Historic places in Baku

Historic places in Baku

1. See

   Bibi-Heybat Mosque

   Azerbaijani: Bibiheybət məscidi)

   This is a historical mosque built in the 1990s, and is a recreation of the mosque with the same name built in the 13th century by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II, which was completely destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1936. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque includes the tomb of Ukeyma Khanum (a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad), and today is the spiritual center for the Muslims of the region and one of the major monuments of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan. It's locally known as "the mosque of Fatima" The old mosque was situated in the southern part of the tomb, while there was a 20 meter high minaret in the west part of the mosque. Later a crypt and two niches were added to the mosque to the south of the minaret. On the niches there were inscriptions containing the name of Fatali Khan, whose tombstone marble slab is now in the Azerbaijan State Museum of History. From 1305 to 1313, Mahmud Ibn Saad built the mosque's minarets. Western women can enter, when wearing a veil.

   Free

2. See

   Gulustan Palace

   Azerbaijani: Gülüstan sarayı, Gulustan Wedding Palace Complex

   The complex during the Soviet era is the main state convention center of the Azerbaijani government. From here overlooking the city of Baku and Baku Bay. The palace hosts formal events of governmental and non-governmental organizations. It is notable for having hosted such important events as the Contract of the Century and other significant oil and gas contracts, signing of TRACECA project, the wedding of Leyla Aliyeva, the daughter of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, international and state conferences, etc.

3. See

   Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral / Russian Orthodox Church

   Russian: Кафедральный Собор Святых Жён-Мироносиц; Azeri: Müqəddəs Mürdaşıyan Zənənlər Başkilsəsi

   This Russian Orthodox cathedral was founded in 1909. Hit by a Russian missile in 1990, it was reconstructed and reopened in 2001. It holds a shrine of the apostle St. Bartholomew.

4. See

   Ismailiyya building

   İsmailiyye palace, Azerbaijani: İsmailiyyə Sarayı

   This is a historical building serves as the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. - The palace was constructed in 1913, for the Muslim Charity Society by Józef Plośko, funded by millionaire Musa Naghiyev in commemoration of his deceased son Ismayil, and was named Ismailiyya after him. The building was constructed in Venetian Gothic style.

5. See

   National Museum of History of Azerbaijan

   Taghiyev History Museum, Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Tarix Muzeyi, Russian: Музей истории Азербайджана

   The museum was built in 1893–1902. The Italian Renaissance-style mansion is immense and occupies an entire city block. There are four floors in some parts of the building. It was designed by Polish architect Józef Gosławski. On the second floor of Taghiyev's residence, side-by-side there are two major ballrooms. One is based on Oriental designs (Mauritanian style) and the other, on Western design. The Oriental Room has enormous plate-glass windows, gilded arches, highly ornamental walls, ceilings and chandeliers. The lines in the Occidental Room are more perpendicular to each other – rectangular. The museum has more than 2,000 exhibits and includes the following departments: Modern history, Ethnography, Ancient and medieval history of Azerbaijan, Scientific excursion, Fund of Numismatics, Art design group.

   Mon-Sat 11:00-18:00, first Mon of every month closed (– cleanup day)·10 manat

6. See

   Palace of Happiness

   Azerbaijani: Səadət Sarayı, Palace of Marriage former Mukhtarov Palace

   This is a historic building in the center of Baku, Azerbaijan, built in Neo-Gothic style in 1912. The building was built by an Azerbaijani Oil Baron Murtuza Mukhtarov for his wife Lisa. The designer was the Polish architect Józef Plośko. After Sovietization in 1920 the building was given to the Club of Liberated Turkic Women, after which it functioned as the Shirvanshahs' Museum. During the existence of Azerbaijan SSR, the palace functioned as the Palace of Marriage Registrations. On 2 August 2001, by a resolution issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, the building was listed as real estate of historic and state importance and was to be protected as a monument of Azerbaijani culture. The street lying on the right side of the building is named Murtuza Mukhtarov.

7. See

   Saray Mosque

   Palatial mosque, Shahs-khans mosque, Azerbaijani: Saray məscidi, Russian: Дворцовая мечеть

   Plan of the mosque is rectangular. There is a small hall, small prayer room for women and serving rooms. The northern portal, rotated to a burial vault of Shirvanshahs is more solemn than the eastern one. The latter, which was coming down to underground exit, was intended for habitants of the palace. - Interior. Two-tier windowed prayer room is covered with cupola with spherical sails. Mihrab is located in the southern end of the palace. Cupola area over one a tier women's prayer room ceding to cupola of the hall with its dimensions and replacing its outlines. Aperture of the mosque's portal is clearly described on the severe background of prismatic volume, ended with two cupolas with slightly sharpening calottes. - Minaret. Trunk of the minaret is surrounded by an inscription, a ligature of which has a date of 845 (1441/42). Details of sherefe's stalactites are subtly modeled.

8. See

   The Palace of the Shirvan Shahs

   Shirvanshahs' Palace; Azerbaijani: Şirvanşahlar sarayı, Russian: Дворец Ширваншахов

   The medieval palace of the Shirvan Shahs is the highlight of the Old City and a must see for any tourist in Baku. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum, a portal in the east - Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of the bath-house. The main building of the complex was started in 1411 by Shirvanshah Sheykh Ibrahim I. The two-storey building of the palace numbers about 50 different dimensions and outlines of the constructions connected with 3 narrow winding staircases.

   Daily: Apr-Oct 10:00-19:00, Nov-Mar 10:00-18:00·Foreigners 10 manat, locals 2 manat, 2 manat to take photos

9. Drink Not mapped

   Finnegan’s

   Next to History Museum. Free wifi. Good beer prices and Happy Hour offers. Ridiculously expensive wine, however. It doesn't serve Guinness. April 2016.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Baku (CC BY-SA 4.0).