cultural diversity
In the capital of Azerbaijan – Baku it’s not hard to feel the warmth and humanity of Azerbaijani culture, a mélange of Turkic, Persian and Russian influences forged into a proudly distinct whole. Delve deeper and you’ll find a cultural history tracing back to Paleolithic times with pagan temples, early Medieval Christianity, forward-thinking Islam and Russian traditions. Baku is a city awash with art galleries, theatres and music venues, and the love of literature is reflected in so many streets that are named after local writers. Moreover, the delegates can taste here local wine in a medieval caravanserai, sip fragrant Lankaran tea in a silk-draped cavern teahouse while puffing on an apple-flavored shisha pipe, watch Caucasian dancers wafting arabesques in vibrant chiffon as their men folk high kick pointy-toed in heavy leather boots to the blood stirring wail of the “zurna” flute or get lost in the magic of a Gara Garayev Ballet, also tapping the feet at the Baku Jazz Club or getting mesmerized by national “mugham”.
