13/11/2023 – 15:00
Baku is the perfect example of Azerbaijan’s mixture of traditions and modernity. You can get lost in the narrow streets of the old town, learn more about carpet weaving or be mesmerised by the futuristic architecture of the modern city.
Baku is the perfect example of Azerbaijan’s mixture of continents, traditions and modernity. In this episode of Explore, Cinzia Rizzi discovers the capital of this country located at the crossroads between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, known as the ‘Land of Fire.’
Icherisheher: A World Heritage Site
Icherisheher – as the inner town of Baku is locally known – is a network of charming narrow streets enclosed by walls erected in the 12th century, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Here, you can get lost among the crafts shops and historical monuments. One such site is the Maiden Tower, the symbol of Baku. From here, you can observe the magnificence of the Shirvanshah’s Palace, the residence of the Shirvan dynasty who ruled this historical region from the 9th to the 16th century.
Traditional carpets and futuristic architecture
We also learn about the important carpet weaving tradition in Azerbaijan, which originated here 5000 years ago, and is undergoing large-scale development.
In this episode, we also show you the modern side of Baku, with its iconic skyscrapers, amazing viewpoints and the breathtaking Heydar Aliyev Center, an architectural masterpiece by the famous Zaha Hadid.