AZE: Maiden Tower
Zamkovskaya Side-Street, Icherisheher, Baku, Azerbaijan
Daily: 10.00am - 6.00pm
Maiden Tower is a 12th century tower that houses a museum showcasing the story of the historic evolution of Baku. Along with Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the tower has been in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 2001. Till date, nobody has come to a foolproof conclusion of the design and purpose of the tower.
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AZE: Maiden Tower <YOU ARE HERE!>
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The tower rises to a height of 29.5 m.
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| The base diameter is 16.5 m. |
The entrance fee for the tower is the same as that for the palace, which is AZN 15.00 (~S$11.75) per adult foreigner.
The tower comprises eight floors.
A cross-section of a 21 m deep water well is covered with a glass panel on the first floor. Go up to the third floor to see the depth of it.
Some argue that the tower was built for a defensive purpose, while others propose that it was a sacred place related to Zoroastrianism, which is one of the world's oldest organised faiths originating from Iran. Another group theorises that the tower was used as an observatory.
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| There was once no staircase between the first floor and the second floor. |
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| Isn't that one sinister-looking crevice, or is it just my imagination? |
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| I was pretty captivated by the animation, but I forgot to take a video of it. |
There are two vertical shafts within the tower wall, one of them housing the water well. The other runs down from the top floor throughout the height of the tower and includes ceramic pipes slotted into each other, the purpose of which remains unclear.
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| The excavation done in 1962 revealed that the tower was built on a large rock sloping toward the sea. |
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| Were those cavities used to hold load-bearing wooden beams or emplace lamps? |
Let's cover the upper half of the tower! Anyway, do be careful of your head when ascending or descending the tower.
Legends aside, it's been a challenge to find any evidence as to why the tower is named as such. A history professor opines that the tower remains a 'maiden' or 'virgin' tower since it's never been destroyed by human forces even during the war.
Given the mystery surrounding the tower, it's long become a subject for theatre plays and even ballets. One example is a world-class masterpiece of the Azerbaijani ballet that was created in 1940 by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli.
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| Which of the following weapons is your favourite? |
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| In the 9th International Art Festival in Baku, artists from different countries decorated mock-ups of the Maiden Tower in their national style. |
Take a look at cool holograms of artifacts, which can be found in other museums.
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| That 12th century ceramic bowl can be found in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. |
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| An astrolabe, which roughly translates to 'star-taker' is an ancient astronomical instrument. |
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| The glutton in me immediately thought of a tart when I saw that. |
Expect something a bit more futuristic-looking nearer to the top of the tower.
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| I'd love to see such a view in real life. |
We finally reached the observation deck.
Enjoy the gorgeous view of the city from up there!
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| Baku TV Tower on the right is the tallest concrete structure in the country. |
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| Plexiglass barriers were installed around the observation deck in 2011 as a safety measure. |
Climbing up and subsequently going down the tower was a good enough exercise for the morning.
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| From top to bottom, the languages are Azerbaijani, English and Russian. |
Here's a short video clip that I took as I made my descent.
Along with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the tower can be seen in the AZN 10 (~S$7.80) banknotes issued since 2006.
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