Heydar Aliyev Center

The drastic change that has occurred in Azerbaijan in such a short period of time as few decades is truly astounding. Especially the capital of the country, Baku, now seems to be shinning with absolutely different brightness to it. This city seems to explode with contrasts, hidden in every corner one seems to take. The ancient walls of fortress standing next to skyscrapers, that seem to be touching the clouds with their peaks, modern technology going neck to neck with traditions and customs, that has been present for generations before ours. The sights in Baku are also varying a lot, from spots like magnificent Maiden Tower (presumably built in 9th century) to Heydar Aliyev Center, the construction of which was finished just recently, in 2012.

In our opinion, Heydar Aliyev Center is one of the modern era architectural masterpieces. Everything about this place seems to be alluring and unique, the uneven lines of its silhouette, the park around it and the combination of the wide windows with a beautiful white color, in which the building is painted. All of it together creates otherworldly and serene feelings in the person the moment this beautiful construction comes to their view. It is mesmerizing to look at and the history of it is just as much interesting.

The design of Heydar Aliyev Center, which was presented with the noble award «2014 Design of the Year», originally belongs to the one and only Zaha Hadid, a world-wide famous architect, the first ever woman to be awarded the Pritzker Prize. She was called, quite justified as well, the "Queen of the Curve". In some forms, we might say, that she broke the walls of traditional architectural styles, creating something else entirely. Zaha was a true professional and artist, and her works seem to only prove this fact further. The work Hadid has done in Baku is truly one of the most impressive, both culturally and architecturally, spots you can visit in the capital.

The construction of it started back in the September of 2007, when the project got an approval from the government, and wrapped up in around 2012, after the five years long process of hard work and creative thinking. On 10th of May, 2012, on the day that should've been 89th birthday of Heydar Aliyev, it had its grand opening with the members of Aliyev's family, like his son and his son’s wife Ilham and Mehriban Aliyevs, as well as some other relatives.

The interior on the inside is simple and expensive, with plenty of space and natural lights coming from the windows. The building was separated into distinct yet interconnected spaces: the Heydar Aliyev Museum, exhibition halls and the Auditorium. The museum takes 9 floors of the center and displays different exhibits, such as clothing, the small copies of Azerbaijan's architectural sights and so on. There's also a place intended for a cafe and a restaurant on one of those floors.

It unfolds a completely different scenery once the sun sets down and the night takes over the reins. The massive space around the Heydar Aliyev Center illuminates up with gentle lights pouring out from panoramic windows, stretched out all across the magnificent building. It adds up a beautiful glow to the already mesmerizing surroundings, blurring the lines between the center and the park.

It is certainly one of the most valuable spots to visit upon finding yourself in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. Both filled with unimaginable beauty and cultural importance, it gives an impressive insight into the culture of Azerbaijan and the lives of previous generations. If you’re interested in visitng all around Azerbaijan, both the beautiful Baku and the charming villages, mountains and other culturally significant spots, Azerbaijan Travel International happily suggests our help in creating the vacation of your dreams. Tours like Baku Night Tour and Baku City Tour walk you down the alley of memories and places that played a big part in creating Azerbaijan we know and love today.

Tags: Baku , group tour , Azerbaijan , Tour