By Duncan Mackay

The Aquatic Palace is be a state-of-the-art facility being built for the 2015 European Games ©Baku 2015April 17 - Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has inspected building work on the Aquatic Palace in Baku, currently under construction for the inaugural European Games next year.


He was accompanied by his wife Mehriban Aliyeva, the chair of Baku 2015 as they toured the facilities currently being built by South Korean company Securo Co. Ltd.

The 6,000-capacity venue is being built on an area of six hectares and will cover an area of 66,000 square metres once it is completed. 

The arena will consist of three swimming pools, a main Olympic-sized one, a second one for training and a third one which will be 25m long and 20m in width and will be used for diving. 

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban have inspected the Aquatic Palace, which is being built for the 2015 European Games, and were accompanied by Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov ©Baku 2015Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban have inspected the Aquatic Palace, which is being built for next year's European Games, and were accompanied by Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov, chief executive of Baku 2015 ©Baku 2015

In addition, the Palace will include fitness rooms, a restaurant, a conference room, offices and other utility rooms.

The area around the Aquatic Palace will have ancillary buildings, structures a car park for 500 vehicles. 

Aliyev was shown around the facilities by Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan's Youth and Sports Minister and chief executive of Baku 2015. 

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