After an interesting Azerbaijani breakfast of eggs, olives, salami type meats and cheeses plus coffee, we then set out on a day to explore the city of Baku.
View from our breakfast room, Sultan Inn Hotel
Baku is a city of around five million people and lies in the intercontinental region being neither a European nor an Asian city. Baku is a complex architectural love child of European and Soviet parents owing much of its splendour to the vast wealth obtained from the oil and gas riches of the Caspian basin oil boom of the post World War II period and the second boom of the 1960s.
From first encounter it is undeniably apparent that this is an exceptionally wealthy city with spectacular buildings both old and new together with manicured parks and gardens and a population generally living in ideal conditions of political security and financial contentment.
At the heart of the city where we are presently accommodated lies the UNESCO listed Iceri Seher (Old City) within the crenellated arc of the old fortress wall.
Our day’s exploration of Baku started in this region of the old city wall with its stone mansions and its pedestrianised tree lined streets filled with exclusive boutiques.
Old city wall
An interesting juxtaposition was apparent in the occurrence of the recent F1 motor racing infrastructure blending in with ancient stone walls. Sections of the racetrack weaved amongst the sandstone blocked buildings with narrow pathways leading from the old world down to the Caspian waterfront where modern architectural marvels abound.
Formula 1 track beside Old City Wall
Formula 1 track grandstands
Jak with a seat at the Formula 1 track
We ventured north eastwards from the old city towards the tourist icon of Fountain Square and the market region. The spotlessly clean and wide streets of Baku were filled with pedestrians as this is obviously an extremely popular tourist location drawing visitors from Europe and Asia.
After a midday coffee break we ventured down to Neftchilar Road and worked our way via picturesque gardens and restaurant filled alleyways along the boulevard towards the Baku Yacht Club. Along the way we passed the Carpet Museum, the UNS theatre, the National Museum of Art and the Philharmonic Hall with its extraordinary 20m high trumpets.
Towers from Promenade
Carpet Museum
At this point we passed under the boulevard highway and took a trip on the funicular railway up to the Flame Towers and Parliament Lookout point.
The panoramic view out across the city was fabulous with blue skies and balmy mid-twenties temperatures. The old stone mosque near the base of the Flame Tower provided a spectacular contrast with the ancient minarets being reflected in the gigantic mirrored walls of these fabulous towers.
Corinne & Jak at Flame Towers
Flame Tower & Mosque
Flame Tower, with reflections
Flame Towers
View over city (our hotel is just left of centre)
Funicular
The return to our hotel at around 16:30 required us to reverse our pathway but our meanderings meant we found interesting new buildings, monuments and gardens we’d bypassed on our earlier travels. Very close to our Sultan’s Inn Hotel is the Maiden’s Tower which we’ll visit tomorrow. It provided a useful landmark for our exploration of Baku city as it offered a visible link to our home base for much of the day.
After pre-dinner refreshments at our hotel, the six of us ventured down to the restaurant precinct nearby and had an enjoyable evening partaking of the local cuisine.
This ‘free’ day of wandering somewhat aimlessly around Baku has been an absolute delight and the impression we’ve gained of this city is one of total admiration and visual superlatives.
Flame Towers at night
We look forward to tomorrow when we’ll have the opportunity to explore more of the city under the tutelage of our guide Elmar.