Baku sits about 28 meters below sea level. What record does that give it?

The world's lowest-lying national capital

The world's highest mountain capital

The world's driest capital on the coast

What was the Ateshgah of Surakhani, near Baku?

A fire temple built around burning gas vents

A royal hunting lodge for the Shirvan shahs

A Soviet oil refinery and storage depot

What world first took place near Baku at Bibi-Heybat in 1846?

The world's first petrol station for cars

The first long-distance oil pipeline

Baku hosted which international song contest in 2012?

The Turkvision Song Contest final

Why is Baku often called the City of Winds?

Strong winds blow regularly off the Caspian

It has hundreds of old wooden windmills

It is built on a high, exposed mountaintop

Baku Quiz: Old City, Caspian Shores and Oil Boom of Azerbaijan

This Baku quiz explores the capital of Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea, with questions on the Maiden Tower, the walled Icherisheher, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Heydar Aliyev Center, the Carpet Museum, the Ateshgah fire temple, the Nobel brothers, the world's first drilled oil well, Eurovision 2012 and why Baku is called the City of Winds. Ten questions.

Start Baku Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Towers
Which mysterious stone tower in Baku's Old City is a symbol of the city?
Records
Baku sits about 28 meters below sea level. What record does that give it?
Architecture
Which architect designed Baku's flowing white Heydar Aliyev Center?
Museums
Baku's Azerbaijan Carpet Museum building is shaped like what?
Temples
What was the Ateshgah of Surakhani, near Baku?
Oil
Which famous Swedish family ran one of the biggest oil companies in Baku in the late 1800s?
Oil
What world first took place near Baku at Bibi-Heybat in 1846?
Music
Baku hosted which international song contest in 2012?
Palaces
Which 15th-century palace complex in the Old City was the seat of the rulers of Shirvan?
Weather
Why is Baku often called the City of Winds?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which mysterious stone tower in Baku's Old City is a symbol of the city?
Answer: The Maiden Tower
Its age and purpose are still debated. Legends say a princess threw herself from the top to avoid a forced marriage.
Q2: Baku sits about 28 meters below sea level. What record does that give it?
Answer: The world's lowest-lying national capital
Baku lies on the shore of the Caspian Sea, which is itself below sea level. The Caspian is the largest inland body of water on Earth.
Q3: Which architect designed Baku's flowing white Heydar Aliyev Center?
Answer: Zaha Hadid
The building has almost no straight lines or sharp corners. It won the Design Museum's Design of the Year award in 2014.
Q4: Baku's Azerbaijan Carpet Museum building is shaped like what?
Answer: A rolled-up carpet
The museum holds one of the largest collections of Azerbaijani carpets in the world. Carpet weaving is listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage.
Q5: What was the Ateshgah of Surakhani, near Baku?
Answer: A fire temple built around burning gas vents
Hindu and Zoroastrian pilgrims worshipped at the temple. The natural flames went out in 1969, and the fire now burns using piped gas.
Q6: Which famous Swedish family ran one of the biggest oil companies in Baku in the late 1800s?
Answer: The Nobel brothers
Ludvig and Robert Nobel founded Branobel, and their brother Alfred invested in it. They built one of the world's first oil tankers.
Q7: What world first took place near Baku at Bibi-Heybat in 1846?
Answer: The first industrially drilled oil well
The well was drilled more than a decade before the famous first oil well in Pennsylvania. By 1900, Baku produced about half of the world's oil.
Q8: Baku hosted which international song contest in 2012?
Answer: The Eurovision Song Contest
The Crystal Hall was built on the seafront for the event. Azerbaijan won the right to host after its 2011 victory with Running Scared.
Q9: Which 15th-century palace complex in the Old City was the seat of the rulers of Shirvan?
Answer: The Palace of the Shirvanshahs
The complex includes a mosque, a mausoleum and a bathhouse. Together with the Maiden Tower and the Old City, it is a UNESCO site.
Q10: Why is Baku often called the City of Winds?
Answer: Strong winds blow regularly off the Caspian
The khazri, a cold north wind, can blow strongly in winter. A gentler southern wind called the gilavar brings warm air in summer.

Baku Quiz – Where Old Walls Meet Flames of Glass

Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, set on the Absheron Peninsula on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. About 28 meters below sea level, it is the lowest-lying national capital in the world. Baku blends an ancient walled Old City with oil-boom mansions from the 1900s and futuristic modern buildings.

The Old City, called Icherisheher, is surrounded by stone walls and filled with narrow lanes, caravanserais and mosques. Its most famous monuments are the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, and together they form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has been an important trading port for centuries.

In the 19th century, Baku became one of the world's first oil cities. The first industrially drilled oil well was sunk at Bibi-Heybat in 1846, and companies such as the Nobel brothers' Branobel made fortunes. By 1900, Baku produced about half of the world's oil. Rich oil barons built grand European-style mansions that still line its streets.

Modern Baku is known for striking architecture. The Flame Towers glow at night, and the white curves of the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Zaha Hadid, look like flowing fabric. The Carpet Museum looks like a rolled carpet. The seaside Baku Boulevard, founded in 1909, is a favorite place for walks.

Nearby, the Ateshgah fire temple and burning hills recall Azerbaijan's nickname, the Land of Fire. Baku hosted Eurovision in 2012.

Azerbaijani food is rich and fragrant. Plov with saffron, kebabs, dolma and qutab flatbreads are local favorites, often followed by black tea served with jam. The city's tea houses and caravanserais are popular places to relax.

This quiz covers the history, landmarks, oil heritage and culture of Baku.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for travelers, history fans and architecture lovers.

The Maiden Tower and the Old City
Why Baku is the world's lowest capital
The Heydar Aliyev Center and the Carpet Museum
The Ateshgah fire temple
The Nobel brothers and Baku's oil boom
Eurovision 2012 and the City of Winds

Quick Facts About Baku

Baku's metro opened in 1967 and has ornate Soviet-era stations.
The Caspian Sea is home to sturgeon, famous for caviar.
Nizami Street is Baku's main pedestrian shopping street.
The Baku funicular climbs to Highland Park.
Mud volcanoes can be visited south of the city.
Baku hosted the COP29 climate conference in 2024.