World Bakuvians Day Date in the current year: July 1, 2024

Baku is not only the capital and sole metropolis of Azerbaijan, but also the largest city of the Caucasus region, the biggest port on the Caspian Sea, as well as the largest economic, industrial and scientific center of Transcaucasia. The city’s population is over 2.2 million people.

The first recorded mentions of Baku date back to early Arabic times. During the Middle Ages, is was a domain of the Arab Caliphate and later of Shirvan and then the Safavid Empire. Following the demise of Safavid Persia, it became the center of Baku Khanate, an autonomous principality under Iranian suzerainty.

In the early 19th century, Baku Khanate was conquered by the Russian Empire. The khanate was abolished, and Baku became the center of the Baku province. In 1837, the Russians build an oil refinery near Baku; nine years later, the world’s first oil well was drilled in one of the city’s suburbs.

Oil extraction helped the city attract foreign investors, and Baku began to grow and develop rapidly. Soon, it became one of the largest industrial centers in the Caucasus region. The growing city drew immigrants from different corners of the Russian Empire and Persia. It was back then that it became a multinational cosmopolitan city.

From September 1918 to April 1920, Baku was the capital of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. After falling to the Soviet army, it became the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. During World War II, Baku was not occupied by the Germans due to the Soviet victory in the Battle of Caucasus, and so it played an important role in supplying the army with fuel for aircraft and armored vehicles.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it took the city some time to recover from the consequences of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and the economic crisis on the 1990s. Extensive reconstruction of Azerbaijan’s capital began in the early 2000s, and Baku has been growing dynamically and developing ever since.

The most notable sights of Baku and its suburbs include Baku Zoo, the Palace of Happiness (previously known as Mukhtarov Palace), the National Flag Square, the Old City of Baku with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Baku TV Tower, the Baku Ateshgah, the Alley of Martyrs, the Military Trophy Park, Palatial Mosque, Muhammad Mosque, as well as various churches, synagogues, monuments, museums, theaters, parks, etc.

The celebration of World Bakuvians Day was initiated by the Azerbaijani diaspora; the holiday was designed to unite Bakuvians and Azerbaijanis in general living in different countries. Thanks to social media, the holiday has spread across the world and is now celebrated in Azerbaijan as well. Although it is not official in any capacity, many Azerbaijanis consider the observance quite important.