Baku, Beyoncé, and the Caspian Sea: My Azerbaijani Journey

“Hi Tuba, you had expressed interest in covering this conference. If this is still the case, please draw up a communications plan and share it so we can begin working towards it.” So began an email (or was it a WhatsApp?) from my boss that would lead me to my first European country.

I landed in Azerbaijan in early November 2024 to grey, cloudy weather, which, in hindsight, wasn’t even that cold for the area. But I distinctly remember thinking a few days later, “This is the coldest I’ve ever been in my life!”

Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, is strikingly modern and developed, but as we drove through certain parts, it became clear this was once a Soviet republic. The contrast was jarring.

I’ve realized I am a very touristy kind of tourist. I love visiting monuments, “must-see” attractions, and other iconic landmarks. There's no point pretending to “live like a local” when I’m only here for two weeks. In that spirit, I found the perfect walking tour led by Abdullah, a Syrian doctor living in Azerbaijan with dreams of moving to America. He speaks Arabic, Azerbaijani, English, and French, what a guy!

Abdullah was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Azerbaijan’s history, so the tour required some base-level understanding of historical events (shoutout to my Grade 8 and 9 history teacher, Mr Kalembelembe, for making history enjoyable enough for me to still remember it 19 years later 🤣, I thought to myself once or twice in the tour “mmmnh ni ku skulu naisa??). Bonus: Abdullah was also an AMAZING photographer.

It was in Azerbaijan that I first saw the Caspian Sea (which is actually a lake), and my highlight was taking long walks along the pier. Despite the cold, those walks left me feeling so clearheaded and happy.

One thing I admire about Europe is the walkability of it all. One night, after dinner with colleagues, we spontaneously took a two-hour walk. Since it was after my tour with Abdullah, I knew the area and even got to play tour guide for my colleagues.

The malls in Baku are high-end and fancy, but my favourite was Deniz Mall. Its architecture was stunning (as is the norm in Azerbaijan, at least Baku), and they even had an indoor slide on the second floor. I loved it!

On one of our days, we toured Gobustan, an open-air museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its ancient petroglyphs, mud volcanoes, and archaeological artefacts dating back over 40,000 years. The petroglyphs offer a glimpse into prehistoric life, while the mud volcanoes make the landscape feel almost otherworldly. It was fascinating and surreal!

In Azerbaijan, I used many forms of transportation, including Yango. And I’m learning that Yango drivers are menaces everywhere! These drivers, who knew maybe seven words of English, still managed to say, “Madam, this price is very down,” 🤣 it's basically the universal equivalent of Mwala bikapo shinga!

I also took the Metro (and in true Tuba style, got lost). Still, I quickly found my way, navigating the crowds of people who stopped me to ask for pictures, touch my hair, or have me say happy birthday to their daughter, or even hello to their whole family on a WhatsApp video call. It wasn’t malicious, just pure curiosity, but it got old fast. Eventually, I decided to have fun with it and started telling people my name was Beyoncé whenever they asked 🤣.

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I’m not much of a food traveller, so I mainly ate McDonald’s because I miss it so much 🤣. However, I did try a few Azerbaijani dishes, including a pomegranate stew. Pomegranate is the country’s staple fruit, and it features in nearly every meal.

Forgot the name of this dish, but it is strips of meat swimming in oil with pomegranate seeds. Definitely interesting

I loved Azerbaijan and would absolutely visit again, especially for those breathtaking pier views.