Disappearing Architecture

Baku ‒ The wind-beaten city

Azerbaijan’s economy is rapidly growing. The country undergoes its second oil boom. Baku’s changes in the current century however are especially grave: land prices rocket high and alone between the years 2000 an 2008 about 800 new high-rise buildings have been built.
However Azerbaijan is rich in architectural heritage: Wilhelminian styled buildings, Boulevards and great promenades form the cityscape and award Baku a European flair even though its core is oriental. The new apartments are often vacant, not seldom they are bought for investment purposes only. In the course of this rapid change a lot of Azerbaijani cultural heritage from the times around 1900 is about to be replaced.


© 2010 Sebastian Burger
www.sebastian-burger.de