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Baku - interesting city for Europeans: Polish expert

4 May 2015 09:22 (UTC+04:00)
Baku - interesting city for Europeans: Polish expert

By Nigar Orujova

Baku is a modern city with a rich history, Bartosz Mendyk, a Polish who decided to study Azerbaijan, told AzerNews.

Azerbaijan, a young South Caucasus country, attracts today more foreigners with its steady development, captivating history, and wonderful nature.

“It may sound trite, but Baku is a very modern city; its streets are very wide with modern cars traveling its roads. All these skyscrapers, the Flame Towers and others have helped create an impressive skyline.

Everyone is talking about the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait when it comes to skyscrapers but Baku can easily rival with them and that something to be proud of,” he believes.

Mendyk has been in Baku for a week now and he shares his first notes on the Land of Fire.

“I have read a lot about Azerbaijan being in Poland and I became a bit of a distance Azerbaijanist,” he said.

The expert was attracted by Azerbaijan’s ancient history, namely, fire worshiping - Zoroastrianism. Then, as he went deep into Azerbaijan’s traditions, he found more interesting aspects. “I like very much to ride horses, and it is well known that almost every Caucasian is born in the saddle - that they ride very well. All these attracted my attention and I want to see this beauty.”

The inaugural European Games can also help a lot, he said. “People will see. I think that Europeans will watch the opening of the Games. It can attract tourists and people will want to come to see how it actually looks.”

“I walked through the Old City, and realized that many of the architecture is from the early 20th century. Many people know that some of them were built by Polish architects, but it is not a very well-known fact in Poland.

These narrow medieval streets indicate that Baku is such a diverse city, very modern and at the same time marked by history. The Flame Towers are a beautiful symbol, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I can hardly imagine the city without them; they are so large-scaled and beautiful. And there are also a lot of historic buildings,” he noted.

Therefore, for European tourists Baku can be even more interesting than Kuwait and the UAE where everything is artificial. Here, on the contrary, things are genuine, there is a real history.

At first glance Baku is a modern, vibrant city and then looking deeper you can see its memory, its long tradition - it's all in the architecture, he stressed.

He advised tourists to be ready to bargain away and visit not only the popular attractions, but also other interesting places. “Read more about Azerbaijan unique attractions.”

Baku 2015 European Games will be a good way to advertise the country, he believes, it can attract more tourists.

Poland's team is expecting the Games with much anticipation, he said, as it is a perfect chance to prepare for the Olympic Games in Brazil. “Some Polish athletes need a minimum to participate in the Olympics, and they want to get it in Baku. Others want to come and see their competitors. All are training hard, to reach a good result in Baku.”

Speaking about the peculiarities of Azerbaijan and its people, Mendyk said, he was surprised by several culture differences. “People signal a lot here, at any occasion,” he smiled.

Azerbaijanis are very hospitable and optimistic people, he said, and they are very proud of their country.

“A lot of Azerbaijanis are engaged in physical exercise - running, open air fitness on the Boulevard. Young men and women, as well as old people enjoy these activities, and I think physical education is important here,” he added.

Speaking about the delicious Azerbaijani cuisine, Mendyk said, that in Azerbaijan, he was delighted by the local dishes.

“I think it is healthy as on the one hand there is a lot of meat, energy, and on the other hand plenty of vegetables. This cuisine is not only filling the stomach, it is also good for your health. I also liked the tea cups [armud glass] in which you can feel the aroma and taste of the tea.”

Last, but not least, Mendyk noted that he feels himself completely safe in Baku.

“I know the press often talk about events in the Nagorno-Karabakh [Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia], but here in Baku I feel perfectly safe. I and my friend from Moscow once walked through the Old City at 11 p.m. and we both admitted that we would never dare do the same thing back in Warsaw or Moscow. In Baku, on the contrary, I can go on walks normally, feeling myself safe,” he stressed.

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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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