Walking along Istiqlalliyyat Street gives the visitor an excellent survey of what personalities and events have been important to the Azeri nation. You can see statues of famous poets, houses of oil barons, museums, concert halls, universities, etc. The city hall has undergone a few changes in name and function. So has Ismailliya Palace. Alternating rulers have disappeared. The buildings are still there, to please Azerbaijani national pride since sovereignty. This street also presents some of the many architectural styles present in Baku, from Italian Renaissance via Baroque and Rokoko to modernism.

It was the first street built outside the inner city so it is perhaps one of the oldest streets of Baku. During Russian Imperial times it used to be called “Nikolayevskaya” after Tsar Nikolay l, after the revolution it was named "Parlamentskaya" because the parliament was located here. When the Soviets took over it became "Kommunisticheskaya Ulitsa". After the independence of Azerbaijan it was given a fourth name "Istiglaliyyat" which means Independence in Azeri. This beautiful historic 1.4 km long street starts at the edge of the Fountain Square and ends at the Gulustan Palace. You can see many important grand buildings here like The UN building, Nizami Museum of Literature, Ichari Shahar Metro Station, City Hall, President House, Art Museum, National Science Academy, State Philharmonic. There are many shops, eateries and boutiques on this street.