BAKU

Azerbaijani Baki, city, capital of Azerbaijan. It lies on the western shore of the Caspian Sea and the southern side of the Abseron Peninsula, around the wide, curving sweep of the Bay of Baku. The bay, sheltered by the islands of the Baku Archipelago, provides the best harbour of the Caspian, while the Abseron Peninsula gives protection from violent northerly winds. The name Baku is possibly a contraction of the Persian bad kube (blown upon by mountain winds). Baku derives its importance from its oil industry and its administrative functions. The first historical reference to Baku dates from AD 885, although archaeological evidence indicates a settlement there several centuries before Christ. By the 11th century AD, Baku was in the possession of the Shirvan-Shahs, who made it their capital in the 12th century, although for a period in the 13th and 14th centuries it came under the sway of the Mongols. In 1723 Peter I the Great captured Baku, but it was returned to Persia in 1735; Russia captured the town finally in 1806. In 1920 it became capital of the Azerbaijan republic. The core of present-day Baku is the old town, or fortress, of Icheri-Shekher. Most of the walls, strengthened after the Russian conquest in 1806, survive, as does the 90-foot (27-metre) tower of Kyz-Kalasy (Maiden's Tower, 12th century). The old town is highly picturesque, with its maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings. These include the palace of the Shirvan-Shahs, now a museum, the oldest part of which dates from the 11th century. Also of the 11th century is the Synyk-Kala Minaret and Mosque (107879). Other notable historic buildings are the law court (Divan-Khan), the Dzhuma-Mechet Minaret, and the mausoleum of the astronomer Seida Bakuvi. Around the walls of the fortress, the regular streets and imposing buildings of modern Baku rise up the slopes of the amphitheatre of hills surrounding the bay. Along the waterfront an attractive park has been laid out. Most industrial plants are located at the eastern and southwestern ends of the city. Greater Baku, divided into 11 districts, encompasses almost the entire Abseron Peninsula and 48 townships. Among these are townships on islands off the tip of the peninsula and another built on stilts in the Caspian Sea, 60 miles (100 km) from Baku. The basis of Baku's economy is petroleum. The presence of oil has been known since the 8th century, and by the 15th century oil for lamps was obtained from surface wells. Modern commercial exploitation began in 1872, second only to Ploesti in Romania. The Baku oil field at the beginning of the 20th century was the largest in the world, and it remained the largest Soviet field until the 1940s. Today much of the oil has been exhausted, and, although some wells remain in the city itself, drilling has had to extend to 16,700 feet (5,090 m) underground and outward across the Abseron Peninsula and into the sea. Many derricks stand in the gulf facing the city. Most of the subordinate townships are drilling centres, linked by a network of pipelines to the local refineries and processing plants. From Baku oil is piped to Batumi on the Black Sea or sent by tanker across the Caspian and up the Volga River. Besides oil processing, Baku is a large centre for the production of equipment for the oil industry, in which 20 factories are engaged. Other engineering industries are shipbuilding and repair and the manufacture of electrical machinery. Chemicals, cement, textiles, footwear, and foodstuffs are also produced. Baku is also a major cultural and educational centre, with a university and eight other institutions of higher education, including one specializing in the oil and chemical industries. The Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences comprises numerous scientific-research establishments. The city has a number of theatres and museums as well. Azerbaijanis are the largest ethnic group, but there are also large numbers of Russians. Pop. (1995 est.) 1,739,900.