Introduction
The capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, Baku is also the most important industrial city in the Transcaucasus region of Southwest Asia. The city sits on Baku Bay in the Caspian Sea.
Places of interest
Photograph:A fountain in the town square of Baku, Azerbaijan, features modern sculptures.
* A fountain in the town square of Baku, Azerbaijan, features modern sculptures.
Baku is an attractive city with many historic sites. The city center, called the Old Town, includes narrow streets, antique buildings, and most of the walls of an old fortress. One of the most famous places in Baku is Maiden's Tower. Built in the 12th century, the stone tower is 98 feet (30 meters) high with walls that are 15 feet (5 meters) thick. Another important site in Baku is the Palace of the Shirvan Shahs. This 15th-century palace complex is decorated with beautiful domes, arches, and mosaics. In addition to the palace, the complex contains a Turkish bath and law courts.
Most of Azerbaijan's cultural attractions are located in Baku. Among the city's many museums is the unique Museum of Carpets and Applied Art. The museum displays handmade carpets, jewelry, and wood carvings. Located in a mansion, the fine arts museum has European and Russian paintings, as well as modern Azerbaijani paintings and sculptures. Baku has many theaters and restaurants as well.
Economy
Oil, or petroleum, is the basis of Baku's economy. Many oil companies have their offices in Baku in order to be near the oil drilling that is done in the Caspian Sea. Factories in the city make oil-industry equipment, electrical equipment, appliances, cloth, shoes, and foods. In addition, Baku's harbor is an important part of the city's economy. Ships load up there with oil, wood, grain, and cotton. Other employers in Baku include the government and the health care and tourism industries.
History
Baku has been inhabited for thousands of years. Beginning in about the 3rd century AD, the city began to thrive as a trade and administrative settlement. Oil has been taken from the area since the 10th century. By the 11th century the region was under the control of the Persians. The Mongols took over for a period during the 13th and 14th centuries, but Baku then returned to Persia. In the early 19th century, Russia captured Baku and several other cities in the region.
Baku then took on a greater role as an oil center. As the city became an important source of oil for Russia, thousands of people moved there from Russia and Armenia hoping to find jobs. Russians and Armenians who came to Baku tended to live separately from Muslim Azerbaijanis. These groups had major ethnic and religious differences and little understanding of each other. For these and other reasons, bloody fighting took place between Muslim and Armenian groups from 1905 to 1918. In 1918 Azerbaijan became an independent republic with Baku as its capital. Azerbaijanis with the help of Turkish troops took control of Baku, and thousands of Armenians were then killed. In 1920 Azerbaijan was taken over by the Soviet Union.
Baku grew quickly during the 20th century as more factories and homes were built there. Tensions between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis remained high. Baku remained the capital when Azerbaijan once again became an independent country in 1991. Population (1997 estimate), 1,727,200.
