Azerbaijan means “land of fire” and Baku means “city of the god of fire”.
Why?
Vast reservoirs of natural gas under the Caspian basin leak to the surface, spontaneously combusting in the presence of sunlight. And has done so for millenia. To the primitive mind, this inextinguishable ‘eternal flame’ was a mind-bending demonstration of the Devine.
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The area was the seat of fire worshipping Zoroastrianism until Muslim invasions in the 8th Century AC. Baku’s mosques are built upon Zoroastrian temples built upon natural fire pits.
While 97% Muslim, Azerbaijan has a secular constitution with a strict (and sensible) separation between Mosque and State.
It is, however, a somewhat ludicrous totalitarian system of government. The President’s family has been in power since the mid-1960s. His father - a former KGB man - was President until 2003. His wife is the current Vice President. His son happens to be the youngest billionaire in Switzerland.
Sense can be made of Baku’s ecclectic architecture by dividing it into 4 main categories - 1) the oriental 12th Century old town with fortress wall (including the wonderful Maiden Tower), 2) the 1860-1910 oil-boom’s-oil-baron-sponsored Gothic and Art Nouveau mansions (later converted into social housing by the Bolsheviks), 3) postwar USSR Brutalism (sparingly sparing), and 4) post-2010 eclectic high rise glass and steel, some of it stunning (the SOCAR Tower and Flame Towers for example) and some of it crass.
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Public spaces continue to be established in the city centre, including gardens and car-free zones. But I feel a Gordon Ramsey like desire to cross-examine the gardeners about their overly tight spacing of plantings (which will need to be thinned out in future) and clashing varieties palms and pines (which will create a maintenance nightmare). Stop trying to be all things!
A lot of enmity persists with respect to Armenians. And no doubt the other way! During the power vacuum between Russian Empire and Soviet Union, several massacres occurred. Hopefully, the recent fighting in Nagorno-Karabahk is settled now. The fighting is always brutal.
Baku comes alive at night. Kefli wine bar, walking distance from the old town, is a great place to sample local wines and casual, but fresh and well-prepared, small and large plates.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to find anywhere to see the Oud being played.
Drivers here, as they are throughout the Caucasus, are appalling and take a lot of risks. Keep your wits about you crossing the road, even when you have the green light.
An hours drive south of Baku are the stunning Mesolithic petroglyphs of Qobostan, one of 3 UNESCO listed sites in Azerbaijan. The glyphs, depicting tribal dance, hunting and animals, date from 12,000 years ago. Spectacular!
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Sheki, 300kms northwest of Baku in the foothills of the greater Caucasus mountains, is verdant and forested. A city of cobblestone alleys dating from the 6th Century BC, it was, like Baku, a prominent stop on the Silk Road trade network. You can still book accommodation at one of the Caravanserai where travelling merchants once overnighted with their camels, horses and goods. A bit basic, mind.
The Sheki Khan’s Palace is well worth a visit.
Also, the arts and crafts workshops located in converted Tsarist army barracks, including shebeke (stained glass), ceramics and painting.
Sheki is also a good place to sample and learn more about Azerbaijani wine. Here it is making a comeback following the damage done by Islamic and Soviet suppression.
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