At the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, the city, which has a population of roughly 2.3 million and is the biggest in the Caucasian region, started reinventing itself as a hot spot for international show and sporting events - and for ambitious architecture that breaks the mold. In 2012, Baku hosted the European Song Contest (ESC), followed in 2015 by the European Games, the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017 and, most recently, in May, the Europa League soccer final. Formula One races have been held in Baku since 2016; this coming June, three group matches and the quarterfinal of the European Soccer Championship will be played in the national stadium, built in 2015. A large proportion of Azerbaijan's vast oil and gas revenue is used to fund jaw-dropping building projects, designed by the world's best architects, commissioned to give the city a new and radiant face.
Picture editor: Zita Rothmund-Zinn
Writer: Andrzej Rybak