In the “Cudablin” project, we send completely different people on trips at our expense! Elena Burdyugova visited Baku: she found second-hand shops that no one had heard of, saw the most beautiful palace in the city and visited the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by the incomparable Zaha Hadid. More details in her report!
When OneTwoTrip, as part of the #kudablin project, invited my readers to choose one of three destinations for me to the former Soviet republics, at first I was depressed. But at the moment when Baku began to win, I decided to look for interesting angles on Pinterest and was literally taken aback. “Yes! This is exactly the city I want to see after Singapore and Japan,” flashed through my head…
Baku is magnificent! Already at the airport you understand that you are in a modern metropolis and there is a lot of interesting things ahead.
The first thing I would like to advise guests of Azerbaijan is to travel by Uber, which is three times cheaper than local taxis. The trip from the airport to the city center cost us only 10 manats (about 300 rubles). Taxi drivers asked for the same amount for almost any distance, although it was possible to negotiate with them, but it still ended up being more expensive.
Secondly, do not settle in the center of Baku! There is a construction site there now and there is really nothing to see. Is that the sea is also nearby, but in December it is not relevant. Better find yourself a cozy hotel in the Old Town. On OneTwoTrip there were many more such options and many of them were more budget-friendly. We had to take a taxi to the epicenter of all the interesting things.
And third, but no less important, first of all go to the Heydar Aliyev Center. Not only is it beautiful in itself, but there is also an exhibition “Baku in Miniature” on display there. We looked into the Center on the last day and then rushed like mad around the city in the pouring rain to capture what we had not noticed before.
The smooth lines of the Heydar Aliyev Center and the paved roads in front of the building create a transition from earth to sky, which symbolizes the connection of times. And the white color expresses hope for a bright future for Azerbaijan. And we believe this after everything we have seen. By the way, we were lucky to see the building literally dissolve into the clouds.
But perhaps the most stunning place in Baku is the Palace of the Shivanshahs. This ancient building preserves the memory of centuries, but what is especially interesting: from its walls there is an incomparable view of Baku.
It is here that the connection between eras and at the same time the contrast between antiquity, the Soviet period and modern Baku are best visible. And the Flame Towers literally beckon to this bright future.
Give in to this urge and walk to them. They promise to open a restaurant on the upper floors there soon, but for now you can take a walk in the nearby park and admire Baku again from the observation deck.
The most difficult part of the trip was the task that the readers chose for me. It was necessary to find a flea market. It would seem that it could be simpler, because the Old Town is literally flooded with souvenir shops. But this is not the same. We were looking for junk dealers. We knocked on all doors, asked passers-by and local residents on social media. networks. Everyone just shrugged: “There is no such thing in Baku”…
And yet we found him! In the very depths of Taza Bazar there were several tents of junk dealers. But, to be honest, they mostly sell items from the Soviet era, so I wouldn’t recommend looking for it. It’s better to check out a local’s home cafe, it’s very tasty and friendly. And you will definitely be taught how to eat Azerbaijani dishes correctly and given delicious tea with thyme from armud (this is the name of a glass glass for tea, and not a glass at all, as many will think at first).
And we continue our travels and I hope one day I will be able to share with you another story, or maybe more than one.
If you have more than 1000 subscribers on one of the social networks, participate in the Kudablin project, and we will send you anywhere on the planet at our expense. Where you will go and what you will do will be decided by your subscribers.
Travel is closer than you think. Apply to Project Kudablin and you might be the next one to go on an adventure!
Text and photo author: Elena Burdyugova (@burdyugova)
