State Flag Square

The giant flag at State Flag Square in Baku, Azerbaijan, flies atop a 162-meter (531-foot) steel flagpole that was inaugurated in September 2010 and briefly held the Guinness World Record as the tallest in the world.

Constructed by the U.S. firm Trident Support Corporation, the pole weighs around 220 tons and consists of more than 50 precision-engineered steel sections bolted and welded together, anchored by a deep concrete foundation designed to withstand strong Caspian Sea winds.

The Azerbaijani tricolor flag itself measures 70 by 35 meters, covers 2,450 square meters, and weighs approximately 350 kilograms.

Surrounding the pole is a large plaza and museum complex dedicated to national symbols, built with granite and marble, while the site’s lighting and maintenance systems were engineered to handle the intense stress and motion generated by the massive flag’s wind load.