Sumgayit (Azerbaijan): the sights of the city, the tragedy in which the collapse of the USSR began

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The young city of Sumgayit (Azerbaijan), located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, is able to surprise travel lovers with its beauty, comfort, and unusually picturesque beaches. It is located only forty kilometers from Baku. The architecture of the city, its sights and features are full of contrasts. There is little oriental exoticism in it, but walking along the streets and squares, you can plunge headlong into the Soviet past and at the same time get acquainted with the modern history of Azerbaijan.

Tragic past

The settlement began to be built immediately in the post-war years of the last century. It was planned that it would become a large industrial center, so young construction specialists poured into the construction site of the emerging giant. The city of metallurgists and oil workers in Soviet times was international. The idea of friendship between peoples was in the USSRthe main line of the party and government.

At the end of the eighties, when the union of republics cracked, the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations became more complicated. The actions of people interested in inciting ethnic hatred of neighboring peoples led to tragic events, the epicenter of which was Sumgayit. Azerbaijan has been rocked by ethnic riots for several years. However, today this conflict is already in the past, and the seaside town, spread out on the Absheron Peninsula, lives its own life.

Ancient neighborhoods

In the city itself, there are no attractions with a rich history, as it is too young for this. But in the nearby coastal village of Jorat, ancient baths and a temple of the 17th century, which is a monument of Muslim culture, have been preserved. A trip to the village of Salari will give you an acquaintance with another ancient mosque of Absheron.

Sumgayit (Azerbaijan): vacation by the sea

The uniqueness of urban and suburban beaches lies in the fact that they are evenly covered with many shells of different shapes and colors. Twenty-four beaches have varying degrees of comfort and are very different underwater topography. Diving and swimming enthusiasts, parents with young children, lovers of relaxation and solitude, builders of golden sand castles, shell collectors - everyone will find a place to their liking. The coastal strip stretches for 34 kilometers along the warm and gentle Caspian Sea, so the beaches are the main attraction owned by Sumgayit (Azerbaijan). Photos of shell shoresand the bright blue sea are as impressive as pictures of exotic resorts.

The holiday season in the city opens in May, and August is considered the best time for a beach holiday and swimming. On summer evenings, the beach is always crowded. Tourists, romantics, lovers, families with children and just vacationers are waiting for the daily, but not losing its grandeur and magical beauty of the action - sunset. Such a spectacle can only be seen on the coast of the southern sea: the horizon line is gradually erased and the deep sea absorbs the huge red-gold disk of the sun.

Symbol of the city in stone

The monument called "Dove of Peace" was created in 1978 by local artist V. Nazirov. Today it is the hallmark of such a city as Sumgayit (Azerbaijan). Newlyweds often visit the monument on their wedding day, so the white dove of peace has also become a symbol of family happiness for the townspeople.

Park of Culture and Leisure. Nasimi

Built in 1967, the park is a favorite place for tourists and residents to walk. At the entrance to it, a monument to the famous Azerbaijani poet Imadeddin Nasimi was erected. Numerous benches where you can relax in the shade are surrounded by trees and flower beds with a wide variety of flowers. The park is of national importance, so it is worth visiting when visiting Sumgayit (Azerbaijan). Sights of the park: memorial to the victims of the Khojaly genocide, "Green Theater" anda ten-meter monument dedicated to the victims of the tragedy on January 20.

The stadium is an unofficial landmark

The central city stadium named after Mehdi Huseynzade is named after the hero of the Great Patriotic War. The arena can accommodate 16,000 spectators. It often hosts important matches and also trains the Azerbaijani football team.

Sumgayit (Azerbaijan) today boasts a tennis arena and several sports complexes. The cultural level of the city is helped to maintain the Drama Theater named after Huseyn Arablinsky, many modern cinemas, cozy squares and parks.