Baku

The capital of Azerbaijan on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, Baku presents an unusual urban contrast between the UNESCO-listed medieval Inner City — the Icherisheher — and the oil-boom architectural statements of the early twenty-first century, most visibly the trio of flame-shaped Flame Towers that illuminate the hillside above. The old city's narrow alleys contain the Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshah's Palace, and numerous caravanserais within a compact walled perimeter. The modernist Heydar Aliyev Center designed by Zaha Hadid and the Baku Boulevard promenade along the Caspian waterfront complete the city's architectural range.