This short guide to doing street photography in Baku is based on my experiences living there for 8 years. It was during that time that I really began to hone my street photography eye by intimately exploring the city and its suburbs.
Intro
Baku is the capital city of Azerbaijan, boasting a population of at least 2 million people. It is the largest city on the Caspian Sea and the lowest lying capital city in the world (28 metres below sea level).
History
Baku is an ancient place. The Old City area, still surrounded by 12th century walls and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been settled since at least the Bronze Age. For a long time it was situated within the ancient Persian empires (Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanian), whose main religion was Zoroastrianism. Thus Baku became a sacred place due to its many bizarre, naturally-burning fires, fuelled by its vast underground oil and gas resources.
Later, for many centuries Baku was a small port city on a branch of the Silk Roads. Oil, salt, silk and saffron were among its main exports. In the 19th century the Russians arrived and promoted Baku to regional capital following an earthquake in the city of Shamakhi. Towards the end of the century a boom occurred in the local oil industry and Baku grew much larger and wealthier. By 1901 it was supplying over 50% of the world’s oil.
Following a few years of independence, Russia, reclothed in Soviet attire, returned in 1920, freezing the oil boom and ushering in 70 years of socialism. Baku was known for its jazz, art and multiculturalism during this period. Another oil boom occurred in the early 2000s, Baku having become the capital of independent Azerbaijan. As a result the city has rapidly developed and added numerous eye-popping skyscrapers to its skyline.
Culture & sightseeing
The city offers a lot to see and do. I would devote at least half a day to exploring the atmospheric Old City. Then meander around the nearby downtown area centred around Fountains Square and Nizami Street, packed with shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.
There are some very good museums. Top of the list are the Carpet Museum, showcasing Azerbaijan’s ancient art of carpet weaving in a building shaped like a rug. And the Heydar Aliyev Centre, which contains several museums. Though it’s really the building, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, that catches the eye – and provides a cool street photo backdrop.
Azerbaijan is known for its vibrant art, influenced by its diverse culture and nature. There are numerous museums and galleries in Baku allowing you to admire it. For example, the Museum of Modern Art and Yarat Contemporary Art Centre.
If you have time, you can also travel a little way south beyond the city to shoot Azerbaijan’s otherworldly mud volcanoes. Or, if you like the sound of prehistoric rock art, head to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gobustan.
Street photo hotspots
Like İzmir, Baku is big and its suburbs seem endless. That said, the centre is small and easily walkable. Which is handy for street photographers because that’s where most of the action and interesting stuff is. So be sure to check out these best areas for street photography in Baku:
1. The Old City
As mentioned, this is the historic heart of Baku, studded with centuries-old houses, and ancient monuments like the iconic Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Its scattering of old mosques and caravanserais and restaurants, shops and art galleries rekindle the spirit of the Silk Road. Getting lost in the Old City’s network of narrow alleys with a camera is a lot of fun, if a little touristy. But you never know what you might find. I’d also recommend heading here at night when it’s all atmospherically lit up.
2. The Seaside Boulevard
What a wonderful place this is – the seemingly never-ending promenade along the Caspian seafront. For over a century it’s been the city’s most beloved recreation spot. And still today Baku residents of all stripes flock here, especially at weekends and in the evenings, to stroll, drink tea (the nation’s favourite drink) and browse the various malls and attractions, including a Baku Eye and Little Venice. There’s always something to photograph, in addition to the simple pleasure of being by the Caspian. I always liked this area best in the evenings, just before and after sunset.
3. Fountains Square & Nizami Street
Situated not far from the Seaside Boulevard and the Old City, this is another very busy and historic area. Packed with storied mansions erected during the city’s first oil boom, it hums with restaurants, shops, bars and nightclubs. Thus, it of course attracts plenty of photo-worthy street life. So be sure to spend a few hours wandering around in search of unique moments. Then you can continue to amble on through the city centre via the districts of Sahil, 28 May and upmarket Port Baku. There, you can grab a coffee before returning to the city centre along the Seaside Boulevard.
4. Istiglaliyyat & Sovietski
Istiglaliyyat is one of my favourite streets in Baku. Tracing the walls of the Old City and lined with impressive turn-of-the-century architecture, it conjures the atmosphere of the first oil boom. Stroll down towards Fountains Square. Turn off just before it down Azerbaijan Avenue, lined with impressive Stalin-era apartment houses. Just above this thoroughfare is an old neighbourhood called Sovietski, most of which has been demolished. But there are still a few run-down but characterful streets reminiscent of old Baku. Finish up at Central Park – an attractive, undulating green space built upon the old Sovietski area. Here you can keep sniffing out street moments, or pause for coffee, tea and/or ice cream.
5. Stroll in the suburbs
If you’re in Baku for more than a few days and looking to venture further afield, hop on a bus or the metro to suburbs such as Bayil or Neftchilar. This will show you a completely different – more mundane but more authentic – side of Baku. Which you may find quite boring, but you may equally encounter captivating scenes of the everyday. A Lada weighed down with watermelons perhaps, or a bustling bazaar dappled with sunshine. Long summer evenings in particular cast a wonderfully hot and colourful light through the suburbs, making even the grimmest Soviet modernist apartment block seem somewhat photo-worthy.
What makes Baku unique?
The mixture of architecture, which reflects Azerbaijan’s eventful history. It ranges from Oriental medieval to oil-boom magnificence, Stalinist grandeur, mid-Soviet misery and odd futuristic constructions. Plus, the ever-present and often completely flat Caspian Sea, which is in fact the world’s largest lake. And finally, the intermixing of Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian, Middle Eastern and Western cultures – Baku is a real melting pot.
Getting there & around
The Heydar Aliyev International Airport is conveniently placed just outside the city, about a 30-minute drive from the downtown area. There’s a regular airport bus service that will get you there very cheaply and easily.
In the city, buses are efficient and easy to use. Each ride costs just 30 qepiks (1 Azerbaijani manat is about 0.6 dollars) and you pay using a Baku Card, which you top up at dedicated payment terminals. The metro, built during the Soviet era, is also cheap and easy to use. But everything in the city centre is walkable. Taxis are another option, though it’s difficult not to over-charged as a tourist. But not if you use a taxi service (eg. 189 Taxi).
Final thoughts
Baku was my home for 8 years, so for sure I’d encourage people to go and see it. Of course it has its ups and downs, but overall the people are friendly, the food is good, it’s culturally exotic and the history is fascinating. Plus, it’s pretty off-the-beaten path to practise street photography in Baku.
The added bonus is that Azerbaijan is a relatively small country blessed with some ridiculously good scenery. So you can happily combine a few days ambling around Baku with, for example, a trip to hike or ski in the Caucasus Mountains, which are only a few hours away.
Or, you could travel northwest by bus or shared taxi for about 5 hours to the former Silk Road city of Sheki. That’s a delightful place brimming with cultural and culinary heritage and surrounded on three sides by dramatic mountains.