Caucasus 2018: 12 Baku Tour, Azerbaijan

"Great things are always criticized because they have the power to alter the perception of the world..."

(Ancient Caravanserai in Baku Old City)

Day 12: 26 April 2018 (Thursday)
Route: Baku City Tour
Hotel: Atlas Hotel Baku, Azerbaijan 

Republic of Azerbaijan is a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is bound by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west and Iran to the south.

(Preparation for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix)

(Military troops for crowd control)

This morning first visit was to Baku Old City. The city centre was crowded with locals and tourist as Baku was hosting the Formula 1 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix held between 27 and 29 April 2018 at the Baku City Circuit.

(The main entrance to the old city)

(The medieval wall surrounding the old city)

(A population of about 3000 people)

(Households and shops lining the narrow streets)

(The old city is divided into different quarters)

(A photo opportunity with a local old man)

(An old lady at the souvenir shop)

The Old City is the most ancient part of Baku, which is surrounded by well protected walls. Baku Fortress is the largest of Absheron fortresses. The fortress consists of the Icheri Sheher and the walls and towers surrounding it, and was included by UNESCO into the World Cultural Heritage List. It was built in about 1139 on the order of the Shirvanshah Manuchohr III. The fortress consisted of a double wall. The first wall was built by the Shirvanshah III Manuchohr, and the second wall was built during the time of Shirvanshah Akhsitan I. However, the second fortress walls were destroyed during the reign of Russia in Azerbaijan. Baku Fortress has two gates. One of them opens to the Caspian Sea and the other inland.

(The fortress is reconstructed and restored)

(The wall is protected with canons)

(A monument of Mirza Alakbar Sabir, a poet)

The City Walls provided for Baku's security. In the Middle Ages, the fortress walls were 1500 meters long and now the walls are 500 meters long. In the northern part of the fortress there is a main tower - quadrangular castle. This fortress is called ‘armory’ in the nation's etiology.

(An old caravanserai, an open museum)

(Ancient archaeological artifacts on display)

(The Maiden Tower - temple, observatory or watch tower?)

Muhammad Mosque is the mosque built in the 11th century in Baku Old City. The mosque is also known as Siniggala, for the name of its minaret – ‘damaged tower’. It remained a symbol of the persistence and courage of the defendants of the tower. It is the first building in Azerbaijan, which is related to Islam and dated for its architectural ligature.

(The entrance to Juma Mosque)

(A Pagan Temple converted into a mosque)

Juma mosque has been functioning since the 12th century. This mosque was built in 1899 at the funds of Baku philanthropist Khadja Shikhali Dadashev. The mosque was built on the site of the temple of fire worshipers. Only four uncoated arches remained from the old building, they allegedly belonged to the temple. According to many modern archaeologists, there was a pagan sacred center on the site of Juma Mosque, where the fire worshipers gathered.

(Signage at Juma Mosque)

(The Palace of Shirvanshahs)

The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Baku Old City. Along with the Shirvanshahs' Palace, dated to the 15th century. The Palace of the Shirvanshahs together with the Maiden Tower, forms an ensemble of historic monuments inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum, a portal in the east, Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of a bath house. The palace is depicted on the obverse of the Azerbaijani 10,000 Manat banknote of 1994-2006 and of the 10 new Manat banknote issued since 2006.

(Flame Tower and Radio/TV Tower in the background)

(The garden at Shirvanshahs' Palace)

(Aliaga Vahid statue, a styrical poet)

In the old city we had the opportunity to visit a remodelled 17th Century Tbilisi Caravanserai from the old Greater Silk Road. Today it is called the Tbilisi Historical Museum housing many art galleries and gift shops on the ground; first and second floors along with a great Wine Bar and Restaurant on the lower floor.

(Ancient Caravanserai converted into a restaurant)

(A well restored caravanserai quarters)

(Fine dining in the Caravanserai Restaurant)

After our lunch at Art Restaurant we visited the corniche by the Caspian Sea where we could view the skyline of Baku from there.

(Lunch at Art Restaurant)

(The corniche by the Caspian Sea)

Next visit was to the historical Bibi-Heybat Mosque outside town. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque includes the tomb of Ukeyma Khanum, a descendant of Prophet Muhammad, and today is the spiritual center for the Muslims of the region and one of the major monuments of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan. It is locally known as ‘the mosque of Fatima’.

(Bibi-Heybat Mosque)

(The view of the mosque from the main street)

(The mosque is overlooking the Caspian Sea)

(A mausoleum in the mosque)

(Also known as the Mosque of Fatima)

On the way back to town, we stopped at a beach resort by the Caspian Sea for photo shots. We could see the Flame Towers, a trio of skyscrapers in Baku, the tallest in the country, with a height of 182 m. The buildings consist of apartments, a hotel and office blocks.

(The beach by the Caspian Sea)

(The beach at a beach resort)

(The Flame Towers viewed from the beach)

Tonight’s dinner was at Royal Hotel restaurant near Atlas Hotel.

 2018 Caucasus Trip: 13 Baku Tour, Azerbaijan👉

👈2018 Caucasus Trip: 11 Tbilisi, Armenia - Baku Azerbaijan