Azerbaijan's Gəncə-born 'national poet' (1141–1209) stands opposite the drama theatre, looking across the river towards a puppet theatre that is housed in a brick former church.
Behind Gəncəvi is the fascinatingly hideous 1970s bulk of the Kəpəz Hotel, with its decaying concrete balconies and a cavernous, almost-empty reception that would make a fine set for a suspense movie.