The melancholy streets of Baku, Azerbaijan's ever-changing capital

"Baku is like a puzzle: very bizarre and too hard to put together. For me this is what makes it so special, melancholic and attractive. The city changes all the time, with modern constructions and expensive shops, while somewhere the old apartment buildings get even older, enhancing the contrast. Modern Baku reminds me of a family basement stuffed with aged, useless things that no one dares to enter, afraid of getting lost.”

Orhanov sees the city as a blend of culture and identity, which his photographs explore. "Baku is the place where western culture transits into Middle Eastern and this state of transition and mixed identity shows itself in everything, whether it’s the city’s architecture or people’s lifestyles,” he says.

He has lived in Baku his whole life: "Despite the fact that Baku is quite far away from the big world centres, for most residents it is the heart of the world. On one hand they are proud of the history, old traditions of the city; on the other hand they feel disappointed with the lack of interest in them and their problems.”

 

(The Guardian)