▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁sub urb ▁also ▁accommod ated ▁oil ▁companies ▁offices , ▁work sh ops ▁and ▁housing ▁for ▁the ▁associated ▁labour ers . ▁Living ▁conditions ▁were ▁very ▁bad ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁conditions ▁in ▁B aku ▁proper . ▁We alth y ▁residents ▁chose ▁to ▁sett le ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁centre , ▁where ▁oil ▁extra ction ▁and ▁ref in ery ▁were ▁forb idden . ▁The ▁area ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁Black ▁City ▁() ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁black ▁smoke ▁and ▁so ot ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁fact ories ▁and ▁oil ▁ref iner ies . ▁A ▁Turkish ▁trav eller ▁who ▁visited ▁Black ▁City ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁follows : ▁" Every thing ▁is ▁black ; ▁the ▁walls , ▁the ▁earth , ▁the ▁air , ▁and ▁the ▁sky . ▁You ▁can ▁feel ▁the ▁oil ▁and ▁in h ale ▁the ▁f umes , ▁and ▁re ek ▁ch okes ▁you . ▁You ▁walk ▁among ▁clouds ▁of ▁smoke ▁which ▁cover ▁up ▁the ▁sky ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Brothers ▁built ▁the ▁first ▁oil ▁pipeline ▁in ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁It ▁was ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁in ▁diameter , ▁and ▁could ▁deliver ▁almost ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁bar rel s ▁per ▁day . ▁ ▁Cru de ▁was ▁p ump ed ▁from ▁the ▁oil ▁well s ▁to ▁central ▁storage ▁t anks ▁at ▁Bal akh ani , ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁to ▁the ▁ref iner ies . ▁The ▁cost ▁of ▁construction ▁was ▁recovered ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁operation