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Sunday, August 28, 2005

 

Scenic Sumgayit

I just cannot post enough photos of Sumgayit. The main north/south highway (more accurately, paved ribbon of fiery death) in Azerbaijan runs right through a wasteland of twisted metal pipes, defunct chemical factories and rusted scaffolds. Known once as The Chemical City, it is reportedly the most polluted stretch of real estate on earth. A nearby village is called "Polymer."

Honest to god, our eyes and throats burned after the five minutes it took to stop and take these photos. It doesn't seem to bother the sheep who graze around the wreckage, though.

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Mad Max would feel very comfortable in Sumgayit


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So very typical


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Does anyone know who this is and why his photo is on a billboard along the Guba highway north of Sumgayit? I've never noticed it before. I theorize that it could be the 19th century Caucasian fighter Imam Shamil, but in all the pictures I've seen of him he looks a lot wilder and a lot less decorated.

Comments:
Looks like a painting of Ottoman sultan Mehmet V when he was young. Similar beard, similar metals, jacket and fez.
 
He is Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, very well-known Azerbaijanian millioner of the 20th century, he did very good things for my country, and the reason, why his portret is on that way, is because the district coming after Sumgayit city is named after him, Zeynalabdin Tagiyev District, ex Nasoslu, district, and please stop making fun about Sumqayit, and showing only nasty photos, I lived there for 20 years, and I think i can send you better photos of this city, the photos you show are just outside of the city where the plants, factories are situated, the city is few kilometers away! OK?
 
check out this very interesting site about Sumgayit:
http://sumgayit.myminicity.com/
 
This is the picture of Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev. You can visit his home museum and history museum which is also located in his house in Baku, the museum is located close to Comedy Theatre, IBA branch, Fountain Square.

Below is my blog on Azerbaijan, initially was on Sheki but now on the whole country.

http://shekiazerbaijan.blogspot.com/

Best wishes,

Ayten
 
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