Stroll with me through Baku. Experience this ancient city by the Caspian Sea. For a few moments away from COP29 concerns, let’s simply be in Baku.
Orientation
Baku’s 2,500,000 citizens reside on a peninsula jutting eastward into the Caspian Sea. Their home is the capital and commercial hub of Azerbaijan. They are mostly Muslims living within the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, straddling West Asia and Eastern Europe.
The neighboring countries are dynamic. Due north is Russia. Georgia is northwest, while Armenia is directly west. Iran is to the south. And across the Caspian Sea are Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Relations between Azerbaijan and its neighbor Armenia are complex. Victory Park is a 25-acre complex memorializing the most recent war between the nations in 2020. This sculpture is dedicated to those who died in the conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh Territory.
The primary and official language of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani. This is a Turkic language closely related to Modern Turkish. Azerbaijan and Turkey are not contiguous, but Turkey shares borders with three of Azerbaijan’s neighbors – Georgia, Armenia and Iran.
Although the Azerbaijani people have deep ethnic ties with Turkey, the population is diverse. A 2016 public art installation, entitled “Under One Sun,” celebrates this diversity.
The installation consists of dozens of tiles mounted on a serpentine wall. The front of each tile features an image of an individual representing a particular ethnic group. Each tile can be turned to reveal a description of where the individual resides in Azerbaijan.
Baku’s Oil
Many international delegates were concerned about Baku hosting COP29, since Azerbaijan’s current economy appears to be so dependent upon oil revenues. Baku is viewed by many as a petroleum state. But is that how the people of Baku see themselves? Is that how they envision their future?
Oil has been important to Baku for centuries. Historians have cited Marco Polo’s 13th century account as evidence of this:
“Near the Georgian border there is a spring from which gushes a stream of oil in such abundance that a hundred ships may load there at once. This oil is not good to eat; but it is good for burning and as a salve for men and camels affected with itch or scab.”
Oil attracted Russia, which incorporated Baku into the Russian Empire in the early 19th century. The oil extraction began shortly thereafter and continued for more than a century under various Russian regimes. The resulting oil extraction, refining and related manufacturing led to environmental destruction on a massive scale in the southeastern neighborhoods of Baku. By as early as the 1890s, the area’s earth, air and sky were polluted and earned the name “Black City.”
However, since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Baku has embarked on restoration efforts, including the remediation of the “Black City” and transformation of the area into the “White City.” A world-renowned architect, U.K.-based Norman Foster, is leading the new development plans.
The project was featured at COP29. As indicated by the pictures, the exhibits attracted a significant amount of attention. Many of the people seemed to be younger Azerbaijani citizens who were intrigued by the development plans.
Given the prominence of this project at COP29 and the enthusiasm of the younger Azerbaijanis with whom I spoke in English, I wondered. Will the next generation of leaders want their futures intertwined with the petroleum industry? Are they already envisioning a different future for their nation? Might this first generation of adults since independence from the Soviet Union, aspire to a fossil free future?
The buildout of the “White City” has begun along the coast.
The oil extraction does continue, though. Here are examples of Azpetrol filling stations within city limits. They include charging stations for electric cars as well as petrol, diesel and natural gas options. The architecturally interesting stations offer car washing facilities and food markets, too.
But there is evidence that Baku is reaching for alternatives to the internal combustion engine. I saw public transit fueled by compressed natural gas. There was a fleet of electric cars purpose-built by the London Taxi Company for COP29; a dedicated lane for these vehicles afforded swift transport to and from the conference. There were racks of electric bicycles in various locations within Baku as well.
The Weather & The Sea
Baku’s nickname is the “City of Winds.” The cold northern wind, called “khazri,” and the warm southern wind, known as “gilavar,” apparently are present in all seasons. I felt that chill as I walked about three miles each day along the coast to the Climate Action Innovation Zone during the first week of COP29. Although the November temperatures were officially about 50-some degrees Fahrenheit, the actual experience was about 5 to 10 degrees colder during daylight hours.
I could see some of my daily route from the 13th floor of the hotel in City Center. The lower, older structures in the vicinity of the hotel contrasted with the modern buildings along the shore of the Caspian Sea.
This was my view in the opposite direction – the Flame Towers and the Baku TV Tower.
My daily destination during week one of COP29, was the Climate Action Innovation Zone for numerous sessions, such as the panel discussion on biodiversity including Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency,
As I walked to the sessions, I saw sights such as the Crescent Hotel arch, the Soviet era Government Building and the ebbing and flowing of the Caspian Sea.
Cultural Experiences @ COP29
Baku was our host. The city reconfigured their Olympic Stadium for the environmental negotiations and meetings. And also offered interesting cultural experiences within the conference area. I enjoyed cultural opportunities in between the meetings and sessions of week two of COP29.
Media Experiences @ COP29
This year, I was part of the COP29 U.S. Press Delegation as well as an Interfaith Power & Light Delegate and a blogger for California Interfaith Power & Light. I had access to media advisories, some press briefings, and certain media locales. These images share some of those experiences.
AZ TV Interview booth. The Azerbaijani network did interesting interviews.
Bank of interview booths.
Staging for official announcements.
Baku’s Old City
Baku’s Old City is a World Heritage Site, the first location in Azerbaijan to be so classified. Some buildings may date back to the 7th century. Here are images taken within the Old City or adjacent to it.
“The Swans” fountain is adjacent to the Old City. The fountain is inspired by the “Seven Beauties” poem written by Nizami Ganjavi, a 12th century Muslim poet popular in Azerbaijan.
Open air museum of ancient ruins, “Acio Sama Altinda Muzey,” adjacent to the Maiden Tower.
Stone mounds of the 15th century Haji Gayyib bathhouse, adjacent to the Maiden Tower.
And, as we leave the Old City, a view after dark.
The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum
Azerbaijan has produced fabulous carpets for centuries, perhaps for millennia. The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku celebrates this heritage.
The exhibits show how the carpets were created. This includes information about natural dyes, such as onion, saffron and indigo.
On display were national treasures, such as this 17th century carpet, which actually was donated by an American family from Chicago:
Early 20th century packs for camels.
2021 Azerbaijan “Victory” carpet designed by Taryer Bashirov.
One interactive exhibit highlighted the prominence of Azerbaijani carpets in numerous 16th century European paintings. Among these are:
- Portrait of Edward VI – 1547 painting by “Master John” in London’s National Portrait Gallery
- The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele – 1534 to 1536 by Jan van Eyk in Bruges’ Groeningemuseum
- Portrait of the Merchant Georg Giese – 1532 by Hans Holbein the Younger in Berlin’s State Museums
Promenade Near The Carpet Museum.
And The People
From Pakistan
From Azerbaijan
From Peru and the Hopi Nation
From Nigeria
From Yemen
From Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani Artisans
From United Arab Emirates
From Brazil
From Children
Environmental Champions from Pakistan & Ireland
From Azerbaijan
From Guinée and the Ivory Coast
From Mexico
From Turkey
With Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of 73rd U.N. General Assembly, Tarja Halonen, President of Finland 2010-2012 and Jean Baderschneider of Fortescue (another University of Michigan alumna).
From Azerbaijan
The Author @ COP29
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