniz gas field. The old Inturist Hotel was one of Baku's largest, now being renovated, but overshadowed by the newer Hyatt Park, Hyatt Regency, Park Inn and Excelsior.

Baku Stock Exchange operates since February of 2001.

Communication

As the largest town in the country, the city is served by the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and Baku Metro. There are two official taxi companies in the city: the yellow Star cabs and the white taxis with blue sign from "Azerq Taxis". The van buses stop at any point along that route when flagged down or told to stop. Shipping services operate regularly from Baku across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnovodsk) in Turkmenistan and to Bandar Anzali and Bandar Nowshar in Iran. The city's main Internet providers are ADaNet and AzInternet Services.

Education

File:82 560 akhundov library3.jpg
Main stairway entrance of the Akhundov National Library.

As Azerbaijan's center of education, Baku boasts many universities and vocational schools. After Azerbaijan gained independence, the fall of Communism led to development of a number of private institutions. Baku also houses the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan founded here in 1945.

Public Universities

Private Universities

Entertainment

File:CooLio.jpg
Coolio during the concert held in the Republic Palace in April, 2004.

Baku has a vibrant life regarding theatre, opera and ballet, drawing both from the rich local dramatic portfolio and from the international repertoire. The main movie theatre is "Azerbaijan Cinema". The Azerbaijan State Theater of Opera and Ballet, designed by architect N. G. Bayev, is one of the most ornate music halls in the city. The State Philarmony with excellent acoustic conditions often holds performances outside, in a pleasant park. The Carpet and Applied Arts Museum exhibits the carpets from all periods, styles and from both Azerbaijan proper and the Azeri provinces in Iran.

Discotheques and night clubs include "Club 1033", "X-site", "Capitol Night Club", "Hyatt Disco", Zagulba Disco Club and "Le Mirage". Most of them are open till the wee hours in the morning. "1033" is considered to be the hottest disco in Baku, serving a massive list of drinks. The "Capitol Night Club" is a lively night spot with gay elements, playing a blend of local, Russian, Western, R&B, trance, europop and techno.

Most of the pubs and bars are located within the Fountain Square and are usually open till the last order. There are several English pubs, among them "Chaplins", "Shakespeares", "Finigans" and the "Rig bar", and one Australian, "Phoenix Bar"[6]. There is also a Jazz Club. The Baku International Jazz Festival is organized annually.

Notable beaches include Shikhovo and "One Thousand and One Nights".

Sister cities

Baku currently has eight sister cities (aka "twin towns"):

Famous people from Baku

Further information: List of Azerbaijanis
A view of Baku from the top of Maiden's Tower

Pictures of Baku

Baku at night

See also

Notes

  1. ^ According to IREX it reached 2,140,000.
  2. ^ Window to Baku
  3. ^ Audrey Altstadt, Conflict, Cleavage, and Change in Central Asia and the Caucasus, Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 112, table 4.1, Ethnic composition of Baku, 1897, 1903,1913

References

  • Abbasov, Mazakhir. Baku During the Great Patriotic War.
  • Madatov, G. Azerbaijan During the Great Patriotic War. Baku, 1975.

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