Azerbaijan Time (Baku)

Azerbaijan Time (AZT) is UTC+4 year-round. Azerbaijan discontinued DST in 2016. Baku, the capital, sits on the Caspian Sea coast and has transformed from a Soviet industrial city into a modern metropolis with striking architecture like the Flame Towers and the Heydar Aliyev Center designed by Zaha Hadid. Azerbaijan's economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas from Caspian Sea fields, and the State Oil Fund (SOFAZ) manages the country's petroleum revenues. The Baku Stock Exchange operates on AZT. Baku was the world's first major oil city — in 1901, it produced more than half the world's oil. The timezone (UTC+4) is shared with Georgia, Armenia, the UAE, and Oman, placing Azerbaijan in a strategic position between European and Asian markets. The country has invested heavily in becoming a regional transport hub with the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway connecting the Caspian region to Europe. Azerbaijan's cultural heritage blends Persian, Turkish, Russian, and Caucasian influences. The Old City (Icherisheher) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Azerbaijan hosted Formula 1's Baku City Circuit, bringing global attention to the city.