Soviet Era

From the Arabic script, Azerbaijan transitioned to a Latin alphabet in 1929, then to Cyrillic in 1939 under Soviet rule, and finally back to a modified Latin alphabet in 1991 after gaining independence. These shifts reflect major political and cultural transformations.

Neft Daşları, or "Oil Rocks," began as a single oil rig in 1949 and expanded into a sprawling Soviet-era town built on stilts in the Caspian Sea. It features apartment blocks, cinemas, and even bakeries, connected by over 300 km of roads.