The Heydar Aliev Cultural Center in Baku was one of the last great projects of super-architect Zaha Hadid
An initiative by Leyla Aliyeva, the prime cultural and artistic force in Azerbaijan, on Europe’s easternmost coast with the Caspian Sea, will set the cultural flames alight in the country’s capital
Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea, is a unique cultural hub. Its own culture stretches back for millennia, encompassing the silk routes, fire temples, lyrical poetry in the medieval era, and some powerful contemporary and 20th century artists.
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It is also on a kind of cultural Silk Road, its position on the Caspian, close to Russia, Turkey and Iran on one side and central Asia and China on the other, leading to a constant exchange of artistic concepts.
Baku is a cultural panoply, embracing ancient temples and its old city, Belle Epoque mansions, and contemporary glamour
On the first weekend of November, it all comes together with Fly to Baku: Baku Art Weekend, featuring an astonishing panoply of visual and street arts, culture, dance, performances and exhibitions. The aim, says Aliyeva, is to connect memory with imagination, heritage with innovation, and hearts with hope.
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Guided by the element of water — a symbol of continuity, renewal, and shared memory — the festival unfolds across Baku’s museums, palaces, and public spaces. Over three days, the city becomes the central character of a cultural journey where heritage meets innovation, and where the Caspian horizon reflects both tradition and the future.
Baku Art Weekend takes place at sites across the cosmopolitan Caspian city, from concert halls and theatres to open-air venues
Exhibitions and performances will take place in museums, concert halls, outdoor spaces and the city’s celebrated Boulevard, the crescent-shaped seafront boardwalk that defines its relationship with the sea.
Baku, at the heart of a thriving country that is at once young and ancient, has the cultural soul, the confidence and the sheer creativity to make this the start of something very special – and also the continuation of a centuries-old tradition.
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