A Walk
How to reach Torgovaya and what to see along the way.
How to get there and where to walk
Torgovaya lies in the very centre of Baku, beside the Old City and the seaside boulevard. The easiest way to reach it is by metro: the nearest stations are Sahil to the south and 28 May to the north. From both it is a few minutes' walk to the pedestrian part of the street.
Along the way from the square
It is best to walk Torgovaya unhurriedly: look at the facades of the oil mansions, drop in to Fountains Square, sit in a cafe and reach the Opera theatre. From here it is easy to turn into the Old City or come out to the sea — everything is near, a few minutes' walk away.
The essentials, briefly
It is the popular name of Nizami Street — the main pedestrian shopping street in central Baku, with historic buildings, boutiques and cafes.
The name remains from the 19th century, when shops and offices opened along the street. Officially, since 1962 it bears the name of the poet Nizami Ganjavi.
For its oil-boom architecture: the mansions of the oil barons stand here, the physicist Lev Landau was born on it, and nearby are the Opera theatre and Fountains Square.
The easiest way is by metro: the Sahil (to the south) and 28 May (to the north) stations, a few minutes' walk from both to the pedestrian part of the street.
Boutiques and shops, cafes and restaurants, banks and embassies, and in the centre — Fountains Square with its fountains and sculptures.
The street is fine at any time, but especially in the evening, when the lamps and shop windows light up and the whole city comes out to stroll.
Descend at Sahil, climb up to Torgovaya — and Baku will open to you in all its evening beauty.