Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, sticks out like an eagle’s beak into the Caspian Sea. It is the world’s lowest capital city (92 feet or 28 meters below sea level) and is known as the City of Wind. The Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has tight winding streets and is largely pedestrian only. Old and new architecture, the new as a result of much of the country’s oil production, seem to meld together easily creating a dynamic city.

Once a small city on the Silk Road, Baku began to come into its own in the 12th Century after an earthquake that gave Ahistan I the opportunity to make Baku his new capital city. The city grew, and in the 19th century the oil boom began. The Nobel brothers in particular capitalized on the rich oil deposits. The oil money and mix of western Europeans, Russians, and Persians who all came to Baku helped give the city its unique beauty.