Having recently been awarded a project for a new Wellness Hotel about 120 km north of Baku in Azerbaijan last month, I had the pleasure of visiting an intriguing part of the world not often seen by U.S. travelers. On the western shores of the Caspian Sea, and due east of Turkey and Armenia, one feels truly in the "east" here. An oil-rich country that was once part of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has enjoyed a recent petro-dollar boom. Baku, the principal city of 4 million, is one part "old Russia", one part "Soviet" and one part Dubai. It is not uncommon to see a Range Rover or Bentley side-by-side with a vintage LADA.
Old Baku (left), New Baku (right)
View of a 5th century fort
Soviet-era spa building
Celebratory lunch (left), view of the Bosphorus from the plane (right)
Old Baku (left), New Baku (right)View of a 5th century fortSoviet-era spa buildingCelebratory lunch (left), view of the Bosphorus from the plane (right)