HEYDAR ALIYEV PALACE
Originally built in 1972 but gutted and entirely re appointed in 2008, the Heydar Aliyev Palace is a large-format concert hall that has hosted many of Azerbaijan’s big ticket events over the past 40 years. Some30 stepped rows of theatre-style seats create a very comfortable, unobstructed viewing experience for over 2150 spectators. There’s a sophisticated raised stage, piano, two VIP dressing rooms and the full sound-and-light facilities you’d expect from a modern theatre along with advanced LED screens and laser effects. With its glistening marble floors and audacious vaulted stairways, the coffee-and-cream foyer is inviting and spacious and includes a discreet but extensive cloak room facility. A wide flight of steps leads out from the building’s distinctive glass-grilled frontage onto further polished marble outside facing a strip of parkland that cuts a swathe through the very heart of Baku’s busy centre. The venue is around 700m directly west of the elegant historic train station buildings and flashy new 28 Shopping Mall and just five minutes’ drive from many of the city’s top hotels.
