15th c. · Icherisheher · UNESCO
A jewel of Azerbaijani architecture in the heart of the Old City. The residence of the rulers of Shirvan, where palace, Divankhana, mausoleum and mosque merged into a single stone ensemble.
What it is
The Palace of the Shirvanshahs is the main monument of Baku's Old City and the architectural dominant of medieval Shirvan. It was built in the 15th century, when the rulers' residence moved from Shamakhi to Baku.
It is not a single building but a whole ensemble: palace, Divankhana, mausoleum, mosque, bathhouse and the tomb of a court scholar — all raised from golden Shirvan stone.
"The architectural dominant of its time — a palace raised to the highest point of the city."
On the Palace of the Shirvanshahs
Lace of stone
The eastern portal and the stone carving of the palace are a summit of the Shirvan school of architecture. The geometry of arches, inscriptions and ornament turns stone into lace.
About the complexToday
Today the palace is a museum-reserve and part of the UNESCO site 'Walled City of Baku'. People come here to touch the stone history of Shirvan.
