The giant convention centre in Baku named after the nation’s founder Heydar Aliyev was designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.
The Center houses an auditorium, a gallery hall and a museum. Designed by Zaha Hadid the building is the centrepiece for the redevelopment of Baku.
A very soviet looking statue of Azeri playwright Jafar Jabbarli outside Baku’s central station. Jabbarli’s 1928 play Sevil tells the story of a woman liberated from conservative Islamic traditions by the communist revolution.
Chess is a spectator sport in Azerbaijan and the government sponsors competitions and training programs across the country.
Staff during a lull at Baku’s central station. We travelled from Tbilisi to Baku on an overnight train relatively painlessly but travelling between Azerbaijan and Armenia can be a real challenge.
Construction cladding on a building site in Baku advertises 24-hour surveillance.
Semi-stray dogs guarding the cement plant in Baku. Some Azeris cut the ears off guard dogs under the belief that it helps them hear better.
A car sits quietly amongst the oil pumps in Baku’s ‘Black City’. The government has recently earmarked the area for redevelopment under the name ‘White City’ as it tries to remove the visible signs of the oil industry.
The capital of Azerbaijan is the only major port city on the Caspian Sea and the nation’s oil wealth is on display wherever you go. Weird and wonderful architecture give it a little bit of a Las Vegas vibe. Recently the city has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, the European Games and the F1 Grand Prix.
A local takes his horse up the Gurjana River in Sheki.
During the 19th century, Sheki became an international silk production centre and there still is a silk industry in the town.
About two million Zhiguli VAZ-2105s were built between 1980 and 2010 making them one of the most popular vehicles in the world. Outside Russia they’re marketed under the name Lada.
Mozaic and tile work inside the Winter Palace in Sheki.
Children lined to marvel at Baku’s ‘Burning Mountain’.
