When the British Bank of the Middle East (BBME) opens its branch in Baku in August this year, it will be returning to Azerbaijan after an absence of almost 80 years.
The BBME began as the Imperial Bank of Persia, established in 1889 with a Royal charter from Queen Victoria, and a Concession from the Government of Persia, making it the state bank of Persia. The head office was in London, but all the branches were located, in those early years, in the various towns and cities of Persia, with the Chief Office based in Teheran. By 1913, there were branches in 17 Persian cities, from Bushahr in the southwest, to Tabriz in the northwest, and Mashad in the northeast. In 1918, during a period of rapidly fluctuating political and military fortunes in the region, Baku was occupied by a contingent of British troops. At the request of the British Government of the time, an office of the Imperial Bank of Persia was established in Baku in order that salaries could be paid to the troops, and payments made for their provisions, food and other necessities.In the face of so much regional turmoil, the Imperial Bank's presence in Baku was only intended to be temporary; and so when the British troops packed their tents and left the city in early 1919, the bank closed.
http://www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/42_folder/42_articles/42_britishbank.html
from google