Holiday in Caucasus (3): more Baku, Azerbaijan
Our second day in Baku involved a further walking tour with a prolonged visit to a museum. Among the sites we saw were the building which housed the brief democratic government of 1918-1920 and the large statue of Nizami who was a revered 12th century Muslim poet. Our museum visit was supposed be to the Historical Museum but it was closed because of a visit by a foreign dignitary.
Instead we went to the Heydar Aliyev Centre, named after the former president who is revered by many in the country – including our guide Elvin – for his leadership of the nation after its post-Soviet independence but criticised by many outside the country for his undermining of human rights and creation of a dynasty.
A significant part of the museum sets out details of his life and achievements. The rest of the museum is an eclectic collection of archaeological items, musical instruments, models of city buildings, magnificent carpets, brilliantly designed dolls, and various sculptures and works of art.
The building itself is stunning in its innovative design of white swirling shapes. It was designed by Iraqi-British Zaha Hamid and built between 2007-2012. On its slopes, there is an ‘I love Baku’ sign which makes for a souvenir photo.
As yesterday, following the tour, we returned to the Fountain Square area for lunch. This time, we ate at a place called “Firuza” before strolling back to the hotel. It was an even hotter day: 36C. It had been an even longer day: we had been out over eight hours. But again we had the evening free to relax and recuperate.