The tour begins from the site in front of the entrance to the Maiden Tower, which is a symbol of the city of Baku and is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. According to the history and purpose of this tower, there are several scientific versions and an infinite number of legends that your professional guide will tell you in details.
In the opposite site of the Maiden Tower there are ruins of the “Church of Saint Bartholomew,” who, as you know, was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ and was engaged in spreading of Christianity in Albania and in Asia. In 71 he was crucified by fire worshipers. It was at the place of his death that this church was later built.
The largest and oldest extant bath in the Old City is the Haji Baani Hammam. Until 1960, nobody knew about it, since it was covered with earth. On the surface there were numerous shacks and houses, whose inhabitants for hundreds of years had no idea that an ancient monument was buried under their feet.
Caravanserai Multani was created in the 14th century 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 caravanserais was part of the Great Silk Way.
This house belonged to the 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. Until recently, this building was the office of oil companies 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. In the ancient city, even then, hygiene standards were carefully observed. Every person who entered the city was forced to wash himself. And the feet of animals were smeared with tar, a special antiseptic made of oil.
The Quadrangular Tower (donjon) of the city walls was built in the 15th century. According to medieval sources, there were 70 half-towers in Baku and one quadrangular tower located in the northern part of the fortress walls. In the Middle Ages, this tower was used as a reinforcement of the defensive ability of the fortress walls from the north, and also as a storage room for weapons.
One of the most important architectural masterpieces of the Old City is the Palace of Shirvanshahs, which is also called the pearl of Baku. This tour will include the entrance to the palace, from which you will have unforgettable impressions of a combination of bright walls and dark stories.
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!"
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