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79-669: Shaki-Zagatala has an area of 8,840 square kilometres (2,180,000 acres). The territory is divided into three parts: the southern slope of Greater Caucasus , the Ganikh-Haftaran Valley and the Central Kur Highland (Ajinohur and Turud-Sarica plain, the mountainous part of Shaki). The altitude ranges from 100 to 466100–466 metres (328–1,529 ft), the peak of Mount Bazardüzü , which is the tallest mountain in Azerbaijan and Russia . The region includes

158-411: A cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSk ) with hot and humid summers, cool and occasionally wet winters, and strong winds all year long. However, unlike many other cities with such climate features, Baku does not see extremely hot summers and substantial sunshine hours. This is largely because of its northerly latitude and the fact that it is located on a peninsula on the shore of

237-501: A few days after each snowfall. Baku is divided into 12 rayonlar (sub-rayons) (administrative districts) and 5 settlements of city type. Until 1988, Baku had very large Russian, Armenian , and Jewish populations which contributed to cultural diversity and added in various ways (music, literature, architecture and progressive outlook) to Baku's history. With the onset of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and

316-428: A large campaign against Qajar Persia. Zubov had sent 13,000 men to capture Baku, and it was overrun subsequently without any resistance. On 13 June 1796, a Russian flotilla entered Baku Bay, and a garrison of Russian troops was stationed inside the city. Later, however, Emperor Paul I of Russia ordered the cessation of the campaign and the withdrawal of Russian forces following the death of his predecessor, Catherine

395-663: A reputation as a focal point for traders from across the world during the Early modern period ; commerce was active and the area prospered. Notably, traders from the Indian subcontinent established themselves in the region. These Indian traders built the Ateshgah of Baku during 17th–18th centuries; the temple was used as a Hindu , Sikh , and Zoroastrian place of worship. The Safavids temporarily lost power in Iran in 1722; Emperor Peter

474-726: A result, Baku played a great role in many branches of Soviet life. Baku was the major oil city of the Soviet Union. From about 1921 the city was headed by the Baku City Executive Committee, commonly known in Russian as Bakgorispolkom . Together with Baku Party Committee (known as the Baksovet ), it developed the economic significance of the Caspian metropolis. From 1922 to 1930 Baku became the venue for one of

553-605: Is Azerbaijan's largest stock exchange , and largest in the Caucasian region by market capitalization . A relatively large number of transnational companies are headquartered in Baku. One of the more prominent institutions headquartered in Baku is the International Bank of Azerbaijan , which employs over 1,000 people. International banks with branches in Baku include HSBC , Société Générale and Credit Suisse . Baku

632-533: Is Islam. The majority of the Muslims are Shia Muslims , and the Republic of Azerbaijan has the second-highest Shia population percentage in the world, after Iran . The city's notable mosques include Juma Mosque , Bibi-Heybat Mosque , Muhammad Mosque and Taza Pir Mosque . There are some other faiths practised among the different ethnic groups within the country. By article 48 of its Constitution , Azerbaijan

711-485: Is a secular state and ensures religious freedom. Religious minorities include Russian Orthodox Christians , Catholic Levantines , Georgian Orthodox Christians , Albanian-Udi Apostolic Christians , Lutherans , Ashkenazi Jews, and Sufi Muslims. Baku is the seat of the Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan . Zoroastrianism , although extinct in the city as well as in the rest of

790-457: Is also reflected in the city's modern nickname as the "City of Winds" (Azerbaijani: Küləklər şəhəri ). Another and even less probable folk etymology explains the name as deriving from Baghkuy , meaning "God's town". Baga (now بغ bagh ) and kuy are the Old Persian words for "god" and "town" respectively; the name Baghkuy may be compared with Baghdād ("God-given") in which dād

869-574: Is certainly true in the environs. By the beginning of the 20th century, half of the oil sold in international markets was extracted in Baku. The oil boom contributed to the massive growth of Baku. Between 1856 and 1910 Baku's population grew at a faster rate than that of London , Paris or New York . In 1917, after the October Revolution and amidst the turmoil of World War I and the Russian Revolution , Baku came under

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948-459: Is found. Verily, the words of the Scriptures find illustration here: 'the rock poured me out rivers of oil. Oil is in the air one breathes, in one's nostrils, in one's eyes, in the water of the morning bath (though not in the drinking water, for that is brought in bottles from distant mineral springs), in one's starched linen – everywhere. This is the impression one carries away from Baku, and it

1027-467: Is growing dynamically and developing at pace on an east–west axis along the shores of the Caspian Sea . Sustainability has become a key factor in future urban development. Baku is situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea . In the vicinity of the city there are a number of mud volcanoes (Keyraki, Bogkh-bogkha, Lokbatan and others) and salt lakes ( Boyukshor , Khodasan, etc.). Baku has

1106-758: Is listed 48th in the 2011 list of the most expensive cities in the world conducted by the Mercer Human Resource Consulting . Its Nizami Street and also the Neftchilar Avenue are among the most expensive streets in the world. In 2007, the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre , designed by Pritzker Prize -winning architect Zaha Hadid , was opened. Baku also has many museums such as Baku Museum of Modern Art and Azerbaijan State Museum of History , most notably featuring historical artifacts and art. Many of

1185-564: Is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Caucasus, with hotels in the city earning 7 million euros in 2009. Many sizable world hotel chains have a presence in the city. Baku has many popular tourist and entertainment spots , such as the downtown Fountains Square , the One and Thousand Nights Beach, Shikhov Beach and Oil Rocks . Baku's vicinities feature Yanar Dag , an ever-blazing spot of natural gas. On 2 September 2010 with

1264-481: Is particularly wet. During Soviet times, Baku, with its long hours of sunshine and dry healthy climate, was a vacation destination where citizens could enjoy beaches or relax in now-dilapidated spa complexes overlooking the Caspian Sea. The city's past as a Soviet industrial centre left it one of the most polluted cities in the world, as of 2008 . At the same time, Baku is noted as a very windy city throughout

1343-460: Is rooted in the verb کوبیدن kubidan , "to pound", thus referring to a place where wind would be strong and pounding, as is the case of Baku, which is known to experience fierce winter snow storms and harsh winds). This popular name ( Badkubə in modern Azerbaijani script) gained currency as a nickname for the city by the 19th century (e.g., it is used in Akinchi , volume 1, issue 1, p. 1), and

1422-581: Is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan , as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is 28 metres (92 ft) below sea level , which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world and also the largest city in the world below sea level. Baku lies on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula , on the Bay of Baku . Baku's urban population

1501-888: Is the Old Persian word for "give". During Soviet rule , the city was spelled in Cyrillic as "Бакы" in Azerbaijani (while the Russian spelling was and still is "Баку", Baku ). The modern Azerbaijani spelling, which has been using the Latin alphabet since 1991, is Bakı ; the shift from the Perso-Arabic letter و ( ū ) to Cyrillic "ы" and, later, Latin "ı" may be compared to that in other Azerbaijani words (e.g. compare قاپو qāpū in old Perso-Arabic spelling with modern Azerbaijani qapı , "door") or in suffixes, as و

1580-714: Is the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains . It stretches for about 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from west-northwest to east-southeast, from the Taman Peninsula of the Black Sea to the Absheron Peninsula of the Caspian Sea : from the Western Caucasus in the vicinity of Sochi on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea and reaching nearly to Baku on the Caspian. The range

1659-402: Is traditionally separated into three parts: In the wetter Western Caucasus, the mountains are heavily forested ( deciduous forest up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), coniferous forest up to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) and alpine meadows above the tree line ). In the drier Eastern Caucasus, the mountains are mostly treeless. The watershed of the Caucasus is also considered by some to be

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1738-528: Is very little rainfall during that season. During summer, the khazri sweeps through, bringing desired coolness. Winter is cool and occasionally wet, with the daily mean temperature in January and February averaging 4.3 °C (39.7 °F). During winter, the khazri sweeps through, driven by polar air masses ; temperatures on the coast frequently drop below freezing and make it feel bitterly cold. Winter snow storms are occasional; snow usually melts within

1817-586: The 2015 European Games , 4th Islamic Solidarity Games , the European Grand Prix in 2016, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix since 2017, the final of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League , UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference . The Baku International Sea Trade Port is capable of handling two million tonnes of general and dry bulk cargoes per year. Baku is renowned for its harsh winds, reflected in its nickname,

1896-519: The Armistice of Mudros with the British (30 October 1918); this meant the evacuation of Turkish forces from Baku. Headed by General William Thomson , some 5,000 British troops, including parts of the former Dunsterforce , arrived in Baku on 17 November. Thomson declared himself military governor of Baku and implemented martial law in the city until "the civil power would be strong enough to release

1975-760: The Bibi-Heybat suburb of Baku in 1846. Large-scale oil exploration started in 1872 when the Russian imperial authorities auctioned parcels of oil-rich land around Baku to private investors. The pioneer of oil extracting from the bottom of the sea was the Polish geologist Witold Zglenicki . Soon after, investors appeared in Baku, including the Nobel Brothers in 1873 and the Rothschilds in 1882. An industrial area of oil refineries, better known as Black Town ( Russian : Чёрный город ), developed near Baku by

2054-705: The boundary between Eastern Europe and Western Asia . The European part to the north of the watershed is known as Ciscaucasia ; the Asiatic part to the south as Transcaucasia , which is dominated by the Lesser Caucasus mountain range and whose western portion converges with Eastern Anatolia . Most of the border of Russia with Georgia and Azerbaijan runs along most of the Caucasus' length. The Georgian Military Road ( Darial Gorge ) and Trans-Caucasus Highway traverse this mountain range at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The watershed of

2133-666: The oil fields of Baku was a primary goal of the Wehrmacht 's Operation Edelweiss , carried out between May and November 1942. However, the German Army reached only a point some 530 kilometres (329 miles) northwest of Baku in November 1942, falling far short of the city's capture before being driven back during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn in mid-December 1942. After the 1991 dissolution of

2212-593: The pogrom against Armenians starting in January 1990, the city's large Armenian population was expelled. After the collapse of the Soviet Union , Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev returned several synagogues and a Jewish college, nationalised by the Soviets, to the Jewish community; he encouraged the restoration of these buildings. Seven of the original 11 synagogues, including the Gilah synagogue, built in 1896, and

2291-410: The steppe plateau areas. The dominant flora of the down mountain forest zone (1,000–1,100 metres (3,300–3,600 ft)) are Iberian oak and eastern hornbeam ( Carpinus orientalis ). The middle mountain forest zone mainly consists of beech ( Fagus sp.) forests. The fauna of the region is characterized by mammals such as the brown bear ( Ursus arctos ). The region is rich in minerals. Most of

2370-489: The "City of Winds". Baku is long attested under the Perso-Arabic name باکو ( Bākū ). Early Arabic sources also refer to the city as Bākuh and Bākuya , all of which seem to come from a Persian name. The further etymology is unclear. A popular etymology in the 19th century considered it to be derived from Persian بادکوبه ( Bâd-kube , meaning "wind-pounded city", a compound of bād , "wind", and kube , which

2449-516: The 9th century, was extinguished in the course of Safavid rule. At this time, the city was enclosed within lines of strong walls, which were washed by the sea on one side and protected by a wide trench on land. The Ottomans briefly gained control over Baku as a result of the Ottoman-Safavid War of 1578–1590 ; by 1607, it came under Iranian control again. In 1604 Shah Abbas I ( r.  1588–1629 ) destroyed Baku fortress. Baku had

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2528-526: The Apostle was preaching Christianity in the city of Albana or Albanopolis, associated with present-day Baku or Derbent , both located by the Caspian Sea . St. Bartholomew managed to convert even members of the local royal family who had worshipped the idol Astaroth , but was later martyred by being flayed alive and crucified head down on orders from the pagan king Astyages. The remains of St. Bartholomew were secretly transferred to Mesopotamia . Baku

2607-545: The Arabian traveler, Marudee, reported that both white and black oil were being extracted naturally from Baku. By the 15th century, oil for lamps was obtained from hand-dug surface wells. Commercial exploitation began in 1872, and by the beginning of the 20th century the Baku oil fields were the largest in the world. Towards the end of the 20th century, much of the onshore petroleum had been exhausted, and drilling had extended into

2686-811: The Baku Soviet and were massacred by Dashnak teams in what was called the March Days . An estimated 3,000–12,000 Azerbaijanis were killed in their own capital. After the massacre, on 28 May 1918, the Azerbaijani faction of the Transcaucasian Sejm proclaimed the independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in Ganja , thereby founding the first Muslim-majority democratic and secular republic . The newly independent Azerbaijani republic, being unable to defend

2765-763: The Baku-Zafatala, Baku Shaki routes. At the same time, airports were built for sanitary aviation in other administrative regions of the region such as Balaken, Gakh, and Gabala. The air transport sector has been revived in Shaki-Zagatala economic region recently. In 2008 Zagatala international airport was opened. In 2009, after major reconstruction, airport in Zagatala was granted international status. 41°32′57.3″N 46°42′11.6″E  /  41.549250°N 46.703222°E  / 41.549250; 46.703222 Greater Caucasus The Greater Caucasus

2844-486: The Caspian Sea. Baku, and the Absheron Peninsula on which it is situated, is the most arid part of Azerbaijan ( precipitation here is around or less than 200 mm (8 in) a year). This is largely due to the rain shadow effect from the Caucasus Mountains , with corresponding latitudes on the Black Sea on average receiving 2,300 mm (91 in) or more. The majority of the light annual precipitation occurs in seasons other than summer, but none of these seasons

2923-599: The Caspian Sea. The Old City , containing the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower , was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The city is the scientific, cultural, and industrial centre of Azerbaijan. Many sizeable Azerbaijani institutions have their headquarters there. In the 2010s, Baku became a venue for major international events. It hosted the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in 2012,

3002-519: The Caucasus back to Iran . The eruption of instability following Nader Shah's death in 1747 gave rise to the various Caucasian khanates . The semi-autonomous Persian-ruled From the late 18th century, Imperial Russia switched to a more aggressive geopolitical stance towards its two neighbours and rivals to the south, namely Iran and the Ottoman Empire. In the spring of 1796, by Catherine II 's order, General Valerian Zubov 's troops started

3081-794: The Caucasus was the border between the Caucasia province of the Russian Empire in the north and the Ottoman Empire and Persia in the south (1801) until the Russian victory in 1813 and the Treaty of Gulistan which moved the border of the Russian Empire well within Transcaucasia. The border between Georgia and Russia still follows the watershed almost exactly (except for Georgia's western border, which extends south of

3160-637: The Great of Russia took advantage of the situation and invaded. As a result of the Russo-Persian War of 1722–1723 , the Safavids were forced to cede Baku to Russia. By 1730 the situation had deteriorated for the Russians; the successes of Nader Shah ( r.  1736–1747 ) led them to sign the Treaty of Ganja near Ganja on 10 March 1735, ceding the city and all other conquered territories in

3239-466: The Great . In March 1797 the tsarist troops left Baku and the city became part of Qajar Iran again. In 1813, following the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 , Qajar Iran had to sign the Treaty of Gulistan with Russia this provided for the cession of Baku and of most of Iran's territories in the North Caucasus and South Caucasus to Russia. During the next and final bout of hostilities between

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3318-446: The Shaki-Zagatala economic region constitutes more than 10% of these products throughout the country. The industry of the Shaki-Zagatala economic region is relatively weak and unilaterally developed. Only 3% of the country's industrial product falls into this region's share. The industry of the economic region is mainly specialized in the light and food industries, which process agricultural products. These areas produce more than 95% of

3397-502: The Shirvanshahs to remain in power, under Safavid suzerainty. His successor, king Tahmasp I ( r.  1524–1576 ), completely removed the Shirvanshahs from power and made Baku a part of the Shirvan province. Baku remained as an integral part of his empire and of successive Iranian dynasties for the next centuries, until ceded to the Russian Empire through the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan . The House of Shirvan, which had ruled Baku since

3476-562: The Soviet Union , Baku embarked on a process of restructuring on a scale unseen in its history. Thousands of panel buildings from the Soviet period were demolished to make way for a green belt on its shores; parks and gardens were built on the land reclaimed by filling up the beaches of the Baku Bay . Improvements were made in general cleaning, maintenance, and garbage collection to bring these services up to Western European standards. The city

3555-578: The Yevlakh-Balakan highway) has increased since Azerbaijan gained independence. The economic-geographical region joins the South Caucasus and TRACECA transport network with this highway. Only 11% of the roads are covered with asphalt in the economic-geographical region. At the same time, gravel roads constitute 55%, and ground rods 8% of total roads. During the Soviet period, regular flights from Baku to Zagatala and Shaki were flying. At

3634-599: The battle, Baku produced half of the world's oil supply. The oil economy of Baku is undergoing a resurgence, with the development of the massive Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field (Shallow water Gunashli by SOCAR , deeper areas by a consortium led by BP ), development of the Shah Deniz gas field , the expansion of the Sangachal Terminal and the construction of the BTC Pipeline . The Baku Stock Exchange

3713-832: The climate is subtropical, while at higher elevations it is mild and cool; the climate becomes colder with increasing altitude. The region holds second place after the Lankaran-Astara zone for the range of annual rainfall amounts. The most common landscapes are meadows, mountains and forest areas, with a range of forest and mountain soils. The area is characterized by a diverse landscape, more densely forested than other regions of Azerbaijan. Alder ( Alnus sp.) Caucasian wing nut ( Pterocarya pterocarpa ), hybrid poplar ( Populus ), and long-stem oak ( Quercus longipes ) are all dominant species of trees in flatland forests. Forests of juniper ( Juniperus sp.), Turkish terebinth ( Pistacia sp.) and Iberian oak ( Quercus iberica ) occupy

3792-502: The coldest months, the winters in the area vary between mild (0;-5 C) and extremely mild (5-2.5 C). Feasible evaporation in the warm months (April–October) is around 400–1000 mm. The number of days without precipitation ranges between 5 and 25 days in June–September. The frost-free period extends for 150–250 days or more, while the number of days with below freezing temperatures is 20–150. Days with snow cover fluctuate between 20 and 120. At altitudes of 500–700 metres (1,600–2,300 ft)

3871-512: The command of General Lionel Dunsterville on 15 September 1918. After the Battle of Baku of August–September 1918, the Azerbaijani irregular troops, with the tacit support of the Turkish command, conducted four days of pillaging and killing 10,000–30,000 Armenians of Baku . This pogrom became known as the " September Days ". Shortly after this, Baku was proclaimed the new capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The Ottoman Empire, recognising defeat in World War I by October 1918, signed

3950-417: The control of the Baku Commune , led by the veteran Bolshevik Stepan Shahumyan . Seeking to capitalize on the existing ethnic conflicts, by spring 1918, Bolsheviks inspired and condoned civil war in and around Baku. During the March Days of 1918, Bolsheviks and Dashnaks , seeking to establish control over Baku streets, faced armed Azerbaijani groups. The Azerbaijanis suffered defeat from the united forces of

4029-437: The copper reserves of Azerbaijan, 90 percent of the sulfur arthroplasty, 97 percent of lead , 99 percent of sinks are extracting in this region. Filizchay, one of the largest polymetallic deposits in the Caucasus region , is located in the region. There are gravel, sand and other building material resources in mountainous and foothills. About 27 percent of the Shaki-Zagatala economic region is forested. The majority of them are in

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4108-409: The country by the present time, had a long history in Azerbaijan and the Zoroastrian New Year (Nowruz) continues to be the main holiday in the city as well as in the rest of Azerbaijan. Baku's largest industry is petroleum, and its petroleum exports make it a large contributor to Azerbaijan's balance of payments . The existence of petroleum has been known since the 8th century. In the 10th century,

4187-454: The countrywide division of labor on agricultural products, the Shaki-Zagatala economic-geographical region is represented by tobacco growing, sericulture, tea cultivation, floriculture , paddy cultivation , fruit cultivation, grain cultivation, viticulture , sheep breeding . More than 75% of tobacco, 17% of grain, 35% of barley, and 2% of green tea-leaf in Azerbaijan are produced in this economic region. The production of livestock products in

4266-460: The early 16th century, Baku's wealth and strategic position attracted the attention of its larger neighbours; in the previous two centuries, it was under the rule of the Iran-centred Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu . The fall of the Ak Koyunlu brought the city immediately into the sphere of the newly formed Iranian Safavid dynasty , led by king ( shah ) Ismail I ( r.  1501–1524 ). Ismail I laid siege to Baku in 1501 and captured it; he allowed

4345-482: The early 1880s. Professor A. V. Williams Jackson of Columbia University wrote in his work From Constantinople to the Home of Omar Khayyam (1911): Baku is a city founded upon oil, for to its inexhaustible founts of naphtha it owes its very existence, its maintenance, its prosperity... At present Baku produces one-fifth of the oil that is used in the world, and the immense output in crude petroleum from this single city far surpasses that in any other district where oil

4424-418: The economic region. The light industry is based on sericulture. There are various sewing industry enterprises in all rayon centres in the region. Tobacco fermentation plants are operating in Shaki, Gabala, Balaken and Zagatala. Other sectors of the industry of the region include the Zagatala furniture factory, the brick plant, the Balakan field enterprise, etc. The beautiful nature allows the region to be one of

4503-400: The existence of a Bronze-Age settlement within the city's territory. Near Nardaran , a place called Umid Gaya features a prehistoric observatory, where images of the sun and of various constellations are carved into rock together with a primitive astronomic table. Further archeological excavations have revealed various prehistoric settlements, native temples, statues and other artifacts within

4582-420: The following important rivers: Kish, Shin, Balakanchay, Katekh, Damiraparan, Mazım , Mukhakh, Ganikh , Ayrichay, Alijan and Turyan . Rich sources of thermal and mineral waters are available at Oghlanbulag, Gizbulag, Hamambulag, Budusshor, Aghbulag and Khalkhal. Nohur (Qabala) and Ajinohur (Gakh) are the major lakes. The region gets 2,200-2,400 hours of sunlight annually. According to the median temperature in

4661-418: The forces from the responsibility to maintain the public order". British forces left before the end of 1919. The independence of the Azerbaijani republic was a significant but short-lived chapter in Baku's history. On 28 April 1920, the 11th Red Army invaded Baku and reinstalled the Bolsheviks, making Baku the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic . The city underwent many major changes. As

4740-558: The inauguration of National Flag Square , Baku set the world record for tallest flagpole ; on 24 May 2011, the city of Dushanbe in Tajikistan set a new record with a 3 metres (9.8 feet)-higher flagpole. A few years later, the Flag Pole was dismantled and the National Flag Square was closed off with fences. Baku has several shopping malls, including Ganjlik Mall, Deniz Mall, Crescent Mall, Port Baku Mall, 28 Mall, Park Bulvar , City Park and Metro Park. The retail areas contain shops from chain stores up to high-end boutiques. The city

4819-420: The independence of the country on their own, asked the Ottoman Empire for military support in accordance with clause 4 of the treaty between the two countries. Shortly after, Azerbaijani forces, with support of the Ottoman Army of Islam led by Nuru Pasha , started their advance on Baku, eventually capturing the city from the loose coalition of Bolsheviks , SRs , Dashnaks , Mensheviks and British forces under

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4898-500: The industrial production of the economic region. The food industry is mainly developed in horticulture, tobacco and livestock products processing. Shaki food factories and wine factories, Gabala, Gakh, Balaken, Nij fruit and vegetable canning plants, Zagatala hazelnut and rose oil plants, tea factory, and Shaki meat factory are the main enterprises of the food industry. In addition, small businesses that produce domestic bakeries, eastern sweets and non-alcoholic beverages are also operating in

4977-450: The large Kruei Synagogue, were renovated. Today, the vast majority of Baku's population is made up of ethnic Azerbaijanis , and the rest are Talysh , Russians , Lezgi and others. The intensive growth of the population started in the middle of the 19th century when Baku was a small town with a population of about 7,000 people. The population increased again from about 13,000 in the 1860s to 112,000 in 1897 and 215,000 in 1913, making Baku

5056-428: The largest city in the Caucasus region. Baku has been a cosmopolitan city at certain times during its history, meaning ethnic Azerbaijanis did not constitute the majority of population. It was only in the 1970s that ethnic Azerbaijanis achieved demographic dominance in Baku. In 2003 Baku additionally had 153,400 internally displaced persons and 93,400 refugees. The religion with the largest community of followers

5135-402: The major trade fairs of the Soviet Union, serving as a commercial bridgehead to Iran and the Middle East. The major powers continued to note Baku's growing importance as a major energy hub. During World War II (1939–1945) and particularly during the 1942 Nazi German invasion of the southwestern Soviet Union , Baku became of vital strategic importance to the Axis powers . In fact, capturing

5214-574: The major recreation and tourism regions in Azerbaijan. Recreational tourism enterprises operate in Gabala, Shaki and Zagatala. The transport network of the Shaki-Zagatala economic-geographical region consists of railways and highways, partly airways and pipelines. The region is located on the Yevlakh-Balaken railroad and highways. This railway was commissioned in 1986. About 20-25% of cargo and 12-15% of passengers are transported with this railway. The railway runs mainly through four administrative regions (Shaki, Zagatala, Gakh and Balakan). 62 km or 38% of

5293-408: The railway line is passing through Shaki, 38 km or 24% Zagatala, 40 km or 24.5% Gakh, 22 km- i or 13.5% Balakan region. Baku-Yevlakh-Balaken and parallel to it Baku - Ismayilli - Gabala - Balakan highways occupy an important place in the region. The total length of roads in the region is 1,921 km. The international significance of the Balakən-Lagodekhi highway (the continuation of

5372-426: The remainder of present-day Azerbaijan. Between the 12th and 14th centuries, massive fortifications were built in Baku and the surrounding towns. The Maiden Tower , the Ramana Tower , the Nardaran Fortress , the Shagan Castle, the Mardakan Castle , the Round Castle and also the Sabayil Castle on the island of the Bay of Baku date from this period. The city walls of Baku were also rebuilt and strengthened. By

5451-446: The same time, airports were used for sanitary aviation in other administrative regions of the region (Balakan, Gakh, Gabala). In recent years, air transport has been revived in Shaki-Zagatala and in 2007 the new airport in Zagatala was put into operation. There is also an airport in Gabala. In addition to raising passenger traffic, they facilitate the arrival of tourists to the region. In the Soviet period, there were constant flights on

5530-439: The sea offshore. By the end of the 19th century skilled workers and specialists flocked to Baku. By 1900 the city had more than 3,000 oil wells, of which 2,000 were producing oil at industrial levels. Baku ranked as one of the largest centres for the production of oil industry equipment before World War II. The World War II Battle of Stalingrad was fought to determine who would have control of Baku oil fields. Fifty years before

5609-429: The territory of Balakan and Zagatala. The economic region has rich water resources. There are 9 underground water reservoirs in the region. As of January 1, 2018, the population of the Shaki-Zagatala economic region was 621,400. or 6.2% of the country's population. 27.6% of the population of the economic region live in the cities, while 72.4% live in rural areas. The region's economy is based on agriculture. According to

5688-464: The territory of the modern city and around it. In the 1st century AD, the Romans organised two Caucasian campaigns and reached what is today Baku. Near the city, in what is today Gobustan , Roman inscriptions dating from AD 84 to 96 survive – some of the earliest written evidences for a city there. According to the 6th-century archbishop and historian St. Sophronius of Cyprus, in 71, St. Bartholomew

5767-542: The two, the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828 , the Iranians briefly recaptured Baku. However, the militarily superior Russians ended this war with a victory as well, and the resulting Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828) made Baku's inclusion in the Russian Empire definite. When Baku was occupied by the Russian troops during the war of 1804–13 , nearly the entire population of some 8,000 people was ethnic Tat . Baku within Russia

5846-549: The watershed, and a narrow strip of territory in northwestern Kakheti and northern Mtskheta-Mtianeti where Georgia extends north of the watershed), while Azerbaijan is south of the watershed except that its northeastern corner has five districts north of the watershed ( Khachmaz , Quba , Qusar , Shabran , and Siazan ). Download coordinates as: Baku Baku ( US : / b ɑː ˈ k uː , ˈ b ɑː k uː / , UK : / b æ ˈ k uː , ˈ b æ k uː / ; Azerbaijani : Bakı [bɑˈcɯ] )

5925-543: The year, hence the city's nickname the " City of Winds ", and gale-force winds, the cold northern wind khazri and the warm southern wind gilavar are typical here in all seasons. Indeed, the city is renowned for its fierce winter snow storms and harsh winds. The speed of the khazri sometimes reaches 144 km/h (89 mph), which can cause damage to crops, trees and roof tiles. The daily mean temperature in July and August averages 26.4 °C (79.5 °F), and there

6004-546: Was estimated at two million people as of 2009. Baku is the primate city of Azerbaijan—it is the sole metropolis in the country, and about 25% of all inhabitants of the country live in Baku's metropolitan area . Baku is divided into twelve administrative raions and 48 townships. Among these are the townships on the islands of the Baku Archipelago , as well as the industrial settlement of Neft Daşları built on oil rigs 60 kilometres (37 miles) away from Baku city in

6083-580: Was often used to transcribe the vowel harmony in Azerbaijani (which was also the practice in Ottoman Turkish ). (See also Azerbaijani alphabet .) Traces of human settlement in the region of present-day Baku date back to the Stone Age . Bronze-Age rock carvings have been discovered near Bayil, and a bronze figure of a small fish in the territory of the Old City. These have led some to suggest

6162-584: Was the administrative center of the Baku Uyezd , Baku Governorate , and the Baku Gradonachalstvo . The Russians built the first oil-distilling factory in Balaxani in 1837. The first person to drill oil in Baku was an ethnic Armenian Ivan Mirzoev , who is also known as a 'founding father of Baku's oil industry.' Digging for oil began in the 1840s, with the first oil well drilled in

6241-598: Was the realm of the Shirvanshahs during the 8th century AD. The city frequently came under assault from the Khazars and (starting from the 10th century) from the Rus' . Shirvanshah Akhsitan I built a navy in Baku and successfully repelled a Rus' assault in 1170. After a devastating earthquake struck Shamakhi , the capital of Shirvan , Shirvanshah's court moved to Baku in 1191. The Shirvan era greatly influenced Baku and

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