Sites of Interest in Baku
One of Baku favorite places of the citizens of Baku and its visitors is Primorsky Boulevard which stretches many kilometers along the sea shore. The Boulevard is picturesquely decorated with chestnut trees, plane trees, palm trees. There is an abundance of modern cafes and restaurants, cinemas, fountains on the Boulevard. One can take a cable car from there to Nagorny Park from where the breath-taking panorama of the city lies beneath your feet.
From the Boulevard you can make a boat trip along the Baku Bay . During this trip a guide introduces tourists to interesting facts and legends from the history of the Caspian Sea .
As for the central part of the city it is located in the other part of the capital and bears the name “Baku Acropolis”. In fact it is a history and architecture reserve.
There you will have a chance to visit the fortress named Icherisheher (12th century), Shirvan dynasty palace (15th century), the minaret of Synyk -Kala (11th century), Maiden Tower (7-12 th centuries), “ Baiil Stones » (13th century), the Mausoleum of Saiid Yahya Bakuvi , caravanserais – Multani (15th century), Bukhara (15th century), Mollakhan (13th century), numerous mosques – Mohammad ibn Abu-Bakr , Mirza-Ahmad (1345), Molla-Ahmad (15th century), Djuma ( 15-20th centuries), Lezgi (1169), mosque- madrasah (1646-47), baths (15-19th centuries), trade complex ( 16-17th centuries), the House of Baku Khans (18th century) as well as numerous richly decorated buildings of the 19th century. All buildings are graceful and decorated by intricate ornaments and patterns. The Cathedral of Sacred Wives of Russian orthodox church, a picturesque Iranian District, the embankment (one of the most beautiful in the world) are also worth visiting.
The majority of significant landmarks is located in Icheri-Sheher Fortress . It comprises more than 10 mosques erected at various times since 1078 (it was then that the first building of city was built), the Mosque of Mohammad a nd several madrasahs. The caravanserais: Bukhara , Khan (15th century), Multani (15th century), Kasym-bek , and the Market Square were also integral part of the ancient city. Everyone can visit the Portal of a dwelling house or a Khan house to experience the conditions of life in the Middle Ages. Baths (khamams) were a must in Azerbaijan . In Icherisheher there is the Bath of Hadji-Haib, the Bath of Aha-Mikail, and the Bath of Hassym-bek.
The country's pride – Shirvan Dynasty Palace – is also located there. In fact it is a complex consisting of the Palace itself, divankhane (a place intended for meeting foreign ambassadors), a palace mosque with a minaret, the Mausoleum of Seiid Yakhya Bakuvi , Shirvan Dynasty Tomb, the east portal, and a bath house.
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The jewel of this architectural magnificence is a well-known “ Maiden Tower ” (“Giz Galasi”). It is one of the world's largest Zoroastrian temples: the 28-meter tall, 8-tier beauty, which could shelter more than 200 people, towers in the southeast part of the fortress. Up until now scientists have not identified the true age of this "beauty". What is known that it already was used as a major city fortress in 13th century and in 1858 was used as a beacon for ships. "Maiden" means "unsubdued", "impregnable". Local residents' legend runs as follows: “The Shah fell in love with his own daughter and decided to marry her. Terrified by the forthcoming marriage with her father and in attempt to dissuade him, the daughter asked her father to build a tower in hope that during construction her father would change his mind. But the Shah did not change his decision so the girl climbed up the tower and jumped from it into the sea”.
There are plenty small cozy shops and cafes in Icherisheher where you can get souvenirs and even hand weaved carpets, to drink delicious freshly brewed coffee.
Icheri Sheher
Sinik Kala
Giz Galasi
Market Place
Murad Gate
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