Nizami Street

The central section is lined with restored facades from the turn of the twentieth century, built when Baku oil money was being converted into buildings at remarkable speed.

The styles are borrowed and mixed with confidence — French Beaux-Arts, Venetian Gothic, Baroque revival — because the newly wealthy commissioning them wanted European legitimacy. The results are frequently magnificent and occasionally absurd.

Look above the shopfronts. Ground floors have been modernised repeatedly, but the upper storeys retain their original carving, ironwork and detailing.

Nizami Street opens onto Fountains Square, the social centre of the modern city. It is ringed with cafés and restaurants and is where people arrange to meet.

In summer the fountains run and the square fills late into the evening. It is a good place to stop and watch the city rather than tick off a sight.

The street carries international brands alongside local shops. It is not a bargain destination — prices are broadly European — but it is pleasant to walk.

For food, the side streets running off Nizami generally offer better value and more interesting local cooking than the main thoroughfare itself.