Baku Old City Tour

The old residence of the rulers of the Shirvanshahs state is located in Baku. In addition to the palace, the complex includes Divankhana, Shirvanshahlar tomb, Shah Mosque, Sarayhamam, Ovdan, the tomb of the courtier Seyyed Yahya Bakuvi, and the remains of Keygubad Mosque.

The palace complex was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. The buildings inside the palace were built at the beginning of the 15th century, during the reign of Shirvanshah I Khalilullah. When the Ottoman Empire took over Baku, a gate bearing the name of Sultan Murad III was built on the palace grounds, surrounding it from the east. The palace has been renovated several times since the 19th century.

There are several versions related to the operation of Divankhana. It is believed that it served as the building for judgments, receptions, or the state council. It forms the basis of the most widespread theory called the monument-present. Therefore, it is assumed that it is a courtroom, a reception room of the palace, or something like a “command” room. The stylistic features and the unfinished part of the painting allow us to attribute the mansion to the end of the 15th century, when the Safavids took over Baku.

The features of the divankhana plan and the content of the inscription engraved at the entrance to the underground vault (Quran, sura 10, verses 26 and 27) indicate that it was a memorial place. According to Brittany, Divankhana was built at the end of the 15th century, during the reign of Shirvanshah Farrukh Yasar, and the events of the period did not allow the completion of the construction.

The origin of the original architectural structure is associated with pre-Islamic burial customs. Historian Sara Ashurbeyli believes that in the pre-Muslim era, the area where the divankhanana was located was considered holy. It is believed that pits similar to these were used to store the blood of slaughtered animals.

It is a defensive historical building located in the southeastern part of the castle walls, near the seaside park (boulevard). There are many historical-architectural problems that have not been addressed in this tower-shaped building. Its height is 28 meters, and its diameter is 16.5 meters on the first floor. The thickness of the wall on the first floor reaches 5 meters. The interior of the castle is divided into 8 floors. Each floor is built with decorative stones and covered with dome-shaped ceilings. The castle has been operating as a museum since 1964, and in 2000 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

There are circular openings in the middle of the stone-built roofs. The holes are in the vertical direction. So, it is possible to see the floor of the first floor when looking through the circle in the middle of the ceiling of the VIII floor. The entrance to the castle is on the west side of the road instead of a 2 m high and 1.1 m wide gate.

Maiden Tower, one of the emblems of Azerbaijan, has been depicted many times on the banknotes of Azerbaijan

On April 20, 2000, a private Museum of Miniature Books was registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On April 23, 2002, the first and only private Museum of Miniature Books in the world started operating in the historical part of the capital of Azerbaijan, Bakış city, in the territory of the “Icherisheher” State Historical-Architectural Reserve, near the Palace of the Shirvanshahs (XIV century). The museum was created on the basis of the rare collection collected by Zarifa Salahova over the past 20 years.

The total circulation of rare books is not high. Sometimes the circulation of such books does not even reach 100. Most of the books here are more than 100 years old. The “Old Man” book from the museum is the Koran book published in Saudi Arabia in 1672. The museum also has a mini-book with the lyrics of the famous “Beatles” group and only 5 copies.

The museum’s funds are constantly enriched with new publications as well as donated publications. 4300 books in the museum are displayed in 35 showcases.

Aliagha Vahid’s statue is a statue of Azerbaijani poet and ghazalkhan Aliagha Vahid, erected in 1990 in Baku city.