Yasil Bazaar (also spelled Yashil Bazaar or Yaşıl Bazar, meaning “Green Bazaar” in Azerbaijani) is Baku’s largest and most vibrant food market, one of the biggest in the Caucasus region. It’s a bustling hub where locals and visitors immerse themselves in Azerbaijani flavors, aromas, and daily life, offering a sensory experience of fresh, organic produce sourced from across the country.
Nestled near Baku’s central train station, about 15 minutes from the city center, it combines indoor stalls with open-air vendors, evoking the hustle of traditional Eastern bazaars while remaining relatively clean and organized.
History
Yasil Bazaar has roots dating back over 70 years, surviving the Soviet era as a key spot for fresh goods brought by farmers from Azerbaijan’s regions. Established post-World War II, it evolved into a central marketplace reflecting Baku’s role as a trade hub, with vendors offering organic produce that highlights the country’s agricultural heritage. Today, it stands as a ...
The Avenues Mall in Kuwait (also known simply as The Avenues) is the largest shopping and leisure destination in the country and the second-largest mall in the Persian Gulf region, located in the Al-Rai district of Kuwait City.
Opened in April 2007 under the patronage of the Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, it spans multiple phases of expansion (completed through Phase IV in 2018), covering themed districts inspired by global cities and Kuwaiti heritage, with over 1,100 stores, restaurants, entertainment options, and hotels like the Waldorf Astoria and Hilton Garden Inn.
Developed by Mabanee Company and designed with input from Gensler, it features areas like Grand Avenue (a 640-meter promenade evoking Paris’s Champs-Élysées), Prestige (luxury brands), SoKu (youth fashion and tech like New York’s SoHo), The Souk (Kuwaiti heritage with spices and local dishes), and The Mall (international chains like Zara, H&M, and Carrefour).
It employs around 30,000 people and holds LEED Silver ...
The Kuwait Towers أبراج الكويت are an iconic landmark and national symbol of Kuwait, located on a promontory along the Arabian Gulf Road in Kuwait City’s Sharq district, overlooking the Persian Gulf.
This group of three slender towers, designed by Danish architect Malene Bjørn in collaboration with Swedish firm VBB (now Sweco), blends functional water storage with modern architecture inspired by Islamic motifs like minarets and mosque domes.
Construction began in 1971 by Yugoslavia’s Union Inženjering and was completed in 1976, with public opening on March 1, 1979, following a request from Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah for a distinctive design for the sixth set of water towers in Kuwait’s national system. They received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1980 and survived the 1990 Iraqi invasion undamaged, symbolizing Kuwaiti resilience.
The towers store 9,000 cubic meters of water total and are covered in ~41,000 enameled steel discs in blues, greens, and grays for a...
Souk Al-Mubarakiya, one of Kuwait’s oldest traditional markets, has a rich history spanning over 200 years as a central hub for trade and commerce in Kuwait City, predating the oil era and serving as a vital economic lifeline when Kuwait relied on maritime and overland exchanges with regions like India, Iraq, Oman, and Africa.
Named after Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, the founder of modern Kuwait who ruled from 1896 to 1915, the souk originated around a small kiosk (“kishk”) in the Qibla district.
This structure initially functioned as a diwan (office) for addressing community issues and grievances, evolving into Kuwait’s first court, with merchants gathering nearby to trade goods like spices, textiles, dates, and pearls, transforming the area into a bustling marketplace.
The souk’s design, featuring wooden ceilings, palm-frond roofs, and shaded alleys, was adapted to Kuwait’s harsh climate, providing protection from heat and sandstorms while fostering a communal space for haggling, ...
