Shirvanshahs Palace

Shirvanshahs Palace is the former residence of the rulers of Shirvan, located in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. The palace complex was built in the period from XIII to XVI century. The construction of the palace was associated with the transfer of the capital of the Shirvanshahs’ state from Shemakha to Baku.

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General Information

Despite the fact that the main buildings of the ensemble were built at the same time, the palace complex makes a holistic artistic impression. The builders of the ensemble relied on the age-old traditions of the Shirvan-Absheron school of architecture. Having created clear cubic and multifaceted architectural volumes, they decorated the walls with the richest carved pattern, which testifies to the fact that the creators of the palace perfectly mastered the skill of stone masonry. Each of the architects, thanks to tradition and artistic taste, perceived the architectural concept of his predecessor, creatively developed and enriched it. The different buildings are connected both by the unity of scale and rhythm and proportionality of the main architectural forms – cubic volumes of buildings, domes, portals.

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In 1964, the palace complex was declared a museum-reserve and taken under the protection of the state. In 2000, the unique architectural and cultural ensemble, along with the walled historic part of the city and the Maiden Tower, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Shirvanshahs’ Palace is still considered one of the pearls of Azerbaijani architecture.

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Palace complex

This palace ensemble has repeatedly attracted the attention of various researchers. It can be said with certainty that there is no more such historical and cultural monument on the whole territory of the country, which would be enthusiastically studied by such a huge number and variety of scientists. The Palace of Shirvanshahs has been thoroughly measured and drawn many times, included in various special and popular scientific literature.

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Actually, the palace itself is a building with two floors, very simple in architectural design. Apparently, this is the very first building of the entire palace complex.

The ensemble further includes:

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  • Diwan-Khane building,
  • the tomb with a prayer hall and portal,
  • a two-domed mosque,
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  • the mausoleum of Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi,
  • an underground well (ovdan),
  • bathhouse,
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  • East Gate.
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The building Diwan-Khane has an octagonal hall, on five edges of which it is surrounded by a gallery with an arcade. The tomb is rectangular in shape and the prayer hall is cruciform, the portal being very richly decorated.

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The mosque is decorated with a graceful minaret, and the mausoleum is built in the form of an octagonal structure.

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The main material used in the construction of the Palace of Shirvanshahs is Apsheron limestone. It has a very valuable property: this limestone has a milky-white color after it is trimmed, but with time a very beautiful ochre-golden shade appears.

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Stones of different sizes were used for laying out the walls of the palace, but Azerbaijani masters of the 15th century so carefully and skillfully hewn them that today the seams of the old masonry are simply not visible.

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In addition, the rows of stones were alternated – one narrow, the other wide. As a result, there was already a kind of a certain pattern. Some of the layers of limestone were laid horizontally and some vertically.

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This difference also gave a very noticeable effect of color, because some stones looked darker and others lighter.

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Shirvanshahs’ Palace – witness to many historical events

The Shirvanshahs’ Palace has stood in its place for more than a century, and, of course, has witnessed many historical events.

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Baku was once captured by the Safavids, and in 1578 the palace fell into the hands of the Turks.

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In 1723 Baku was captured by the troops of Peter the Great: then the eastern and southern facades of the building were damaged.

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Up until the middle of the 19th century, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs was almost in ruins, until in 1857 it was handed over to the Russian military department. It carried out some repairs of the Palace, at the same time significantly rebuilding it, thus adapting the palace buildings for the storage of weapons and military equipment.

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As a majestic historical monument, the Shirvanshahs’ Palace suffered very serious damage as a result of this rebuilding.

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After 1917, Soviet rule was established in Azerbaijan, and it was then decided to establish a Commission for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. Thus, starting from 1932, works on the restoration of this magnificent creation of medieval Azerbaijan began in the Palace of Shirvanshahs.

The Palace of Shirvanshahs received the status of a museum-reserve in 1964 and immediately became protected by the state.

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In the sixteenth century, this palace was completely devastated and robbed. However, this does not prevent tourists from visiting it as one of the main Baku sights. After all, many medieval secrets are still kept there.

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One of them is the Divankhane. What kind of building is it? Scientists have no answer to this question, there are only guesses that this is an ancient place of judgment. These conjectures are based on this. Above one of the entrances to the halls of Diwanhane there is an inscription, a quote of lines from the Koran:

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“God has said,” he is praised and blessed: and God calls to the house of peace and guides to the straight path whom he wills. To them that do good shall be good, and with abundance: neither dust nor ignominy shall cover their faces, they shall be the inhabitants of paradise, in which they shall be forever.”

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There is one wondrous and sacred place on the palace grounds – the Milk Well. In local parlance, it is called “Shud-kuyusi.” According to legends, the water from this well could return milk to a nursing mother.

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Now this well looks like an empty round room. And it is located in the courtyard of Diwanhana.

In 1939, one of the most interesting constructions of the Shirvanshahs’ palace was found – the palace bath.

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Archaeologists found out that the bathhouse consisted of twenty-six rooms, which were covered with domes. In the domes were windows that gave the necessary lighting. The whole bathhouse was divided into two main, large rooms, which, in turn, were divided by partitions-pylons into smaller ones.

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The outer rooms (called “chol” by the locals) were used as changing rooms, and they were heated by warm air coming from the inner rooms (“icheri” in local parlance), which were intended for bathing.

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In the inner rooms there were also water tanks – separate for hot and cold water, they were called “khazna”. The reservoir for hot water had its own stove, or rather, furnace for constant heating of the water.

The baths were heated not with wood, but with solidified white oil, supplying warm steam through steam channels located under the floors.

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By the way, the palace bathhouse was only half elevated above the ground, the main part of it was hidden. In those days, such construction was common, such a layout helped to save heat in the cold season and keep cool in the heat.

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The Shirvanshahs’ palace looks very beautiful from the sea. It is a sight worth going on a small voyage and admiring the beautiful view. Only from the sea you can see that the palace is located on three levels, as if it smoothly descends three steps from the very top of the hill.

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The beauty of the portals, domes, arches and masonry are all a delight to behold. Once you’ve seen this complex, you’ll want to come back again and again to experience the magical atmosphere of the Middle Ages.

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Since the Shirvanshahs’ Palace was given the status of a museum-reserve and since this palace complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, active activities have been started on its territory. These include constant sightseeing tours, educational lectures, informative exhibitions, and various events – musical, historical and entertaining.

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Here the medieval history of Azerbaijan comes alive again every day and is revealed to everyone who wants to see and know.

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Address of Shirvanshahs Palace

Shirvanshahs Palace is located at the address: Baku city, Fortress, Zamkovsky Lane, building 76. The stop of transportation is called “Ichyari-Shahyar”.

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Opening hours

The palace complex works without weekends and lunch breaks from 10 am to 5 pm. There is an admission fee, adult ticket is $2, students are $1, children are admitted free of charge.

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