Heydar Aliyev Center
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku is a cultural complex housing art exhibitions and a classic car collection, designed by Zaha Hadid.
Planning your visit
Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center is the building that defined Baku's international image: a white shell that rises out of the plaza in a single continuous curve, with no straight lines and no visible junction between ground, wall and roof. It won the Design Museum's Design of the Year in 2014, the first time a woman had taken the award. The engineering required to eliminate every corner was substantial, and the interior — a flowing sequence of spaces around a sweeping staircase — is as fluid as the exterior.
Inside, the cultural centre houses exhibition halls used for temporary shows, a collection of Azerbaijani applied art including carpets and musical instruments, a gallery of miniature books, and a substantial classic car collection covering Soviet and international marques.
The building is named for the former president, father of the current one, and functions partly as a statement of national modernisation financed by oil, which is context worth holding.
It sits away from the old city, reachable by taxi or metro. Allow two hours. Bookable options combine the centre with the waterfront and city tour. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Heydar Aliyev Center?
Heydar Aliyev Center is in Baku, Azerbaijan. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Heydar Aliyev Center?
Allow two hours. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Heydar Aliyev Center in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
