{"id":477,"date":"2010-09-21T13:44:44","date_gmt":"2010-09-21T11:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/azconsulate.hip-hop.sk\/"},"modified":"2010-11-30T09:43:44","modified_gmt":"2010-11-30T08:43:44","slug":"baku","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/staging.azconsulate.sk\/en\/azerbaijan\/baku\/","title":{"rendered":"Baku"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Baku and its vicinity<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The city is located in the southwestern part of the Absheron peninsula. Scientists date the first settlements back to the 2nd<\/sup> millennium B.C. The first written record of Baku as a\u00a0city traces back to the 8th<\/sup> century A.D. Up to the 19th<\/sup> century Baku was surrounded by the Fortress walls (22 hectares). Gradually it extended beyond this area. Nowadays, the \u201eOld town\u201c, with its preserved walls forms the historic centre of Baku. It is called Icheri Sheher (\u0130\u00e7\u0259ri \u015e\u0259h\u0259r<\/em>). For people it is literally an open air\u00a0museum. Monuments of Medieval architecture, e.g. the 15th<\/sup> Century Shirvanshahs’ Palace, Maiden Tower (Gyz Galasy) built in 12th<\/sup> Century, Mohammed Ibn Abubekir Mosque from the beginning of the 11th<\/sup> Century and more than 200 other monuments reveal a rich history of Baku.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the end of the 19th<\/sup> Century, Baku has been turning into a\u00a0big industrial centre due to the oil refinery. Modern skyscrapers, shopping centres and hotels have grown next to the historical monuments. Since 1967, citizens of Baku have been using the Baku metro (Bak\u0131 Metropoliteni). <\/em>At present, 19 stations with the length of 28.5 km are in operation. Baku is the political, economic, scientific and cultural center of Azerbaijan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Baku underwent rapid changes, it remains a\u00a0harmonic combination of the traditional and the modern. Despite modernization and industrial production, rare historical artifacts can be found in the historic centre and in many museums, but in the suburbs and on the shores of the Caspian Sea (e.g. rock paintings from Paleolithic and Neolithic period in Gobustan, The Ateshgah fire temple) as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

A popular place in Baku is the Boulevard on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Townspeople and tourists come here to take a\u00a0stroll, have tea or get an ice-cream. The Promenade celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2009. It is planned to extend its size from almost 4 km to 25 km by 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Shirvan State Nature Reserve is located approximately 100 km south from Baku. It was founded in 1969 for the purpose of protecting water birds and gazelles. It covers an area of 17\u00a0745 hectares. It is not the only place of protecting treasures of the fauna and flora of Azerbaijan. The country has altogether 15 nature reserves and 20 protected parks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Except sightseeing tours in Baku and its surroundings, the Absheron peninsula also offers an alternative \u2013 vacation by the sea. You can spend a\u00a0really pleasant summer vacation on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Average temperature reaches +30\u00b0C – +33\u00b0C in July. There are many resorts in the area that offer high-quality services.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t