Flame towers in Baku. Towers of fire in Baku Location and structure of the Towers of Flame

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Paris has it's Eiffel Tower. In Moscow, St. Basil's Cathedral draws them in. In Rome, it's the Colosseum. Athens, its Acropolis. And in Baku-the distinguishable architectural landmark is none other than the Maiden Tower. Azerbaijanis are incredibly proud of this monument that is shrouded in mystery and legend even though scholars and historians are unable to speak with absolute authority about its origins.

Unique in world architecture, this ancient, almost windowless, eight-storey fortress was reconstructed in the 12th century but may have started life as a fire beacon and lookout post as long ago as 500 BC.

Measuring nearly 30m tall and around 16m in diameter, Maiden Tower was once the largest and most impressive building in Azerbaijan. Its century of construction is the subject of much debate, though its present form is the 12th century. The Azeri name, Qyz Qalasy, is usually rendered ‘maiden’s tower’ in English, leading to plenty of patently fictitious fairy-tales. A better translation of Qyz Qalasy would be ‘virgin tower’, alluding to military impenetrability rather than any association with tragic females.

Why is it called Maiden Tower?

The question everyone asks is, "why is it called Maiden Tower?" Well, many legends surround the name. Most of them center around the word-"Maiden." According to one of the most popular legends, a wealthy ruler falling in love with his own daughter and wanted to marry her. Revolted by the thought of incest but unable to disobey her father she stalls, commanding that he build her a tower high enough to survey the full extent of his domain before she decides.

When he completed it, he had still not changed his mind. So she climbed to the top and that "s when she leaped into the sea. As the level of the Caspian Sea has experienced cycles of fluctuation-rising and falling-over the centuries, there is a strong possibility that at one time, the waves did lap at the Tower although today the sea is about a block away (observations show it is getting closer and closer again).

Another story goes the a King used to lock up his virgins in the tower, and would request their "services" when he would visit his Hammam at the base of the tower. Yet another story goes that Baku has never actually been taken in a war, thus it"s a "virgin" tower. There are countless other tales and legends, which is part of the allure. Whatever the reason for the name, it"s still one of the better things to see while visiting Baku. And at only 2 Manat, it's an absolute bargain when compared to other things in the city.

An alternative version accuses Khunsar, the legendary founder of Baku, of locking his guiltless sister in the tower. She threw herself to her death and as retribution God drowned Khunsar's great pastures and created the Caspian Sea.

In fact the term Qiz Qalasi has nothing whatever to do with young, abused female relations. It is a name quite commonly applied to fortress towers - virginity coming from the fact that it was never penetrated by the various attackers who besieged it throughout history. True or not, the name gave defenders of such towers a certain feeling of invincibility.

Maiden Tower's architectural plan, seemingly so simple, consists of walls which at the base are extraordinarily thick, beginning at five meters in depth and gradually narrowing to four meters at the top. Today, dwarfed by the emergence of skyscrappers, it still manages to retain it "s status of Azerbaijan"s unofficial symbol. It is on the national currency, gracing the back of the 10 Manat bill and the 5 Qapik coin. Not to mention countless seals and coat of arms. It lies at the heart of Baku "s Old city and is listed on UNESCO"s (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/958) world heritage list

Historians agree that it has been served as a defensive tower; beyond that some claim it was also a lookout post, a fire beacon, a Zoroastrian tower of silence or even an astronomical observatory. It was certainly an incredibly massive structure for
its era, with walls 5m thick at the base and an unusual projecting buttress. Openings on the south side permit light to enter. The eight floors are linked by steps within the walls, except for the ground floor, where a retractable ladder has now been replaced by a modern iron staircase. A deep well descends from a recess in the 2nd-floor chamber. A mysterious doorway on the 3rd floor opens into thin air; its original function (possibly astronomical) remains unknown.

Today, the interior contains an interesting display of old photographs and a souvenir shop, but the highlight is the superb rooftop viewpoint surveying Baku Bay and the Old City. The views from the top are worth the climb, with a sweeping panorama of the Old City, the new skyscrappers on the hills and the Caspian Sea.

If you"re planning a trip to Baku you may need: 1) A wide selection of accommodation options in Baku (basic hostels, budget hotels for unpretencious travelers, small size family run hotels, international business hotel chains). 2) Practical information for tourists (visa regime, prices, best time to visit and etc). Please do not hesitate to contact us for consultation

Azerbaijan, planned to be built by 2019. It will be the tallest building in the world. Its height will be 1050 m, and this is already higher than today's leader, 828 m high. Yes, and higher than the projected skyscraper in Saudi Arabia- , 1001 m high.

Baku, like Dubai, is rapidly developing due to money from oil and gas fields. Almost every day a new construction site starts in Baku. The city strives to become the business center of its region, attracting more and more investments. But architects from all over the world dream of being invited to the construction of such grandiose and magnificent buildings.

Copying the construction structure of an Arab country in Baku, it is planned to build an artificial archipelago Khazar Islands, the center of which will be skyscraper Azerbaijan Tower. Construction artificial islands in the Caspian Sea will be carried out in stages. The total number of people who will live and work here is 1 million people. Accordingly, both residential and public and office buildings will be built. The construction of 150 schools, 50 hospitals, a large number of shopping and cultural centers, parks and even a Formula 1 race track is envisaged.

Source: DiaryInternetlife

Flame Towers, Baku, Azerbaijan.

Incredible construction boom in Baku during recent years– new hotels, office buildings, skyscrapers, modern art museums… all this is amazing! This report is about how contemporary art and architecture can be organically integrated into the centuries-old layer of the richest history. Flame Towers is a new symbol of the capital. As well as a story about the world's most famous woman architect Zaha Hadid and her ambitious project in Baku.


Korean architects from Heerim Architects , decided to bring a little variety to the landscape of Baku. Their project of two hotels in the capital of Azerbaijan will bring a new stream to the architectural ensemble of the city. It is likely that the customers of the project are haunted by the laurels of another oil power shocking the public with extraordinary projects, one of the hotels resembles the project of an exhibition center in Arab Emirates Rem Koolhaas.

Moving around Baku, you see cranes and scaffolding all the time. In the city, I noted three areas of construction: firstly, it is the repair and beautification of the old rear and facades of buildings of the Soviet era. Everything looks in the same style in one eye-pleasing color. All facades of the building along the central highways are ideal, very beautifully illuminated at night. This will be a separate report. Secondly - I saw a great example of what Old city need to be protected, not built up, as in my city. In Kyiv, in fact, in the city center over the past 20 years, an incredible number of absolutely tasteless buildings have been built that have erased the authenticity of the old city. In Baku, the old city was preserved and put in order, entry into it was limited, buildings were repaired, even a little overzealous with repairs, this will also be a separate article. They try to stylize modern buildings in the center, keeping the general concept of the street or quarter.

Thirdly, it is modern construction. The scale is amazing! Probably in the post-Soviet space only Moscow can be compared in terms of the ratio of the number of facilities under construction, but these are absolutely incommensurable cities in terms of scale!

The victory in the Eurovision Song Contest has become a significant catalyst for construction in Baku, almost all new facilities should be put into operation by the spring of 2012. locals they say that the city is changing literally before our eyes, for a month the same building can not be recognized. A modern shopping center in the city center and the Hilton hotel. IN mall- side elements - even towers in London, in my opinion they look very good, especially at night ">

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The new building of the Carpet Museum, reminiscent of an unfolding carpet. And here is an interesting detail - in the middle ground there is a small tower that shows the time "15:10", this is a Soviet-era construction, previously used as a parachute attraction. Now they decided to keep it as one of the favorite symbols of the old city, even the old electronic scoreboard was left the same! Although near the modern embankment.

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Pay attention to this shot - the building on the left is designed in the old style, although it is a modern building. In general, there are very few buildings that, with their novelty, would not fit into the look of the city.

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It was very nice to see that absolutely everything, even very small parks and squares in the city, look perfect. Well-groomed lawns, benches, fountains, lighting... Everything is very nice and pretty. Everywhere is perfectly clean!

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The night illumination of the buildings in the center looks very beautiful, but the “night Baku” report will definitely be in the near future:

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Flame Towers have definitely become a symbol of the new Baku. Flame is a flame, and one of the slogans of Azerbaijan is the phrase “Land of Fire” (“Land of Fire”). 3 flames have been part of the coat of arms of Baku since 1883!

The towers are already fascinating, it remains only to imagine how it will look after the opening. The construction budget is 350 million dollars. These are three towers, 34, 37 and 39 floors, respectively, which will house a hotel, offices, and residential premises. Total area - 350.000 sq.m. The opening is scheduled for early 2012. The buildings are located on a hill and are visible from almost anywhere in the city and from the sea. The project takes into account the fact that Baku is located in a zone of constant winds and increased seismic activity. The towers fit perfectly into the urban landscape, are visible from anywhere in the city.
How it looks now:

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31.”Heydar Aliyev Center”

But the most incredible project, the implementation of which is already close to completion, is the "Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center". total area park, conference hall 22m high, museum, library and sculpture park. The Cultural Center will house a conference hall, 3 classrooms, a library and a museum. This ambitious project will play an important role in the intellectual life of the city. The architectural concept is a synthesis of waves-fluid-folds of skin, each element is unique in its own way and can be used for various purposes. Zaha Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad. From 1972 to 1977 she studied at the Architectural Association in London. Zaha Hadid founded his own architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects in 1980. She proposes options for building a habitable bridge over the Thames (1966), an inverted skyscraper for English city Leicester (1994) and the Mountaintop Club in Hong Kong (1983). Designs the buildings of the opera in Cardiff (1994), the Centers for Contemporary Arts in Ohio (1988) and Rome (1999) ... These and other projects bring her victory in prestigious architectural competitions (the first was won in 1983 in Hong Kong), interest, and then popularity among professionals, but remain on paper. In many ways - because of the unwillingness of customers to accept its non-standard and original design. Gradually, recognition comes to Zaha Hadid. One of the first implemented developments is the fire station of the Vitra furniture company, reminiscent of the Stealth bomber (1993).

32. According to Hadid herself, a surge of interest in her work began after the building of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was built in 1997, designed by Frank Gehry. The museum in Bilbao has defiantly bold forms and it is from it that the success of such buildings begins. Here are some of her projects: Pavilion Bridge in Zaragoza, Spain:

33. Springboard in the ski capital of Austria - Innsbruck:

34. Left - art center in Abu Dhabi (under construction), top right - Glasgow Transport Museum, bottom right - station cable car in Innsbruck:

35. She is not only an architect, but also a designer of many other things, for example, here is a lamp of her design:

36. The objects she designs are automatically included in the booklets of the main attractions of cities!
But its most ambitious project is currently being built in Baku - the “Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center”:

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42. In September 2011, the frames of the buildings are almost completed, the opening of the complex is planned in the spring of 2012.

45. The story about this project was released on the Discovery channel in the program Extreme Engineering (Season 9, Episode 3) - “Azerbaijan’s Amazing Transformation”. More information about the project here: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/heydar-aliyev-cultural-centre/ . And a little postscript... This is a nice sign that indicates renovation work on one of the central squares I really liked this figurine.

46. ​​But not everyone understands this, kids play with a toy builder ">

47. I always have an involuntary comparison of Baku with Dubai, where an ultra-megapolis is built in the desert. With one very significant "but": in Dubai - everything is artificial, bright, but not alive. Everything in Baku is built on a powerful historical layer, where there is culture and history, where the old and the new live very organically with each other. Here, even modern forms already have their own soul. It may be hard to put into words, but you can feel it.

Address: Mehdi Huseynzade street, 1A. How to get there: by metro or other public transport to the stop "Icheri Sheher".

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is changing more and more every year. now this modern city developing very fast. One of the symbols of the metropolis - Flame Towers- designed to visually show tourists these changes. Majesty, original architectural solutions, echoing national traditions - all this is a new, hospitable Azerbaijan! In words it is impossible to convey all the splendor of the buildings, so come and see for yourself!

Location and structure of the Flame Towers

For many years the most tall building a TV tower remained in Baku. But now it has been supplanted by an ultra-modern building that has settled in the neighborhood. Flame Towers or Flame Towers - tallest skyscrapers not only in the capital, but throughout the Republic. The complex is located on a hill high point city, and is perfectly visible from any area. All this points to its special significance. Three buildings of an unusual curved shape look like giant fiery tongues soaring up to the sky.
According to the author of the project from HOK International, he was inspired by the history of the city. Azerbaijan has always been closely connected with oil and its production. In ancient times, people admired and were horrified to see how fiery torches of accidentally ignited gas burst out of the ground. These places were the center of Zoroastrianism and fire worship. Even on the coat of arms of Baku, three flames are depicted. All this is reflected in the architecture of buildings.
The total area of ​​the architectural complex is 234.5 square meters. m. The towers seem to be absolutely identical, but they are not. Each of them is higher than the previous one and has its own number of storeys. Thus, the southern one has 39 floors with a height of 182 m, the northern one - 37 floors and 162 m, and the western tower, whose height is 150 m, consists of 28 floors. They are located in them hotel, residential apartments and a business center.
In 2013, the Flame Towers were named one of the top 10 skyscrapers in the world by the Emporis Skyscraper Award. According to the decision of the expert commission, they took the well-deserved 6th place. The image of the attraction is already emblazoned on Azerbaijani postage stamps and numerous tourist souvenirs.

Building Flame Towers

The implementation of the ambitious project began in the autumn of 2007. It was carried out by the joint Turkish-Azerbaijani company DIA Holding. Due to the scale of the architectural project and adverse weather conditions, the towers were built two years longer than planned - as much as five years. In 2012, finally, the grand opening of the complex took place.
The construction of high-rise buildings of such a complex shape required non-standard engineering solutions. The first floors are made of concrete, and for the upper part it took a frame of steel sections 30 m high. The latest unique equipment was also used.
Thanks to the impressive scale of construction and the innovations introduced, the process was covered even on Western television. A series of popular documentaries on the Science Channel and Discovery channels came out about this. It's about Extreme Engineering with Danny Foster talking about interesting futuristic buildings.

tower illumination

During the day, the waves of the Caspian Sea are reflected on the glass surface of the walls like in a mirror. At night, the towers magically transform. The Flame Trio features unique lighting designed by American artist Francis Krae in collaboration with engineers from the international company Orsam.
More than 10 thousand of the most powerful LED lamps turn facades into huge screens. The light moves and shimmers on them, making the structure look like a real fire. Illumination colors them with fantastic patterns or paints them in the colors of the Azerbaijani national flag. The spectacle is impressive and amazing. According to a survey by the serious urban forum skyscrapercity, the lighting of the Flame Towers in Baku was recognized as the best in the world!

Interior spaces

Flame Towers offer their visitors class A offices, luxury apartments and comfortable hotel rooms. The complex also provides entertainment for guests. Here you can relax by visiting the SPA-salon with a Turkish bath or watch the latest film distribution in the IMAX cinema with 400 seats - the largest in the country. There are also several smaller cinema halls on the territory, with a more cozy chamber atmosphere.
At the top of one of the towers, made of a steel frame covered with glass panels, there is a unique restaurant with an incredible view of the city from a height of more than 200 m. The tallest tower houses the luxurious five-star Fairmont Baku Hotel with 318 rooms. Its windows overlook the Caspian Sea, the historical center of the capital or the modern part of the city. The hotel has its own gym, indoor pools and everything you need for entertainment and recreation.

Neighborhood Flame Towers

History and modernity are wonderfully intertwined in Baku. Among the ancient narrow streets, as if descended from the pages oriental tales, towering high-tech buildings. The complex is one of the most ambitious projects in the world. But at the same time, it looks quite organic against the backdrop of the city, where the ancient fortress walls are still preserved.
At the foot of the Flame Towers is Observation deck. You can get to it by funicular or on foot along a beautiful marble staircase. Upstairs you can visit the restaurant and enjoy a breathtaking view of the sea, State Flag Square, Primorsky Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue. At night, the view becomes even more impressive: thousands of lights are lit, including the illumination of the famous Baku Crystal Hall. All this splendor is reflected in the waters of the Caspian Sea!
If you climb higher, you can see the Upland Park, the Eternal Flame and a small Sunni mosque, which looks very unusual against the backdrop of huge skyscrapers. The towers changed the landscape of the city forever. But at the same time, they emphasized his individuality and deep connection with historical roots.

Baku is a city that tourists undeservedly ignore, preferring more traditional, standard travel routes. But it is definitely worth a visit to plunge into the unique, enchanting atmosphere of oriental exoticism, to see with your own eyes the interweaving of modern hectic life with ancient history, as well as visit sights, among which stand apart Towers of Flame.