Baku Old City (Icherisheher)

Icherisheher, or the ‘Inner City,’ is Baku’s historic quarter, set on a hill beside the Caspian Sea. Its massive defensive walls rise 8–10 meters and embody centuries of Azerbaijani history. The area was inhabited in the Bronze Age, and in the 15th century the Shirvanshah moved his residence here, making Icherisheher the center of city life. From 1747 to 1806, it served as the center of the Baku Khanate. Today, the quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Major sights include the Palace of the Shirvanshahs with its mausoleum and mosque, the Maiden Tower with a museum and viewing platform, caravanserais dating from the 12th to 17th centuries, and Market Square with ancient gravestones and stone carving. The principal streets are Boyuk Gala, Kichik Gala, and Asaf Zeynalli Street. Entry to the quarter is free, while museums and palaces charge admission.

The old city is a maze of narrow, winding streets designed to slow enemies approaching the ruler’s residence. Of the five surviving bathhouses, the 15th-century Haji Gayib Hammam is especially notable as the largest and oldest.