Old City in Baku

Location On a low hill on the shore of the Caspian Sea stands the medieval heart of Baku- Inner City (Icheri-Shekher), which was inhabited in the Bronze Age. The old city is surrounded by a 10-meter high fortress wall, marking […]

     

Location

On a low hill on the shore of the Caspian Sea stands the medieval heart of Baku- Inner City (Icheri-Shekher), which was inhabited in the Bronze Age. The old city is surrounded by a 10-meter high fortress wall, marking the borders of Old Baku. The fortification is quite reliable: the walls are thicker than 3 m, and the height is about 10. There are 25 towers and 5 gates in the fortress wall. It was from this, the oldest quarter, that Baku once was born. The old city of Baku began to be called after the oil boom of the XIX century when thousands of people poured here to work, and the city ceased to fit in the fortress walls and went beyond it. The beauty of Icheri Sheher is that it is not a faceless ruin, from which the old city is blowing, but a residential quarter of a modern city where ordinary people live in ancient houses. Now Icheri Sheher is a historical reserve with a characteristic architectural appearance. In early 2000, the historical center of Baku “Icheri-Shekher” was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
A bit of history

History of Icheri Sheher

The territory of Icheri-Shekher was inhabited by people already in the Bronze Age. In the 8th century, trade and craft flourished here. The Arab scientist and traveler Al-Masudi wrote about Baku as a developed trade settlement with its own port. The natural sea harbor with favorable climate and the favorable location could withstand numerous foreign conquests. After the devastating earthquake in Shamakhi in the early 11th century, the ruler Shirvanshah moved his residence there. To strengthen the city was erected a fortress wall and dug a moat. The heyday of Ichari-Shekher went with a new force, the commercial life in Baku, which was on the Great Silk Road and was a city of transit trade zaburlila with renewed vigor. The territory of the city was divided into quarters. The boatmen settled in the Gyamichilar quarter, the drivers in the Arabachilar quarter, the bathhouse attendants in the Hamamchilar. Shemakha and Salyan gates passed through the fortress wall of the guests and residents. The boom of oil production in the Caspian Sea, which began in the 19th century, is still reflected in the city’s image.
What to see

Sightseeing

The most significant monuments of Icheri Sheher are the Shirvanshahs Palace and the Maiden’s Tower. Dozens of historical monuments – caravan-serai of Bukhara, Indian and other merchants, medieval baths, houses, several museums, embassies, hotels, shops, cafes, and restaurants, where you can taste Azerbaijani national cuisine are located in the historical center of İcheri Sheher. In the narrow streets of Icheri Sheher, where the width of the passages between the houses often amounts to the width of outstretched hands, there are many small shops where you can buy old and modern products of local craftsmen: carpets, ceramics, copper, etc. There are also ancient 15  preserved mosques, however, some of them out of order.

Maiden’s Tower

The Maiden’s Tower is located in the south-eastern part of the Baku fortress. Some researchers suggest that the tower was originally built by fire worshipers, and in this regard, the date of construction relating to the pre-Islamic era. Currently, on three floors of the Maiden Tower, an exhibit is displayed, dating back to the XII century of archaeological materials found in the well of the tower. On the fourth floor of the exhibition, medieval swords are displayed. The height of the tower, built as a huge cylinder, is 28 meters. The thickness of the walls of the tower is 5 meters at the base and 4 meters at the height of 8 floors.

Palace of Shirvanshahs

The medieval palace complex of Shirvanshahs is located on one of the hills of Icheri Sheher. The palace was built in the XII century, and its final construction was completed in the XV century. In the palace complex, there are no luxurious interiors, but you can admire the skillful masonry and a combination of cubic and round shapes. The ensemble of the palace also includes a 15th-century mosque, the Diwan-khan’s inner courtyard, and the royal burial vault. The palace is housed in three courtyards located on different levels. The building of the palace and the sofa is located in the upper courtyard. In the lower courtyard – a palace mosque, a burial vault, a bath Shirvan Shahs. The Shrine was built by order of Shirvanshah Halilullah for his son and his mother. All three yards are one complex, surrounded by a fortified wall. The only monument of the XVI century in the complex is the “Gates of Murad”, an inscription in which says that they were built in (1585-86), in honor of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III.

The historical and architectural reserve “Icheri Sheher” is located on the territory of Sabail district of Baku, on the coast of Baku bay along Neftchiler avenue.

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