Baku is still the largest city in the South Caucasus, with a huge population that is continuously increasing. Accordingly, many different shops and various trading places exist there. There are several markets in the city where you can buy a variety of goods — food, souvenirs, clothes, household items, etc. It is interesting to note that practically all the bazaars are oriental markets with corresponding colour schemes and assortments of goods.
One of the most popular and largest bazaars in Baku is the «Yaşıl Bazar» (so-called Green Market from az. Yaşıl Bazar). The variety of goods presented here is particularly glamorous for customers. The Yashil Bazaar is open all year round, despite the seasonality of the fruits and vegetables sold here. The air in the trading place — densely saturated with aromas of various fruits, spices, oriental sweets and other local products — creates an extraordinary atmosphere that makes visitors feel as if they are in the deepest Orient. At the Yashil Bazaar, the following fruits, vegetables and berries in particular are offered and sold in the best quality: figs, peaches, lemons, limes, oranges, cherries, strawberries, various melons, pomegranates, etc., among others. Almost all goods are brought to Baku from the surrounding settlements as well as from other regions of the country. But there are also imported goods, which definitely enrich the variety of the offer.
Along the inner perimeter of the Green Market are other rows of shops: Spices, nuts, dried fruits, various pickles and jams are sold here. Here you will also find the widely popular Azerbaijani tea. This is either packaged directly or sold by weight in larger quantities. However, there is not just one variety of the popular hot drink here: it is represented in a large assortment, so that the customer is spoilt for choice when deciding.
Various dairy products can also be purchased at the Yashil Bazaar. Above all, different types of cheese enrich the assortment in an enormous variety: goat, sheep and cow cheese are available in the most diverse designs, quantities or ages. As far as the sale of meat is concerned, products made from mutton predominate here. In addition, various types of fish and caviar are offered: Fresh and smoked sturgeon is currently the most popular among customers at the Green Market. As for caviar, sturgeon and beluga caviar sell best. The «Yaşil Bazar» also offers all kinds of oriental sweets. Baklava, halva from Sheki and Georgian churchkhela are tried and tested favourites. But you can find many other delicacies at the Green Market.
It is easy to see that the «Yaşil Bazar» is not just a simple marketplace, but a real cultural platform. Among other things, products for cooking traditional Azerbaijani dishes can be found here. In addition, one can simply talk to the sellers here and thus get to know and love the culture of Azerbaijan, including the culinary one.
One of the most common commodities or fruits on the market is the pomegranate. This is not surprising, as about 60 different varieties of pomegranates are grown on the territory of Azerbaijan. However, this is a seasonal crop. Accordingly, the sales season begins as early as October. At this time, customers at the Green Bazaar can buy not only the pomegranate itself, but also pomegranate juice and sauce.
Besides the Green Bazaar, there are many other colourful outlets or marketplaces in Baku. For example, there is a popular little shop for sheki sweets or nuts and dried fruits from Ordubad. Here they sell tasty sheki baklava, peshvenk, girmabadam and other traditional delicacies. Another place to visit as a palate lover and gourmet is the so-called «Təzə Bazar» (Täzä Bazaar). Here, as in the «Yaşil Bazar», local delicacies are sold — especially black caviar and sturgeon in various forms (fresh and smoked) are extremely popular with customers. Other types of fish, mostly caught in the Caspian Sea, are also for sale here. In addition, Baku has many modern shopping centres available to customers, providing a true shopping experience. Among the hippest department stores at the moment are probably the «Gandschlik Mall» (Gənclik Mall), the «28th Mall», «Park Bulvar» and «Port Baku».
How to get there
The Green Bazaar is located at the address: 7, Khatai Avenue, Baku. Opening hours are from 6am to 10pm. There are several ways to reach the bazaar:
1) by metro: for this you have to go to the 28th May station and walk to the station. It then takes about 5 to 7 minutes on foot.
2) by bus: Take bus no. 5 to the secondary school stop no. 304; take bus no. 11 to the Yaşil Bazar stop.