Conference site
Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, alongside the Bay of Baku. Baku is divided into twelve administrative raions and 48 townships. Among these are the townships on the islands of the Baku Archipelago, and the town of Oil Rocks built on stilts in the Caspian Sea, 60 kilometres (37 miles) away from Baku. The Inner City of Baku, along with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower, were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. According to the Lonely Planet's ranking, Baku is also among the world's top ten destinations for urban nightlife. The city is the scientific, cultural, and industrial center of Azerbaijan. Many sizeable Azerbaijani institutions have their headquarters there. In recent years, Baku has become an important venue for international events. It hosted the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, the 2015 European Games, 4th Islamic Solidarity Games, the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix since 2016, hosted the final of the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League and, will be one of the host cities for UEFA Euro 2020. Baku is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Caucasus. Many sizable world hotel chains have a presence in the city. Baku has many popular tourist and entertainment spots, such as the downtown Fountains Square, the One and Thousand Nights Beach, Shikhov Beach and Oil Rocks. Baku's vicinities feature Yanar Dag, an ever-blazing spot of natural gas. On 2 September 2010, with the inauguration of National Flag Square, Baku became home to the world's tallest flagpole, according to the Guinness Book of Records.However, on 24 May 2011 Baku lost this record by just 3 metres (9.8 feet) to the city of Dushanbe in Tajikistan.The city has many amenities that offer a wide range of cultural activities, drawing both from a rich local dramatic portfolio and an international repertoire. In 2007 the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center designed by famous Iraqi-British architect, Zaha Hadid, was opened. Baku also boasts many museums such as Baku Museum of Modern Art and Azerbaijan State Museum of History, most notably featuring historical artifacts and art.
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences was established in 1945. The Academy was based based on the Azerbaijan branch of USSR Academy of Sciences.During this period, the Academy of Sciences has become a large organization, a major center of fundamental research.The Academy creation was a natural result of the scientific consciousness formation in Azerbaijan for centuries.Artefacts and a number of academic sources indicate that in ancient Azerbaijan mathematics, astronomy, medicine, philosophy and other sciences got powerful development.The Ismailiyya Palace is a historical building that was constructed for the Muslim Charity Society at the expense of the millionaire Musa Naghiyev in commemoration of his deceased son Ismayil, and was named Ismailiyya after him. At present, the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences is located there.