Thousands of Azeris thronged the streets of Baku on Sunday to honour former President Haydar Aliyev, whose body was flown home to lie in state before a funeral to be attended by heads of most neighbouring states. Aliyev dominated Azerbaijan for three decades but became increasingly ill in the last year and died in a U.S. clinic where he had been undergoing heart treatment since August. He will be buried on Baku\'s \"Alley of Honour\" next to his wife Zarifa on Monday. Aliyev, dubbed \"Baba\" (Grandfather) by Azeris, was the second veteran politician to leave the political stage in the volatile Caucasus region within a month. Georgia\'s Eduard Shevardnadze, who worked with Aliyev in the Soviet government, resigned as president after mass protests last month but was expected to attend his friend\'s funeral. Georgia\'s new acting president and the presidents of Iran, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine were also expected to attend. \"At this tragic time I send the deepest condolences to the fraternal Azeri people and to the nearest and dearest of Haydar Aliyev,\" said Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters)