- published: 05 Jan 2012
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Baku (Azerbaijani: Bakı, IPA: [bɑˈcɯ]), sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City (21.5 ha). Baku's urban population at the beginning of 2009 was estimated at just over two million people. Officially, about 25 percent of all inhabitants of the country live in the metropolitan city area of Baku.
Baku is divided into eleven administrative districts (raions) and 48 townships. Among these are the townships on islands in the Baku Bay and the town of Oil Rocks built on stilts in the Caspian Sea, 60 km (37 mi) away from Baku. The Inner City of Baku along with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. According to the Lonely Planet's ranking, Baku is also among the world's top ten destinations for urban nightlife.
Palace of the Shirvanshahs (or Shirvanshahs' Palace; Azerbaijani: Şirvanşahlar sarayı) is the biggest monument of the Shirvan-Absheron branch of the Azerbaijan architecture, situated in the Inner City of Baku. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum, a portal in the east - Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of the bath-house.
The palace is depicted on the obverse of the Azerbaijani 10,000 manat banknote of 1994-2006, and of the 10 new manat banknote issued since 2006.
In the 15th century the Shirvanshah dynasty, under Ibrahim I of Shirvan, transferred his country's capital from Shemakha to Baku following a devastating earthquake, and where he committed himself to the construction of the "palace". The building is believed to be a memorial complex built around the sacred place of worship (pir) and a tomb of Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi who was a Helwati Sufi saint. The Shirvanshahs were patrons of the Helwati Sufi order and Shirvanshah Khalilullah I was buried with his family in the grounds of the palace. Other historians argue that the building was used as the ruler's palace, however both theories suffer from the absence of evidence. It is known however, that wells inside the grounds of the "palace" were considered to have healing qualities until recent times, as was the hill where the palace was built.
The Maiden Tower (Azerbaijani: Qız Qalası) or also known locally as Giz Galasi located in the Old City, Baku in Azerbaijan is an ancient tower with cultural affinity corroborating the presence Zoroastrians, Sassanians, Arabs, Persians, Shirvanis, Ottomans, and Russians. Built in the 12th century, as part of the walled city of Baku, the Maiden Tower, with the Shirvanshahs' Palace dated to the 15th century, are an ensemble of historic monuments which have been inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments as cultural property under category iii, in 2001. It is one of the most noted landmarks and Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, and is thus featured on Azeri currency notes and other official letter heads.
The Maiden Tower houses a museum, which presents the story of historic evolution of the Baku city. It also has a gift shop. The view from the roof takes in the alleys and minarets of the Old City, the Baku Boulevard, the De Gaulle house and a wide vista of the Baku Bay. In recent years, the brazier on the top has been lit during the nights of the Novruz festival.
RADIO STATION | GENRE | LOCATION |
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RFE/RL Azeri | News Talk,News | Azerbaijan |
Lider FM | Varied | Azerbaijan |
MediaFM 105.5 | Top 40 | Azerbaijan |
VOA Azerbaijan | News Talk,News | Azerbaijan |
Radio Antenn 101 FM | Varied | Azerbaijan |
Actors: Richard Edson (actor), Walter Fasano (editor), Iris Elezi (writer), Iris Elezi (director), Artur Gorishti (actor), Thomas Logoreci (writer), Andrea Stucovitz (producer), Flonja Kodheli (actress), Sabina Kodra (producer), Elda Sorra (actress), Fioralba Kryemadhi (actress),
Genres: Drama,Actors: Andy Wickens (miscellaneous crew), Dezi Rorich (miscellaneous crew), Frédéric North (miscellaneous crew), Harald Kloser (composer), Brendan Gunn (miscellaneous crew), Roland Emmerich (director), Roland Emmerich (producer), Omar Sharif (actor), Harald Kloser (producer), Cliff Curtis (actor), Harald Kloser (writer), Mark Gordon (producer), Roland Emmerich (writer), Renée April (costume designer), Thomas Tull (producer),
Plot: A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter named D'Leh's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe. When a band of mysterious horse-riding warlords raid the Yaghal camp and kidnaps his heart's desire - the beautiful Evolet along with many others, D'Leh is forced to lead a small group of hunters south to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. Driven by destiny, the unlikely band of warriors must battle saber-toothed cats and terror birds in the Levant.
Keywords: 10,000-b.c., 100th-century-b.c., absent-father, abuse, acronym-in-title, aerial-shot, agriculture, ally, ancient-city, animal-attackActors: Rei Sakuma (actress), Junko Takeuchi (actress), Noboru Maeda (actor),
Genres: Animation,Actors: Rei Sakuma (actress), Azusa Kataoka (actress), Noboru Maeda (actor),
Genres: Animation,Actors: Rei Sakuma (actress), Azusa Kataoka (actress), Noboru Maeda (actor),
Genres: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy,Actors: Lasco Atkins (actor), David McGillivray (actor), Ryan Kruger (actor), Mills Pierre (actor), Nick O'Mahoney (editor), Nick O'Mahoney (actor), P.J. King (actor), Anthony Beselle (actor), Gary Ross (actor), Jeremy Bennett (actor), Aykut Hilmi (actor), Micheal Lehane (actor), Luke Ryder (actor), Roslyn Mickens (producer), Frobisher Lwanga (actor),
Plot: A politically charged full-length action thriller revolving around a gang of four. At a Pan-African meeting it's decided that for there to be a positive change in the social and economic situation of Africans at home and throughout the diaspora, some of the leadership problems will need to be rectified. In the UK they confront the corrupt puppet African leaders and their powerful patrons in the West and face-off against their rivals from the underworld.
Genres: Thriller,Actors: José Luis García Sánchez (writer), Rosa Maria Sardà (actress), Rafael Azcona (writer), Juan Echanove (actor), Tina Sáinz (actress), Neus Asensi (actress), Rafael Azcona (writer), Manuel Alexandre (actor), Francisco Maestre (actor), Luis Marín (actor), Juan Luis Galiardo (actor), Queta Claver (actress), Javier Gurruchaga (actor), José Luis García Sánchez (director), Juan Jesús Valverde (actor),
Genres: Comedy,Actors: Shin'ichi Chiba (actor), Ryoji Hayama (actor), Osamu Tanaka (editor), Masao Yagi (composer), Tôru Yuri (actor), Asao Uchida (actor), Nenji Kobayashi (actor), Ryôhei Uchida (actor), Bin Amatsu (actor), Rin'ichi Yamamoto (actor), Fumio Kônami (writer), Nakajirô Tomita (actor), Kôji Hio (actor), Kôji Sekiyama (actor), Koji Miemachi (actor),
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Keywords: arabian, army, blacksmith, damsel-in-distress, desert, forbidden-love, marriage, oppression, prince, princessActors: Max Neufeld (actor), Jacob Fleck (director), Polly Janisch (actress), Carl Rudolf Friese (director), Carl Ludwig Friese (actor), Herr Normann (actor),
Genres: ,