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Luxury Vacation Guide 2012: Baku, Azerbaijan

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on Jan 9th 2012 at 10:00AM

Alternately called the Paris of the East and the Next Dubai, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is poised to become the Middle East's next big luxury travel destination.

Once the busiest harbor on the ancient Silk Road, Baku is the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. A recent flood of oil money has led to massive development in anticipation of a 2020 Olympics bid, and early 2012 will mark the opening of the Flame Towers, an iconic complex which will significantly alter the Baku skyline. With a design inspired by the natural gas-fueled fires that once sprung spontaneously from the Azerbaijan landscape, the towers will house offices, high-end apartments, and a new luxury property from Fairmont.

As a country, Azerbaijan is no stranger to progress, having been the first Muslim country to build operas, theatres, and a democratic republic. Baku's walled inner city, which contains Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, and the city's cultural agenda includes world-class ballet performances and philharmonic concerts. To boot, Lonely Planet recently ranked Baku one of the world's top destinations for urban nightlife, alongside Buenos Aires, Dubai, and Cape Town.

[flickr image via teuchterlad]

Filed under: Asia, Europe, Azerbaijan, Middle East

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

colin Jan 9th 2012 1:17PM

Hi This one is great and is really a good post . I think it will help me a lot in the related stuff and is very much useful for me.Very well written I appreciate & must say good job..
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A.Robby McRobb Jan 10th 2012 2:48PM

Having first arrived in Baku in 1994, I had no idea where I was going to work except for looking up Baku on a world map. I spent 5 wonderful years in Baku, saw and experienced many changes. Married a beautiful Azeri girl.
My daily trips to the market were an adventure in them selves.
A great country fine people with a fine future ahead of them, and their children
Good Luck to my many fine Azeri friends
A.Robby McRobb

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