Well-known and un-known Swedes in Baku!
We start with the German Engelbert Kaempfer, who admittedly was not a Swede, but he was a doctor in the Swedish embassy’s mission to Persia under Charles XI. Kaempfer came to Baku 1683, and he is first in history to make a scientific description of the oil findings on the Absheron peninsula.
He has also left us one of the first overview maps of Baku. His map of Baku is very interesting and detailed, but one can probably assume that he painted the map after memory well back home.
One can, however, very clearly see the Maidens Tower and Shirvanshah Palace.
He also describes “fields of eternally burning fire” around Baku.
Kaempfer makes an interesting interpretation of the symbols of the city’s gates, these symbols are still present. The two lions represent the two gates that day and night shelter the bull that represents the city of Baku.
Experience Baku 