A view of the Oil Rocks in the Caspian Sea.

A view of the Oil Rocks in the Caspian Sea. Courtesy Bruno Girin

A 1971 Soviet stamp featuring the Oil Rocks.

A 1971 Soviet stamp featuring the Oil Rocks.

Neft Daşları, Oil Rocks

An industrial settlement in Baku, Neft Daşları is home to the first operating offshore oil platform in the world, and the first oil platform in Azerbaijan. Beginning in 1949 with a single platform over the water, it quickly grew into a large network of platforms built upon sunken ships. By 1959 Neft Daşları had become a functioning city, with nine-story hotels, food establishments, and shops. Today the “city” has a population of about 5,000.