"Baku is Paris of the East"

The leading newspaper in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) "Al-Bayan" devoted several articles to Azerbaijan. One of them is devoted to the history of Baku and the architectural heritage of the city under the title "Ancient Baku - Paris of the East", said the Azerbaijani embassy in the UAE.

The article begins with a description of the ancient walls of the Old City, of which history is calculated for centuries. In mid century, Baku, located on the shore of the Caspian Sea, became a center of trade, where merchants gathered from different countries, and soon became one of the important port cities.

"Located in an area of 22 hectares, the fortifications are now in the center of Baku and protected by UNESCO," the author writes.

Such monuments are ancient as Siniq Kala Minaret, built in the 11th century, Haji Gayiba Bath in the 15th century and the Shirvanshahs Palace, dating back 15-16 centuries, in the mid century were a major attraction for tourists and travelers from the Persian Gulf and the Emirates, the article says.

The author of the publication quoted a well-known Lebanese traveler Qays Bishar, who has long lived in the Emirates, and remembering narrow alleys of Old City, wrote that "the magical memories of cool, narrow streets, fig and olive trees, wooden doors and windows make people come again to this beautiful city," the article says.

The area around the Maiden Tower historically has become a strategic point for city residents, which in 17-18th centuries, linked Baku with other major cities of the country. Many caravanserai, baths, mosques, shops of gold and carpet traders, etc. were built here. The article describes the care of the Azerbaijani government about the preservation of historical monuments. The government carries out restoration work of ancient buildings.

In the 19th century, Baku, population and area of which was rapidly growing, turned into one of the major cities of tsarist Russia due to oilfields in Absheron. During this period, the architectural appearance of the city acquired European shades: buildings, built in Gothic style and Baroque, were faced with white stone and differ with a remarkable strength. Due to enormous contributions to the architecture, Baku became "Paris of the East", the author wrote in the conclusion of the article.

A separate article in the newspaper titled "Guba - the apple orchard of the Caucasus and fertile land" is devoted to Guba.


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