Palace of the Shirvanshahs
A medieval palace complex in the walled Old City, once the home of the rulers of Shirvan. Its courtyards, mausoleum and bathhouse are built of pale local stone and form part of the UNESCO-listed Old City.
Baku
On the Caspian coast, the capital pairs a long seaside boulevard with the Flame Towers, and the walled Old City with Maiden Tower.
Attractive locations
Maiden Tower
A round stone tower in the Old City dating to the 12th century, set close to the Caspian shore. A spiral stair leads up through its exhibits to a rooftop with views over the old streets and the bay.
Heydar Aliyev Center
A flowing, wave-like white building designed by Zaha Hadid, with galleries, exhibition halls and a concert hall. Its curving form and landscaped grounds make it a favourite for photographers.
Flame Towers
Three tall glass skyscrapers shaped like flames that dominate the skyline above the bay. After dark, thousands of lights turn their faces into moving fire, visible from across the city.
Baku Boulevard
A long seaside promenade along the Caspian shore, with parks, fountains, cafes and a small Venice-style canal area. It is a pleasant place for an evening walk.
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
A museum shaped like a rolled-up carpet on the seafront, displaying Azerbaijani rugs and weaving from different regions and periods.
Old City (Icherisheher)
The walled medieval core of Baku, a maze of narrow lanes, old caravanserais, mosques and small shops. It holds the Shirvanshahs' Palace and Maiden Tower and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Airports
Heydar Aliyev International Airport GYD
It is about 22 km in a straight line from Baku.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Azerbaijan page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan6.0 °C16 mm
- Feb5.7 °C15 mm
- Mar7.6 °C16 mm
- Apr10.9 °C13 mm
- May17.3 °C10 mm
- Jun22.7 °C6 mm
- Jul25.9 °C3 mm
- Aug26.5 °C4 mm
- Sep23.0 °C13 mm
- Oct17.8 °C22 mm
- Nov12.2 °C25 mm
- Dec8.1 °C17 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Oct, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 28% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
Novruz
Bonfires and sweets are part of this spring holiday of five days.
sport
Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)
Baku's old town is the route of an F1 race run on the streets.
Official siteWho can help
Emergency
112 for all emergencies. Police 102. Ambulance 103. Fire 101.
local government
Police emergency number 102
Helps with: Azerbaijan's police number, listed with 103 for an ambulance and 112 for the Ministry of Emergency Situations on the national tourism site. No tourist police unit is shown there.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Azerbaijan who needs the police, including visitors.
Phone: 102
local government
Azerbaijan Tourism Board
Helps with: The national tourism body. The national tourism site names it as the contact for tourism-related issues and complaints, and gives a Baku phone number.
Who qualifies: Tourists with a tourism-related problem or complaint in Azerbaijan, and anyone planning a trip.
Phone: +994 12 505 8704
Address: Uzeyir Hajibeyli street 134, Baku AZ1010
ngo
Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society
Helps with: Azerbaijan's national Red Crescent society, a member of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Its website has pages on its fields of activity and a contact page.
Who qualifies: People in Azerbaijan seeking humanitarian help; see its website for the programmes it runs.
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Azerbaijan
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Azerbaijan since 1996. Its site lists an office in Baku and one in Mingachevir.
Who qualifies: Migrants and partners working on migration in Azerbaijan. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Address: 31 Ibrahimpasha Dadashov Street, Baku AZ1069
embassy
Foreign diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan (foreign ministry list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Azerbaijani foreign ministry's protocol section publishes a diplomatic list of foreign missions and consulates in the country (July 2026).
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.
local government
Ministry of Emergency Situations (hotline 112)
Helps with: Azerbaijan's emergency situations ministry. Its site names 112 as its telephone service and gives an administration phone and email.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Azerbaijan facing an emergency or disaster.
Phone: 112
Email: info@fhn.gov.az
local government
Tourist Info Points in Baku (Azerbaijan Tourism Board)
Helps with: Tourism Board information points in Baku: Nizami Street, the airport's Terminal 1, Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace in the Old City. The page shows opening hours but no phone numbers.
Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Baku who wants tourist information.
Address: 69 Nizami St., Baku (Nizami info point)