Baku, capital and largest city of Azerbaijan.
The first historical reference to Baku dates from AD 885. By the 11th century AD, Baku was in the possession of the Shirvan-Shahs, who made it their capital in the 12th century, although for
a period in the 13th and 14th centuries it came under the sway of the
Mongols. Baku served as
the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 1920 to 1991. In 1991 Azerbaijan became an independent republic. The core of present-day Baku is the old
town, or fortress, of Icheri-Shekher. Most of the walls, strengthened
after the Russian conquest in 1806, survive, as does the 90-ft (27-m)
tower of Kyz-Kalasy (Maiden's Tower, 12th century). The old town is highly
picturesque, with its maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings. These
include the palace of the Shirvan-Shahs, now a museum, the oldest part of
which dates from the 11th century. Also of the 11th century is the
Synyk-Kala Minaret and Mosque (1078-79). Other notable historic buildings
are the law court (Divan-Khan), the Dzhuma-Mechet Minaret, and the
mausoleum of the astronomer Seida Bakuvi.
Around the walls of the fortress, the regular streets and imposing
buildings of modern Baku rise up the slopes of the amphitheatre of hills
surrounding the bay. Along the waterfront an attractive park has been laid
out. Most industrial plants are located at the eastern and southwestern
ends of the city. Greater Baku, divided into 11 districts, encompasses
almost the entire Apsheron Peninsula and 48 townships. Among these are
townships on islands off the tip of the peninsula and another built on
stilts in the Caspian Sea, 60 mi (100 km) from Baku. Baku is also a major cultural,
science and
educational center.
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