Divankhana
A carved stone portal.
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A fifteenth-century palace complex in the upper part of Baku's Old City, built by the rulers of Shirvan, the Shirvanshahs, and described by UNESCO as «one of the pearls of Azerbaijan's architecture». Together with the Maiden Tower it forms a World Heritage Site. The complex includes the main palace building, the octagonal Divankhana with its finely carved stone portal, the dynasty's burial vaults, the Shah's mosque with its minaret, the mausoleum of the scholar Seyid Yahya Bakuvi known as the dervish's mausoleum, the eastern portal, Murad's gate, a water reservoir and the remains of a bathhouse. Inscriptions on the minaret and the burial vault show that most of it was built under Shirvanshah Khalilullah I in the 1430s and 1440s. The palace was once enclosed by a wall with towers, making it Baku's inner citadel. Visitors now wander its terraced courtyards and halls displaying finds, weapons, vessels, manuscripts and costumes, while its honey-coloured stone glows in the sun. Tickets are about 15 AZN per visitor guides, and guided tours are available. The complex spreads over several levels with stone steps, so allow one to two hours; mornings are best.
A carved stone portal.
With its old minaret.
And the dervish's tomb.
Upper part of the Old City, Baku
Old City of Baku (Icherisheher)Baku's historic heart, a walled town on a hill above the Caspian bay, known in A4 minutes walk
Maiden TowerA massive twelfth-century stone tower in Baku's Old City, known in Azerbaijani a5 minutes walk
Fountains Square and Nizami StreetThe liveliest square in central Baku, stretching from the Old City walls to Niza7 minutes walk
Taza Pir MosqueOne of Baku's main mosques, a Shia mosque in the city centre with a large dome a9 minutes walk
Azerbaijan Carpet MuseumAzerbaijan's national carpet museum, holding the world's largest collection of A10 minutes walkThe rulers of Shirvan in Azerbaijan over many centuries, who made Baku their capital in the fifteenth century and built this palace there.