One of my favourite buildings in Baku is the Opera and Ballet Theatre. One of the reasons I love this building is that, until four years ago, you could still feel the passage of time in its walls — a sense of age and history. Unfortunately, when we look at many of the city's historic monuments, we…
What Is an Ovdan, and Why Did the Soviets Fill Them with Earth? An ovdan is a traditional underground structure designed to collect and store water. Unlike an ordinary well, it features a covered structure built over the water source. Ovdans are considered a distinctive element of the traditional…
Before the development of modern technology, obtaining ice was quite difficult for people living in hot and dry climates. In ancient Iran, an interesting architectural structure called the Yakhchal was used to produce and preserve ice for several months. In Persian, the word “Yakhchal” literally…
Not every architect is fortunate enough to have a statue erected in front of a building they designed. But what kind of life stood behind this fame and creative legacy? When we look at the life of Ziver bey Ahmadbeyov, the first architect from Azerbaijan to receive a formal architectural degree, we…
As we study the history of architecture, it is possible to see how thoughtful the solutions created by previous generations were, taking into account the characteristics of the climate and the land. However, we limit ourselves to considering this experience as successful examples of the past and do…
I am one of the last representatives of the 20th century. I did not live through the Soviet era, but the years that followed remain quite clear in my childhood memories. After our country emerged from the grip of the USSR, everything was turned upside down. As in every other sphere, the book…
I am a representative of the last generation that witnessed a time when people would visit each other’s homes without notice. Homes were kept tidy as if someone could arrive at any moment, and sweets were always ready to be served. Because back then, a sudden knock on the door was nothing unusual…
When I think about my university years, the first things that come to my mind are not projects, grades, or exams. It is people. Among those people, the ones who have left the deepest impression on my memory are my teachers. I have had many teachers. There were those who reduced my enthusiasm for…
Genetic Memory What is a native place? Is it the connection of one’s ancestral roots to a particular land, or the invisible attraction of genetic memory that draws us toward that place? Perhaps the feeling of “belonging” that we call a “sense of familiarity” is a manifestation of a “spatial code”…
Among all the regions of Azerbaijan, Sheki is my favorite, and whenever I get the chance, I try to visit it. When I think of Sheki, one of the first things that comes to mind is the old man playing the flute in front of the Palace of the Sheki Khans. To be honest, I don’t particularly like the…
