Baku is one of the world’s most beautiful cities; located at the border between Europe and Asia. The capital’s name itself is interpreted as a “wind blow”, “city of winds” or “hill”, “city on the hill”.

Baku is the largest cultural center of Azerbaijan. It is the place where a national theatre, the first in Muslim East, lifted the curtain, the first opera was performed, the first Azerbaijan newspaper was published, the first Azerbaijan library was opened. Today Baku is known to have 30 museums, 7 theatres, 11 institutions of higher education, philharmonic, opera theatre, film studio, cinema theaters and libraries housed in the city’s most beautiful buildings having an interior decoration which is every bit as good as their interior cultural content.

Old City or Inner City is the historical core of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The area is the most ancient part of Baku, which is surrounded by walls which were easily defended.

The historical center of Baku reveals its tumultuous past, from its roots as a Persian capital, through its oil boom to its Soviet occupation. The old city is a maze of alleys, mosques, historic buildings and remnants of fortification, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, now listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Much more than a historic site, the city hosts vibrant arts and cultural activities, as well as a bustling modern business sector.