Atlas Obscura · People & society

Baku's Printing House: An Open Book of History

A unique printing house in Baku, Azerbaijan, is designed to resemble an open book, featuring a vast mosaic that chronicles the history of writing and the Soviet press.

The building's facade displays a mosaic incorporating various scripts, from Egyptian hieroglyphs to Mayan calendar symbols, alongside Georgian, Armenian, and Arabic. It also features mastheads of prominent Soviet newspapers like Iskra and Pravda.

The most reproduced political slogan of the 20th century, "workers of the world, unite!", is prominently displayed in Azerbaijani and Russian on the building, which itself was instrumental in reproducing it.

The street outside is named Press Avenue, reflecting the building's historical significance.

While the mosaic is widely praised by visitors, current tenants report that the building has not been renovated in decades, with issues like an ancient lift.

Many Soviet-era mosaics in Baku have been lost, but this one has survived partly due to a lack of renovation efforts on the underlying structure.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.