Martyrs’ Lane, Baku

Azerbaijan only recently became an independent country, and that independence came at the cost of thousands of innocent lives.

Many of those lives have been laid to rest at Martyrs’ Lane, or Şəhidlər Xiyabanı, a cemetery and memorial dedicated to those killed when Soviet forces invaded Baku and fired shots into crowds on the street, killing innocent civilians on January 20, 1990 — an incident that’s come to be known as Black January.

Our local liaisons saw to it that everyone went to the Alley of Martyrs during our time in Baku — even the executive committee members who were only in town for three days made time to go, so they could pay their respects to those who gave their lives during Azerbaijan’s fight for independence.

There are other people and notable figures buried here as well, including Turkish and British soldiers from a war in 1918, and journalists from the Nagorno-Karabakh War.

As I walked past the tombs, I took my time to read the dates and look at the carefully-etched headstones, stopping especially to reflect in front of those who died before they even reached 20.

Fariza and Ilham Allahverdiyev were just newly-weds when Ilham was shot and killed during Black January. Upon hearing of his death, his bride first tried to set herself on fire, then committed suicide. Like the Azerbaijani Romeo and Juliet, their tomb now stands as a symbol of love — and it is the first one you see when you enter Martyrs’ Lane.

At the end of the lane stands the large Eternal Flame Memorial, where visiting dignitaries often lay a wreath when they visit.

By the end of Martyrs’ Lane, I felt drained — I couldn’t stop thinking about the fleeting nature of life and death, the cost of freedom and the travesties of war — and by the quiet company I kept, I could tell my companions felt the same.

And then, we saw this:

This beautiful view overlooking Baku’s coastline, where the Caspian Sea extends past the horizon and stretches on farther than you can see, waits for everyone who walks through the Alley of the Martyrs.

It brought me back into the present and reminded me that yes, the past may be terrible. But so long as we don’t forget it, we have a bright and wonderful future to look forward to ahead.