Know your cities - Baku, Azerbaijan

(My beat for for the 30th Edition of Chit-Chat, Jumeirah Group's official colleague newsletter)

When one hears the name, they would say “where is that?” But for those who are familiar with Azerbaijan and those who’ve been there, they have one word for Baku –”valehedici (amazing)”. It is one of the most beautiful cities of the world, where Europe meets Asia, and the very name of this Azerbaijan capital means "wind blow”.
Baku, the cultural, industrial, political capital of Azerbaijan, is located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, on the shores of the same name gulf in southern part of Absheron Peninsula and is “very” rich in oil deposits.

For centuries Baku went through different regimes –from Caucasian Albania, through the Mongols, Safavid Dynasty of Iran, to Ottoman Empire, through Baku Khanate until it was occupied by Russia in 1806. From 1936 to 1991 Baku was the capital of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and in 1991, the capital of the Azerbaijan Republic.

As the largest cultural center of Azerbaijan, Baku opened the first national theater of Muslim East, staged the first opera, published the first Azerbaijani newspaper, and established the first Azerbaijani library. Today's Baku has 30 museums, 7 theatres, 11 higher education institutions, a philharmonic society, an opera theatre, a film studio, cinemas, libraries which work in the most beautiful buildings of the city the exteriors of which are as rich and interesting as the city's culture life itself.

Industrial Baku is where the oldest oil fields can be found. Oil refining, petrochemical, chemical, light, food, machine-building industries, manufacture of oil equipment, building materials, instrument making, electronics, ship repair are very well developed there too.

It is on the shores of majestic Baku where Jumeirah will open Jumeirah Bilgah Hotel-Baku. Resembling the wave-like structure of Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, this contemporary hotel will have 176 sea-facing guest rooms and suites. Designed by a local architect Nazim Valiev, JBH-Baku will feature a soiree of incredible facilities like restaurants, bars, spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, conference centre, ballroom, nightclub, water park, fitness center, retail outlets and 14 private villas – bringing the brand of Jumeirah hospitality in convergence with Europe and Asia.