Maiden Tower
One of the oldest and most mysterious monuments of Baku, the Maiden Tower holds significant importance both historically and architecturally. Standing 28 meters tall, the tower is located in the southeastern part of the Inner City (the ancient fortress walls of Baku). The construction of the Maiden Tower is believed to date back to the 12th century. This is largely based on the Kufic inscription on the stone found on the tower. The inscription mentions “Masud ibn Davud’s dome.” However, it is also suggested that the stone was added to the wall later. Its placement seems accidental—it’s not on the main entrance but rather on the side of the wall, approximately 14 meters above ground level. Researchers believe that the stone was originally a tombstone, which was later used to block one of the tower’s windows during renovation, or it could have been placed on the wall as the name of the master involved in the restoration.
Another theory suggests that the Maiden Tower dates back to much earlier times, possibly the Zoroastrian era. In this context, the monument is considered a Zoroastrian temple or a fire-worshipping shrine. According to research, the tower could have been built in the 8th–7th centuries BCE under the influence of the towered temples of Caspian and Media regions, possibly along the Caspian Sea coast, in the ancient fire city known as “Ateşi Baquan.” A different group of scholars, comparing the architectural features of the Maiden Tower to the Chiragqala and Gilgilchay defense systems, claims that it could belong to the 5th–6th centuries. According to this view, the tower might have been part of the defensive system in the Caucasian Albania region during the Sassanid Empire period.
Over the centuries, the Maiden Tower has been damaged by various wars and destruction but has been restored multiple times. In the medieval period, it played an important role in the defense of the city, together with the walls of the Baku Fortress. The building was significantly restored by Russian military forces in the mid-19th century and again in the 1960s.
Since 1964, the Maiden Tower has been functioning as a museum, and in 2000, it was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This monument is also one of the symbols of Azerbaijan and has been depicted on national currency notes during various periods.
