# Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku > Zaha Hadid’s white, wave-shaped cultural centre, set in its own park about 4 km from the Old City. Walking around the outside and the park is free. Tickets for the museum and exhibitions are 15 AZN; the classic car show is another 10 AZN. Closed on Mondays, open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00. Allow about 90 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/heydar-aliyev-center - City: [Baku](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku), Azerbaijan - YesGo score: 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Entry: 15 AZN; classic cars +10 AZN - With kids: Fine with kids - Museum and exhibitions: 15 AZN - Classic car exhibition: 10 AZN, separate ticket - Children: Under 6 free - Concessions: Azerbaijani citizens only — foreign students and seniors pay full price - Museum guide: 20 AZN; groups of 3 or more 30 AZN - Where to buy: Ticket desk inside, or the E-Bilet section of the official website - Opening hours: Tue–Fri 11:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00 - Closed: Mondays - Park and exterior: Free - Nearest metro: Nəriman Nərimanov, then a 12–15 minute walk - Address: 1 Heydar Aliyev Avenue, Baku AZ1033 - Coordinates: 40.39528, 49.86694 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Zaha Hadid** — Zaha Hadid Architects won the 2007 competition and designed the building (source: Zaha Hadid Architects; English Wikipedia) - **10 May 2012** — opening day (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2014** — London Design Museum’s Design of the Year — the first time a woman won it (source: English Wikipedia; Azerbaijan Tourism Board) - **74 m** — height of the roof (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **101,801 m²** — total floor area (source: ArchDaily; Russian Wikipedia) - **2007–2012** — design and construction (source: Zaha Hadid Architects; Russian Wikipedia) - **Concrete + space frame** — the two structural systems behind the curved shell (source: Zaha Hadid Architects) - **GFRC and GFRP** — glass-fibre reinforced concrete and polyester panels clad the façade (source: Zaha Hadid Architects) - **Heydar Aliyev Museum** — permanent exhibition on the former president, with his official cars at the entrance (source: Russian Wikipedia; Azerbaijan Tourism Board) - **Late 19th century** — the oldest cars in the classic car exhibition, opened in 2015 (source: AzerTAc; official Heydar Aliyev Center website) ## Heydar Aliyev Center tickets and prices An adult ticket for the museum and exhibitions costs **15 AZN**; the classic car exhibition is a **separate 10 AZN**. Children under 6 go free. These are the prices on the centre’s official website as of 02.11.2026. The 2 AZN concession and the free categories are for **Azerbaijani citizens only** — a foreign student card or senior ID won’t get you a discount. A museum guide costs 20 AZN, or 30 AZN for a group of three or more; for the car show it is 10 or 20 AZN. Buy at the ticket desk inside or online through the E-Bilet section of the official site. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Baku, but carry a little cash in manats for the metro card machines and small cafés. The park, the steps and the façade cost nothing. ## Opening hours: when is it open? The centre is open **Tuesday to Friday 11:00–19:00 and Saturday–Sunday 11:00–18:00**, closed on Mondays. These hours are unofficial: the official website doesn’t publish them, but two independent guides list the same schedule. The park around the building stays open on Mondays and in the evening, so you can always see and photograph the outside. Want both the exhibitions and the best light? Arrive about two hours before closing, do the galleries first and finish outside as the sun drops. Large conferences and concerts sometimes close parts of the building — check the news on the official website before you go. > **Closed on Mondays — and no discounts for visitors** On Mondays the exhibitions are shut; only the park and the exterior are open. Concessions are for Azerbaijani citizens, so foreign students and seniors pay the full 15 AZN. The classic car show is not included in the main ticket. ## How to get to the Heydar Aliyev Center 1. From the Old City, take the metro at İçərişəhər. Buy a rechargeable BakıKart from the machine in the station — you need it for every ride. 2. Ride the red line, no change, to Nəriman Nərimanov — four stops, about 10 minutes. 3. Walk south-west towards Heydar Aliyev Avenue, 12–15 minutes. You will see the white building well before you reach it. 4. Entry to the park is free; the ticket desk and exhibitions are inside the building. 5. By taxi it is 10–15 minutes from the Old City. Bolt and Uber both work in Baku and show the fare up front. 6. From the airport, take the H1 Aeroexpress bus to 28 May and the metro on to Nəriman Nərimanov, or a taxi — about 30 minutes. ## Is the Heydar Aliyev Center worth it? From the outside — absolutely. It is the defining modern building of Baku and costs nothing to see: a white surface that rises from the plaza, folds into a wave and comes back down without a single sharp corner. Half an hour on the lawn is enough for most visitors. Going inside is worth it if you like design museums, are travelling with kids, or want the miniature tour of the country. The Heydar Aliyev Museum is a state museum about the former president, so it is more political biography than art — skip it if that doesn’t interest you. Only one day in Baku? Do the exterior and spend the saved time in the [Old City](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-old-town). ## What to see inside - **Heydar Aliyev Museum** — the permanent exhibition: documents, photos, personal belongings, medals and gifts from foreign leaders, with his official cars by the entrance. - **Mini Azerbaijan** — scale models of the country’s landmarks, from old fortresses and mosques to Baku’s new towers. A quick way to see what else Azerbaijan has. - **The doll exhibition** — artists’ dolls from many countries; usually the children’s favourite. - **Classic cars** — vehicles from the early days of motoring, the late 19th century onwards, from Germany, the USA, France, Italy, Britain and the former Soviet Union. Separate 10 AZN ticket. - **Temporary shows** — contemporary art, design and photography; check the official site for what is on. - **The foyer itself** — curving white stairs and walls that flow into each other just like the façade. ## Zaha Hadid’s design **Zaha Hadid Architects** were appointed after a 2007 competition, and the centre opened in May 2012. The idea is that the plaza and the building are one surface: the ground lifts up to become the wall and then the roof. To hold that shape, a concrete structure works together with a steel space frame, clad in glass-fibre reinforced concrete and polyester panels. The roof reaches 74 metres; the total floor area is just over 100,000 square metres. In 2014 it won the London Design Museum’s Design of the Year, making Hadid the first woman to take the award. The building is named after Heydar Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003 and father of the current president. ## Best photo spots - The bottom of the sloping lawn — the whole building rising like a wave. - The I Love Baku letters on the lawn — the classic city shot. - The ponds — the white shell reflected in still water. - The foyer — curved white stairs with no visible corners. - Late afternoon light — the façade turns warm instead of blowing out white at midday. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It isn’t Monday — or I only want the outside - [ ] Decided whether the car show (+10 AZN) is worth it - [ ] A card that works abroad, plus some manats - [ ] BakıKart for the metro, or Bolt/Uber on my phone - [ ] About 90 minutes for the galleries and a walk round - [ ] Time left for photos in the late light ## More sunset spots in Baku Baku places rated by YesGo that are best in the evening light. - [Flame Towers and Highland Park](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/flame-towers) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; funicular 1 AZN - [Baku Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Heydar Aliyev Center](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/heydar-aliyev-center) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 15 AZN; classic cars +10 AZN - [Yanar Dag](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/yanar-dag) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 15 AZN foreigners, under-12s free ## New and old Baku in a day Hadid’s centre in the morning, the metro back to the Old City, the palace and the Maiden Tower, then an evening on the seafront boulevard. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Heydar Aliyev Center](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/heydar-aliyev-center) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 15 AZN; classic cars +10 AZN 2. [Old City (Icherisheher)](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-old-town) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Free entry, museums from 10 ₼ 3. [Palace of the Shirvanshahs](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/shirvanshahs-palace) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 24 AZN for foreign visitors 4. [Maiden Tower](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-maiden-tower) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 19 AZN for foreign visitors 5. [Baku Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free > **Exterior only? Monday is fine** If you don’t plan to go in, the Monday closure doesn’t matter: the park is open and quieter. Thirty minutes on the lawn and by the ponds, then head to the [Seaside Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) or the [Flame Towers](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/flame-towers). ## Not to be confused with The Heydar Aliyev Palace is a different building — a concert hall in central Baku. The airport is also named after him, and most Azerbaijani towns have their own “Heydar Aliyev Center”. This page is about Zaha Hadid’s centre in Baku. ## Tips - Start the day here: metro to Nəriman Nərimanov, then straight back down the red line to the Old City. - With kids, go inside for Mini Azerbaijan and the dolls. - The car show is for real car fans — it is a separate ticket, so decide before you queue. - Shoot the façade later in the day; at noon the white glares. - Foreign visitors don’t get concessions — budget for the full ticket. - Wear comfortable shoes: the grounds are sloping and you’ll walk a lot. ## Questions ### How much is the Heydar Aliyev Center ticket? 15 AZN for the museum and exhibitions, plus 10 AZN for the classic car show. Under-6s are free; the park and exterior are free for everyone. ### What are the Heydar Aliyev Center opening hours? Unofficially, Tuesday–Friday 11:00–19:00 and Saturday–Sunday 11:00–18:00. The official site does not list hours. ### Is the Heydar Aliyev Center open on Mondays? The exhibitions are closed on Mondays. The park and the outside of the building are still open. ### How do I get to the Heydar Aliyev Center? Red-line metro from İçərişəhər to Nəriman Nərimanov (four stops), then a 12–15 minute walk. A Bolt or Uber from the Old City takes 10–15 minutes. ### Is it worth going inside the Heydar Aliyev Center? If you like design, travel with children or want Mini Azerbaijan, yes. Otherwise the free exterior is the highlight. ### How long do you need at the Heydar Aliyev Center? About 90 minutes for the exhibitions and a walk round; 30–40 minutes for the outside only. ### What is inside the Heydar Aliyev Center? The Heydar Aliyev Museum, Mini Azerbaijan, a doll exhibition, the classic car show, temporary exhibitions, a conference hall and a café. ### Who designed the Heydar Aliyev Center? Zaha Hadid Architects, after a 2007 competition. It opened in 2012 and won the Design of the Year award in 2014. ### Can foreign students get a discount? No. Concessions are only for Azerbaijani citizens; everyone else pays the full 15 AZN. ## How we checked Prices, ticket categories and the address come from the centre’s official website. The official site does not publish opening hours; two independent guides give the same schedule, so hours and the Monday closure are marked “verifying” and called unofficial. Floor area differs between sources — English Wikipedia says 57,500 m², ArchDaily and Russian Wikipedia 101,801 m² — and we show the figure backed by two sources. The walk from the metro is our estimate from Wikidata coordinates. The permanent exhibitions are taken from 2015–2019 reports and the tourism board, and may change. ## Sources - Official Heydar Aliyev Center website (heydaraliyevcenter.az): E-Bilet — prices and ticket categories; Contact — address, 02.11.2026 - Zaha Hadid Architects: Heydar Aliyev Centre — competition, dates, structure, cladding - ArchDaily: Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects — floor area - English and Russian Wikipedia: Heydar Aliyev Center; Wikidata Q43928 - Azerbaijan Tourism Board (azerbaijan.travel) — exhibitions and Design of the Year - Official website of Mehriban Aliyeva, 17.12.2019 — the centre’s exhibitions - AzerTAc, 24.02.2015 — opening of the classic car exhibition - Azerbaijan Guide (azerbaijanguide.az, 14.04.2026) and Wander-Lush — opening hours --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.