Old City Tour

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Old City Tour
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Baku's Old City, also known as Inner City or Icherisheher, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest part of Baku. It is surrounded by walls and dates back to at least the 12th century, with some researchers suggesting construction began in the 7th century. The Old City boasts a variety of historical monuments, including the Synyg Gala Minaret, the Multani Caravanserai, and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Visitors can also see the Maiden Tower, a distinct landmark of Baku. During the 19th and 20th centuries, European-style buildings were constructed in the Old City, giving it a unique blend of architectural styles. With its rich history and stunning architecture, a tour of Baku's Old City is a must for any traveler visiting Azerbaijan.

This tour begins from the site in front of the entrance to the Maiden Tower, which is considered symbol of the Baku City and is included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. According to the history, there are several scientific versions and an endless number of legends about the tower, which your professional guide will tell you in more detail.

Across from the Maiden Tower lie the remains of the Church of St. Bartholomew. One of Jesus Christ's 12 apostles, St. Bartholomew played a crucial role in spreading Christianity throughout Albania and Asia. In the year 71, fire worshippers subjected him to crucifixion, and this church was erected on the very spot where he met his demise.

The next stop in our tour is The Hadji Baani hammam, it stands as the oldest and largest bathhouse in the Old City to have survived to this day. Until 1960, its existence remained unknown, concealed beneath layers of earth. The surface was occupied by a cluster of shacks and houses, the inhabitants of which remained blissfully unaware of the ancient treasure buried beneath their feet for centuries.

Caravanserai Multani was created in the 14 century. Caravanserai Multani was built for Indian merchants - fire worshipers who came from the city of Multan in India. Opposite Multani is the Bukhara Caravanserai, which was built at the end of the 15th century on the trade route that passes through the Shamakhi Gate. Basically, merchants and travelers from Central Asia stayed in it, in particular from Bukhara, from where it got its name. The narrow street between these two caravansaries was part of the Great Silk Way.

This house belonged to a sailor. That is why the building resembles the deck of a ship. Now there is a carpet shop. The “house with chains” before the Soviet power belonged to the local merchant Haji Mamed Huseyn. Recently, this building was the office of oil companies such as BP and Statoil. Currently it is the building of the Museum of Archeology.

The house of the Baku Khans dates back to the 18th century. From 1747 to 1806, the rulers of the Baku Khanate lived here, the last of which was Huseyngulu Khan.

The city customs was located at the Double Gates. Even in the ancient city, hygiene standards were carefully controlled. Every person who entered the city was forced to wash himself. And the feet of animals were smeared with a special antiseptic made of oil - tar.

Nowadays, the length of the fortress walls is 500 meters, whereas earlier it reached one and a half kilometers. Currently, these fortified walls unite 25 semicircles and have 5 gates. It was behind these walls was the entire city of Baku until the 19th century. These walls were witnesses to the cannon attacks of Peter’s troops, the Safavids and the Mongol-Tatar troops.

One of the most important architectural masterpieces of the Old City is the Palace of Shirvanshahs, which is also called the pearl of Baku. 

Then your guide will take you to the bust of Aliaga Vahid, the famous Azerbaijani poet, who was a close friend of the great Russian poet Sergei Yesenin. Sculptures in his hair are elegantly created scenes from his works, reflecting the life of society.

Part of the famous Azerbaijani and Soviet films were shot in the old town. Among them are the “Diamond Hand”, “Amphibian Man”, “Aibolit-66”, “Tehran-43”, “Do not be afraid, I'm with you”, “A Day has passed”, etc. Your guide will take you to where Nikulin fell and broke his arm and shouted loudly - "Damn it!"

The final sight in this tour will be the Juma Mosque, located in the vicinity of the Maiden's Tower. During its existence, the mosque was repeatedly and radically updated and rebuilt. In 1437, during the reign of Shirvanshah Khalil-ullah I from the Derbendi dynasty, a minaret was built near the mosque, which has survived to our days.

  •   Tour Category: Day Trips
  •   Minimum number of people: 1
  •   Start Time: 15:00-17:00
  •   Duration: 2 hours
  •   Included: Professional English-speaking guide.
  •   Excluded: Insurance, personal expenses
  •   Note: The tour begins on the site in front of the entrance to the Maiden Tower.