Exploring cultures and communities – the slow way

The Maiden Tower in Baku is a powerful national symbol for all Azeris. But remarkably little is known about this enigmatic structure.

article summary —

Symbols often play an important role in the branding of nations and the assertion of identity. What is France without the Eiffel Tower, Italy without its leaning tower at Pisa, and Switzerland without the Matterhorn? When a group of feminist activists hacked off the head of Copenhagen's Little Mermaid a few years ago, the vandalism was interpreted as an attack on Danish identity - Edvard Eriksen's sculpture on Copenhagen's harbour front neatly picks up a theme from Hans Christian Andersen to symbolise the Danish nation and its relationship with the sea.


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About the authors

hidden europe

and manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers. They delight in discovering the exotic in the everyday.

This article was published in hidden europe 12.