Shopping · Baku · Azerbaijan
Shopping in Baku
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Nick Taylor, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
Baku's shopping ranges from Old City carpet and craft shops to modern malls. Carpets, silk scarves, tea glasses and food products are the best buys. Best souvenirs: Carpets, Kelaghayi silk scarves and Armudu tea glasses.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 1
- Top souvenir
- Carpets
Where to shop
Old City
Carpet shops, antique dealers and craft stores in the lanes and caravanserais.
Nizami Street
The main shopping street, with fashion stores and cafés.
Port Baku and Park Bulvar
Modern malls with international brands on the waterfront.
Markets
Teze Bazaar
The main food market for saffron, dried fruit, nuts, cheeses and spices.
What to buy
Carpets
Hand-woven carpets from Azerbaijan's regions; ask the shop about export documentation, which is required for many carpets.
Kelaghayi silk scarves
Traditional silk headscarves, recognised by UNESCO.
Armudu tea glasses
Pear-shaped glasses for Azerbaijani tea, sold with saucers.
Saffron and spices
Saffron, sumac and dried herbs from the markets.
Pakhlava and shekerbura
Boxed traditional sweets that keep for several days.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Street · Fountain Square and Nizami Street
Fountain Square and Nizami Street
Fountain Square and the pedestrian Nizami Street are the city's main gathering places, lined with oil-boom-era buildings, shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- After dark
- Architecture
Market · 28 May and railway station area
Teze Bazaar
Baku's main food market sells saffron, sumac, dried fruit, nuts, pomegranates, cheeses, pickles and herbs, with sellers happy to offer tastings.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Pakhlava and shekerbura and Tea with jam. Pastry shops across the city; boxed versions make good gifts. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain Square and Nizami Street | $$$ | Pedestrian shopping streets of oil-boom mansions, cafés and bars |
| Seaside Boulevard and Neftchilar Avenue | $$$$ | Luxury hotels facing the Caspian along the city's main promenade |
| Port Baku and White City | $$$ | Modern waterfront district of towers, malls and new boulevards |
| Narimanov | $$ | Residential and business district around the Heydar Aliyev Center |
| 28 May and railway station area | $ | Central transport hub with budget hotels and local shops |
| Absheron beach resorts | $$$ | Summer beach resorts on the peninsula's north shore |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in AZN. Some restaurants add a service charge of around 10%; otherwise leaving 5–10% is appreciated. Round up taxi fares and tip guides on day trips.
- Use the BakuCard and metro; journeys cost very little.
- Buy saffron, dried fruit and spices at Teze Bazaar rather than in tourist shops.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–February; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- October: Goychay Pomegranate Festival, about 220 km west (usually late October or early November)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, nightlife and solo travellers
Fountain Square and Nizami Street
Pedestrian shopping streets of oil-boom mansions, cafés and bars
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Baku?
Carpets, Kelaghayi silk scarves, Armudu tea glasses and Saffron and spices.
+Where is the best shopping in Baku?
Old City: Carpet shops, antique dealers and craft stores in the lanes and caravanserais.
+What are the best markets in Baku?
Teze Bazaar.