National Museum of History of Azerbaijan

One of the biggest museums of the Caucasus, the Museum of History of Azerbaijan, is situated in the former mansion of the famous Azerbaijani oilman Haji ZeynalabdinTagiyev. The building of the museum which built in 1895-1896 by Polish architect Jozef Goslawski.

Ten funds of the museum contain more than 250,000 exhibits. The museum collection of archaeological fund has about 22 000 exhibits that are mainly stone and obsidian instruments of labour of the epochs of Paleolith, Mesolite and late Stone Age; household objects made of copper, bronze, iron, examples of clay and china ware, jewellery. One of the main positions among them belongs   to the fragment of a fossil man’s lower jaw found in the Azikh cave not far from the city of Fizuli – the man called nowadays «azikhantrop» that is estimated to have lived 300-350 thousand years ago.

The numismatic fund of the museum has more than 150000 coins belonging to different historical periods. It is an exceptionally important material for studying history of the country, covering more than 2000 years, the whole history of coining and currency in Azerbaijan. Here, coins of various periods are preserved – coins of Alexander the Great, those of some Hellenistic countries (Selevkia, Parthia, Bactria, Ponta etc.); coins of great antique centers – Athens, Rome; coins of the period of the Arabic caliphate, period of feudal countries, period of Mongol invasion, as well as coins of Shirvanshahs. In ancient Azerbaijan (in Atropatena and Caucasian Albania) silver coins were already minted for the first time in III century B.C. At the period of Early Middle Ages, the cities of Nakhchivan, Baku, Barda and some others start to coin their own money. Besides, the fund also has a good collection of medals, various signs, banknote, seals, postage stamps etc.

The ethnographic fund has in its collection about 9000 exhibits. These are examples of ware, clothes, as well as a rich collection of carpets and carpet goods. The richly decorated ware and jewelry    point to prosperity of various types of crafts and high artistic taste of the masters. The arm collection, the main part of which is the oriental type of arms, has over six hundred exhibits of various epochs and peoples. The central position in this collection belongs to cold steel and fire-arms of the Caucasus, which is, according to the quality and quantity of the exhibits, one of the biggest collections of Caucasian arms. The most interesting part in this exposition is represented by the famous Caucasian daggers that won world’s recognition by its battle peculiarities and artistic expression.

Address: 4 H.Z.Tagiyev  str.

Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography

The museum   contains archaeological finds reflecting the history of Azerbaijan, beginning from the Stone Age till the period of Middle Ages, ethnographic material related to  the XlX century   and the  beginning of  the XX century.

Address: 2 Boyuk Gala str., Icheri   Sheher.

Gobustan National Historical and Artistic Preserve

Gobustan is a rocky region situated among north-eastern spurs of the Great Caucasus mountain chain and the Caspian Sea, 70 km from Baku. The historical reserve of Gobustan is a museum under the open sky, where evidences of the epochs of Stone and Bronze Ages are concentrated – rock paintings and ancient human sites where people lived for centuries. Mo re  than four thousand petro glyphs preserved in Gobustan – images of people, animals, scenes of labor, collective hunting and dance.

Address: 3  Lermontov  str.

State Historical and Architectural Museum-Preserve «Complex of Shirvanshahs’ Palace»

Museum preserves unique residence of rulers of Shirvan State – Palace of Shirvanshahs (XV century). The Ensemble is situated on the highest point of one of the hills of Icheri Sheher and contains dwelling house with 52 rooms, divan-Khane, Shirvanshahs’ tomb, palace mosque with minaret, mausoleum of Bakuvi, and portal of eastern gate.

Address: 76 Gasrlane, Icheri  Sheher.

Maiden Tower

Giz Galasi (Maiden Tower) is a monumental construction at the height of 29,5 meters and diameter of 16,5 meters. Maiden Tower situated in the southern part of Icheri Sheher is a symbol of Baku. The Tower is an eight-storied cylindrical-shaped built at the coast-rock.

Address: Neftchiler  avenue

Ateshgah Temple

Ateshgah Temple («House of Fire») is located in 30 kilometers  from the centre of Baku. The temple is constructed in XVII-XVIII centuries at the old place of the ever-burning eternal fires. These fires had been esteemed from the ancient shrine of fire-worshippers – Zoroastrians.

Address: Surakhani settlement

National Art Museum of Azerbaijan named after R.Mustafayev

The Art Museum is a thesaurus of examples of fine arts and crafts of Azerbaijan and some eastern countries: Turkey, Iran, Japan, Chine, as well as Russian and Western European art. The museum is located in two buildings constructed in the end of XIX century that are also historical monuments themselves. The exposition of the museum was created in historical chronological order and in accordance with various national schools. The fine art  of Azerbaijan is represented by painted ceramics, copper and bronze engraved wares, ancient carpets, jewelry, works of Azerbaijani miniature-painters of XV-XVI centuries, lacquered miniature of XVIII-XIX centuries, as well as paintings and sculptures of contemporary painters and sculptors.

The Russian fine art is represented by works of Old Russian School of painting, works of painters of XVIII-XIX centuries – Borovikovskiy, Tropinin, Vereshagin, Serov, Korovin, Rerikh and other outstanding masters of painting.

The paintings of Bassano, Solimena, Brawver, Sustermance, Pitter Class, Kaulbach, Dupre, Buvreetc represent the fine arts of Western Europe.

Address: 9/11 Niyazi str., Baku.

Museum of Independence of Azerbaijan

The museum reflects various stages of the struggle of the Azeri people for independence. Visitors are offered materials telling about national liberation movements that took place in Southern Azerbaijan early XX century, documents of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic – the first Republic in the East, materials testifying to repressions of 1920-1950, as well as telling about the participation of Azeri people in the Second World War and the territorial claims of Armenia. ‘

Address: 123a Neftchiler str., Baku.

Museum of Azerbaijani Carpet and Applied Art 

In 1967 the first carpet museum of the whole World was opened in Baku, where all types of carpets and carpet works were collected. The museum’s collection has more than 10 thousands of valuable art works. Particularly, the exposition of the museum contains old carpets weaved in XVIII-XIX centuries, artistic Museum Centre decorative carpets created nowadays. According to the technology of weaving and artistic solution Azerbaijani carpets are divided into two types: tufted and non-tufted carpets that remind tapestry.

The museum also has various objects of medieval household, ceramic wares belonging to the Bronze Age, artistic metal of XIV century. Jewelry made of silver and gold, national costumes and artistic embroidery are performed in the best mastery traditions of Azerbaijan; works of applied art painters are also widely represented in the Museum.

The Carpet Museum is also famous in the world as competent scientific centre. It gives the museum the opportunity to act as an expert side at various international scientific events.

Address: 123a Neftchiler str., Baku.

Museum of Azerbaijani Literature named after  Nizami

The museum is dedicated to literature and folklore of Azerbaijan and reflects the development of Azerbaijani  literature from ancient times till the present. In the centre of the facade of the museum building there is a big loggia decorated by multicolored ceramic facing serving as a wonderful background for the sculptures of famous poets and writers placed in it – those are representatives of Azerbaijani classical literature.

Address: 53 Istiglaliyat str.

Museum of Azerbaijani Musical Culture

This Museum was established in 1967. The Museum funds are at present total to over 30.000 samples. Units of maintaining materials from the personal archives of composers U.Hajibayov, M.Magomayev, G.Garayev, T.Guliyev, F.Amirov, S.Alasgarov and others are kept in the museum. A collection of Azeri folk musical instruments is demonstrated here.

Address: 5 R.Behbudov  str.

Museum of Miniature Book

The main basis of the museum’s exposition is the collection gathered by Zarifa  Salahova during 20 years – it is about 3750 miniature books published in 60 countries. The museum fund has in total more than 5300 editions. The books presented in the museum enables to get to know the best examples of miniature books created in different countries and belonging to different periods. Visitors of the museum can see old editions of the Holy Quran, prayer books of XIX century, books about arts, tale books, books about cities and counties of the world etc. There are in Museum «The History of England» published in 1815 in London and a novel in verses «Evgeniy Onegin» published in 1837 in St Petersburg, at the time when the poet was still alive. The museum collection surely contains miniature books published in Azerbaijan. Among the most interesting ones – micro-books having a size from 2 to 10 mm, as well as those with a size of 2×2 mm having a sheepskin cover and published in Tokyo and accompanied by their «own» reading magnifiers.

Address: 67 1st Gala Dongesi, Icheri  Sheher.

Heydar Aliyev Center