On Saturday, Baku will host the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Azerbaijan secured hosting rights when their entrant Ell & Nikki won last year’s competition with the song “Running Sacred”. The 57th edition of the camp extravaganza will take place in the recently completed, purpose-built Baku Crystal Hall.
Eurovision, famous for its political harmonies as much as its musical ones, kicked off with semi-finals on 22 May and there’s another round tonight (24 May). Ten countries from each semi will join Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK in the 26 May final, where they’ll perform their songs live in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 and a television audience of millions.
Azerbaijan’s capital hits the right note with scores of attractions. Together, in concert you might say, they make Baku a soulful, swinging and rock “n” rolling destination. In showcasing Baku, Eurovision could be instrumental in putting this still relatively undiscovered city on the map. Outside of the Crystal Hall, here are the city’s highlights:
Maiden’s Tower This imposing eight-storey fortress is Baku’s most famous landmark.
Shirvanshah’s Palace A stunning example of medieval Islamic architecture is the Old City’s greatest cultural draw.
Bibi Heybat Mosque Stunning for its design and size, this post-Soviet era rebuilt place of worship is best viewed at night, when it is uplit beautifully.
Filarmonia For those who are fans of Mozart more than Madonna, this impressive hall plays host to an ear-pleasing array of classical concerts.
International Mugham Centre An architectural masterpiece that celebrates Azerbaijan’s traditional style of narrative folk music – Azeri Mugham.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to …
(Images: teuchterlad; indigoprime; indigoprime; en.wikipedia.org; en.baku-art.com; en.wikipedia.org)
