“GOOGLE MAPS” PRESENTS RIPPED FLAG OF AZERBAIJAN TO WORLD
15:24 13/08/2013 ” SOCIETY
The world search engine ‘Google’ had prepared an unpleasant surprise
to spring on Azerbaijan once more. The state symbol of the National
Flag Square in Baku is featured torn in ‘Google Maps’ 3D-model,
reports APA Azerbaijani news agency.
‘The Winter Boulevard,’ the luxurious opening of which took place in
downtown Baku on May 10th, was named ‘Zone of illegal demolition’ in
‘Google Maps.’ Similarly, screenshots of ‘Google Maps,’ which were
spread all over the Internet last year, pictured streets of Baku named
in Armenian. For instance, the Neftyanikov Avenue was renamed ‘Free
Artsakh,’ other streets were renamed ‘Freedom to Nagorno Karabakh’
and ‘Recognize the Armenian Genocide.’
The inauguration of the National Flag Square, where the flag of
Azerbaijan was raised, took place in Baku on September 1, 2010. The
flagpole of the mentioned Square used to be the highest one in
the world during the time period starting from its construction
till May of 2011, when another 165-meters high flagpole was set in
Dushanbe. On September 3, 2010, only two days after the setting,
the flag was replaced, as it was torn by a storm. The incident was
repeated in April 2011, the flag of Azerbaijan was ripped off.
The foundation stone of the National Flag Square of Baku was laid on
December 30, 2007. The project was prepared by the American company
‘Trient Support’ and implemented by Azerbaijani company ‘Azenko.’ A
day after the inauguration of the square on September 1, 2010 the
350kg-weighing flag, which was ripped by a strong wind, was taken
down. The same incident was recorded twice.
Furthermore, at night of February 2, 2011 the flagpole started to
swing because of a wind, and the flag was taken down for awhile.
Moreover, the residents of the nearby 9-storeyed building were
evacuated because of the danger of a falling flagpole, weighing 220
ton. The flag was taken down again on April 9, 2011. According to one
of the explanations, the flag was ripped again by the wind, another
one suggests that the problem was in the material the flag was made of.
$ 35 million from the state budget of Azerbaijan was spent over the
construction of the National Flag Square.