The Walled City of Baku in Azerbaijan was a melting pot of the World’s civilizations. From Zoroastrian to Sassanian, from Arabic to Persian, Shirvan, Ottoman and Russian; the town bears evidence to the influence each of the civilization had to its urban landscape.

The city is home to a number of attractions that a traveler to the destination would be interested to learn of. They include; the Inner City Wall, the 12th century Maiden Tower and the 15th century Shirvanshah’s Palace.

The Inner Walled City

The Inner Walled city is one of the few medieval towns surviving in Azerbaijan. It still retains features of medieval architecture such as the labyrinth of narrow streets, small courtyards and congested buildings. The fortifications of the town still remain on the northern and western sides. The walls were constructed in the 12th century by Menutsshochr Shah and repaired later in the 19th century. The houses in the town date from 18th century or before and overlook the sea.

The Maiden Tower

The maiden Tower is situated to the southeast of Icheri Sheher. It is a unique Azerbaijan monument that was constructed in 12th century. The tower rises 8 floors, but the 3 lower storeys are thought to have been constructed sometime in the 7th or 6th century BC as astronomical observation point and/or a fire temple. The tower is circular in plan with the exception of a solid eastwards projection that points to the sunrise during equinoxes.

Shirvanshah’s Palace

This palace was built in the 15th century when Shamaha favored Baku instead of the capital. The palace construction would continue through the reign of Khalilulla I and his son Faruk, until Faruk the younger was killed in battle in 1501.

The palace was damaged by Russian naval bombardment in the 18th century. The treasures from the palace were taken to Tabriz and eventually to Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. The palace is built on the highest point of one of the hills within Icheri Sheher. Extending over three superimposed terraces, it is clearly visible from the sea from and the heights surrounding the city.

This is your chance to see how the eastern European kings used to live. It is also a chance to study ancient architectural civilizations.