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Azerbaijan

Billing itself as the 'Land of Fire', Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan) is a tangle of contradictions and contrasts. Neither Europe nor Asia, it's a nexus of ancient historical empires, but also a ‘new’ nation which has undergone an extraordinary transformation from the war-ravaged post-Soviet 1990s to an oil-enriched host of Formula 1 and Europa League football.

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　　Well-presented exhibits on Azerbaijan’s history and culture might miss the odd century here and there, but there’s more than enough to fill several hours if you’re really interested. If not, it’s still worth a brief trot through to admire the opulent 1895–1901 mansion of HZ Tağiyev, one of Baku’s greatest...

Must-see attractions

　　Perfectly proportioned, if gently leaning, Naxçivan’s architectural icon is a 26m brick tower dating from 1186. It’s decorated with geometric patterns and Kufic script (a stylised, angular form of Arabic) picked out in turquoise glaze. Views of it are more interesting than going inside, and the surrounding park is a...

　　This ornate 1762 palace building features vivid murals and dazzling coloured light streaming through şəbəkə (stained-glass windows), making it Şəki’s foremost sight and one of the South Caucasus’ most iconic buildings. It was originally the Şəki Khan’s administrative building, just one of around 40 now-lost royal structures within the fortress...

　　For those prepared to climb over 1500 steps up a mountain crag, one of Naxçivan's great highlights is the magnificent view from the sparse medieval ruins of Alinja Castle, sometimes nicknamed 'Azerbaijan's Machu Picchu'. 　　The historic walls have been partly built up to outline how the site might have been...

　　From historic flatweaves to modernist picture-rugs, this tailor-made museum displays and explains a superb collection of Azerbaijani carpets. It's housed in a 2014 building by Austrian architect Franz Janz, designed like a stylised roll of carpet. 　　The idea probably looked great on paper but does create certain presentation difficulties, with...

　　This joyous tailor-made gallery uses struts and tubing to create a wide variety of intimate viewing spaces, in many of which you can recline on bean-bag sofas as you contemplate the extensive collection of mind-bending, predominantly post-1980 Azerbaijani art. Upstairs, some earlier 20th-century canvases also appear, along with three original...

Fountains Square

　　Ever-popular with strollers, this leafy piazza forms Central Baku’s natural focus. The fountains for which it is named include one topped by shiny silvered spheres giving fish-eye reflections of the trees and stone facades. 　　Don't miss the beautiful statue-inlayed facade of the Nizami Literature Museum, best photographed at night. And...

Palace of the Shirvanshahs

　　This splendid confection of sandstone walls and domes was the seat of northeastern Azerbaijan’s ruling dynasty during the Middle Ages. Mostly 15th century, it was painstakingly (over)restored in 2003 with artefacts adding interest plus one or two entertaining audiovisual surprises. 　　Enter via the main ceremonial courtyard. A small gateway on...

　　Completed in 2012, this trio of sinuous blue-glass skyscrapers forms contemporary Baku's architectural signature. The three towers range from 28 to 33 storeys – so huge that they're most impressive seen from a considerable distance, especially at night when they form a vast palette for a light show which interchanges...

Yarat Contemporary Art Centre

　　Yarat means 'create', a spirit that's in ample evidence in this centre's many thought-provoking installations that don't shy away from sociopolitical commentary. Even the cafe is inspired, set around a repurposed metal-press rescued as part of the revamping of this former naval-factory building. 　　Well worth the journey to 3.5km south...

Maiden’s Tower

　　This tapering 29m stone tower is Baku’s foremost historical icon, with rooftop views surveying Baku Bay and the Old City. Possibly millennia old, its construction date is the subject of much debate, though much of the present structure appears to be 12th century. The Azeri name, Qız Qalası, is usually...

Heydar Aliyev Center

　　Vast and jaw-droppingly original, this Zaha Hadid building is a majestic statement of fluid 21st-century architecture forming abstract waves and peaks that seem to melt together. The real delight is simply pondering and photographing the extraordinary exterior from ever-changing angles. The interior is impressive, too, and hosts concerts and several...

Latest stories from Azerbaijan

　　Opened in 2010, Park Bulvar was Baku's first international-style shopping mall. It remains one of the most popular, though some residents complain that it should never have been built on the green bayfront promenade – an area which is technically a national park. ...

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