CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 02/2018

LE MONDE AZERBAIJAN
A stunning view of
Nakhchivan and the
Alindja Fortress
(11 th -13 th century)
near Djulfa city.
Early morning in Baku.
The International Mugham Center of Azerbaijan.
FACTS &
FIGURES
The ”Heydar Aliyev Centre“ in
Baku, built between 2007 and 2012
according to the construction plan
by architect Zaha Hadid.
PHOTOS: NAZIM GURBANOV, SERGEI KIVRIN, LYOKIN, İRS ZEITSCHRIFT
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, some hundred
years ago: Large-scale oil exploration had turned
the historical city on the shores of the
Caspian Sea into an industrial Eldorado which attracted
investors like the Nobel brothers or parts of
the Rothschild family who made fortunes dwelling
the industrial oil belt, known as the Black City, established
around Baku.
To get an imagination of the outstanding international
role Baku has played at the time, just take a
look into the contemporary report ”From Constantinople
to the Home of Omar Khayyam“ by A.V. Williams
Jackson of Columbia University: ”Baku is a city
founded upon oil, for to its inexhaustible founts of
naphtha it owes its very existence, its maintenance,
its prosperity...“ At present, Baku produces one fifth
of the oil that is used in the world, and the immense
output in crude petroleum from this single city, far
surpasses that in any other district where oil is found.
Verily, the words of the scriptures find illustration
here: 'The rock poured me out rivers of oil“, the work
reads. And goes on: ”Oil is in the air one breathes, in
one's nostrils, in one's eyes, in the water of the morning
bath (though not in the drinking water, for that
is brought in bottles from distant mineral springs),
in one's starched linen – everywhere. This is the impression
one carries away from Baku, and it is certainly
true in the environs.“
One century ago, the Azerbaijanis finally took
control not only over their natural resources, but
over their national fate at all. On May 28th, 1918, the
independence of the ”Azerbaijan Democratic Republic“
(ADR) was declared – a new nation which actually
was the first modern parliamentary republic in
the Muslim world.
Among the important accomplishments of the
Parliament was the extension of suffrage to women,
making Azerbaijan the first Muslim nation to grant
women equal political rights with men. Another important
accomplishment of ADR was the establishment
of Baku State University, which was the first
modern-type university founded in the Muslim East.
”The establishment of the first Azerbaijan Democratic
Republic 100 years ago, has laid a solid basis
for a free society and an independent country where
people independent of their religion, ethnicity, sex or
any political affiliation can live and prosper“, says
Galib Israfilov, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to
Austria about this only 23 months lasting first republic
(see also interview starting at page 38). ”We are
happy that we are among the first who granted the
right to vote to women during this first republic,
even ahead of many European countries. This short
period – only 23 months – has made a significant
contribution in the perception of national identity of
Azerbaijanis. It has established the vision for a future
of the Azerbaijan nation which is closely related to
values of humanity such as peace, dignity, freedom
and independence. And for a Muslim society in the
beginning of the 20th century, to cherish these noble
ideas of humanity and to promote them, was very
brave.“
Baku today: the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan,
as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea
and of the Caucasus region, with a population of nearly
2.4 million people, is still (and again) the scientific,
cultural and industrial center of Azerbaijan –
after 71 years as a Soviet Socialist Republic and a
newly declared independence from Soviet Union on
October 18th, 1991.
The Baku International Sea Trade Port is capable
of handling two million tons of general and dry bulk
cargoes per year. Also, the inner city of Baku, along
with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower,
were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2000. And according to the Lonely Planet's ranking,
Baku is also among the world's top ten destinations
for urban nightlife.
Plus, in recent years, Baku has become an important
venue for international events. It hosted the 57th
Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, the 2015 European
Games, the 2016 European Grand Prix, the 4th Islamic
Solidarity Games and Azerbaijan Grand Prix in
2017, and will host UEFA Euro 2020. The city is bidding
for Expo 2025 against Yekaterinburg, Russia
and Osaka, Japan.
So, as Azerbaijan is celebrating its 100 years of independence
as of May 28th, 2018, in the coming
months, its population is extremely proud that that
third republic is indeed built on many of the achievements
of the first. Subsequently, the constitution of
Azerbaijan does not declare an official religion and
all major political forces in the country are secularist.
However, the majority of the population are of Muslim
background. Most Azerbaijanis, however, do not
actively practice any religion, with 53 percent stating
religion has little to no importance in their lives, according
to Pew Research Center and Gallup polls.
Azerbaijan has a high level of human develop-
g
AZERBAIJAN
Official Name:
Republic of Azerbaijan
Capital: Baku
Official language:
Azerbaijani
Government: Unitary
presidential republic
- President: Ilham Aliyev
- Prime Minister: Novruz
Mammadov
Area: 86,600 km2
Population: 9,898,1 mln.
(2017)
Ethnic groups:
91.60% Azerbaijani,
2 % Lezgian,
1.3% Armenian,
1.34% Russian,
1.26% Talysh,
2.5% others
Religion: 96% Islam
4 % Christian, Jewish, Bahai,
Krishna
Currency: Manat (AZN)
GDP: 40.750 billion $
GDP per capita: 4186 $
Formation:
28 May 1918: Democratic
Republic
28 April 1920: Soviet
Socialist Republic
18 October 1991 Azerbaijan
Republic
Data is taken from the State
Statistical Committee of the
Republic of Azerbaijan,
based on 2017
A skyline view of Baku, the
capital of Azerbaijan by the
Caspian Sea.
Baku is located on the Caspian Sea, where
sailing boats are cruising.
The Mausoleum of Momine Khatun was
built in the 12th century, Nakhchivan
city, Azerbaijan.
Shaki is in northern Azerbaijan on the
southern part of the Greater Caucasus
mountain range.
Left:
The ”Grandmothers“, a folklore
group in the Lenkoran district.
Right:
Beautiful landscape at
Shuvelan.
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Cercle Diplomatique 2/2018
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