Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Baku, in anticipation of guests of the first European Games, is inaugurating more and more places for tourists and city residents to enjoy during the historic event.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady and Chairperson of the Baku 2015 First European Games Organizing Committee Mehriban Aliyeva and Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva reviewed on June 8 the conditions created in Baku Crystal Hall, which will host competitions in several sports during the Games.

Baku Crystal Hall will host competitions in volleyball, boxing, fencing, taekwondo, and karate during the first European Games. The volleyball venue was created to highest international standards. The state-of-the-art facility has 4,000 seats.

In general, the first European Games will feature teams from Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Croatia, Romania, and the Netherlands.

The conditions created in the boxing venue offer wide opportunities to host competitions at the highest level. A 2,600-seat stand was built here. The facility offers excellent conditions for athletes, coaches and spectators. There will be 10 weight categories for men and five weight categories for women.

There is also a state-of-the art media center. Rooms for commentators used during the Eurovision Song Contest were expanded and made recreation areas for the European Games family.

The venue for fencing, taekwondo and karate events also meets highest standards.

The facility used as the Media Center during the Eurovision contest is now ready for the competitions. The venue will handle up to 1,500 spectators for taekwondo and karate events, and will have a capacity of 1,100 spectators during fencing competition.

The extensive landscaping work was carried around Baku Crystal Hall. The venue features accreditation, logistics, security zones and rooms for employees of Baku 2015 European Games Operations Committee, and other temporary facilities.

The presidential family also reviewed the newly built park located in front of the European Games Park.

The head of state was informed that state-of-the-art irrigation and lighting systems were installed and extensive landscaping work done in the area. There are three cafeterias in the park.

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One hundred and fifty Olympic medal winners, including 59 gold medalists, will compete at the Baku 2015 European Games, confirming the strong appeal of the inaugural event for athletes as they seek to become the first ever European Games champions.

Along Olympic medalists, almost 200 of the 6,000 athletes competing at Baku 2015 – which will run on June 12-28 – are world championship winners, making the quest for gold in Baku highly competitive.

Stone Annals Museum

The Stone Annals Museum was opened in National Flag Square in Baku on June 8.

The president, the first lady and their daughter reviewed the museum.

Built in 1921, the facility served as a power station supplying power to oil fields. Today, it was redeveloped into the museum.

The collection of Stone Annals exhibition covers several types of stone plastic. Works by sculptor Huseyn Hagverdiyev, as well as exhibits taken from Gobustan and Qala preserves are featured in the collection, which highlights the history of stone plastic in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani House

Moreover, Azerbaijani House will open in National Flag Square on June 13.

President Aliyev, his wife Mehriban Aliyeva and daughter Leyla Aliyeva have reviewed the conditions created in the Azerbaijani House.

Every night the results of the competitions, successes of athletes will be discussed in Azerbaijani House during the First European Games, and celebrations in honor of the winners will be arranged. The House will offer entertaining programs to athletes and visitors of the city.

Azerbaijani painting exhibition

The head of state also attended the opening of “Azerbaijani painting in the 20th-21st centuries” exhibition.

The exhibition, another project of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, was opened in National Flag Square.

“Azerbaijani painting in the 20th-21st centuries” exhibition highlights works by first professional artists who founded easel painting, as well as iconic and partly forgotten painters.

The president and his family also reviewed the newly built “Atelye 61” restaurant in National Flag Square.

The head of state was informed that guests will be entertained to Latin American dances in the restaurant, which will offer samples of the Mexican cuisine.

YARAT Contemporary Art Center

The presidential couple also reviewed the first permanent place of YARAT Contemporary Art Center.

The head of state was informed that the new place of YARAT is located in the building, which served as a logistic base for ships in the 1960s.

Redevelopment saw the creation of a two-storey exhibition gallery. Four temporary exhibitions highlighting newly emerging movements by leading international artists will be arranged at the gallery. There will also be a new library.

Bayil Boulevard opened

The head of state with his family attended the opening of Bayil Boulevard.

The construction of Bayil Boulevard began in 2013. The work was carried out at the highest level. The boulevard, which occupies a total area of 24 hectares, is 2.3 kilometers in length. The area of the green zone is 16 hectares.

The modern lighting and irrigation systems were installed in the boulevard.

New link roads

President Aliyev, his wife Mehriban Aliyeva and daughter Leyla Aliyeva attended the opening of link roads on the 4th-6th km of Baku-Alat-Qazakh-Georgia and state border highway and a pedestrian underpass in Bayil Boulevard.

The link roads and the pedestrian underpass were constructed by Azvirt LLC. The total length of the link roads is 6,630 meters.

The technical indicators of the underpass are 226 meters in length, 4 meters in height and 8 meters in width. It has four exits, and eight escalators.

There is also a special installation for the disabled persons.

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

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