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Shirvanshah Palace, Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo by Emin Bashirov-

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Shirvanshah Palace

Located in Icherisheher, the inner city of the medieval Baku Old City, Shirvanshah Palace is the historic monument that was once the seat of northeastern Azerbaijan’s ruling dynasty during the Middle Ages; the Shirvanshahs.

It served as the residence of Shirvan governors. Its establishment is estimated to date back to the early 15^th century.

It is a complex of a 52-room dwelling house, the Divan Khan (courtroom), ruins of the Key Gubad Mosque, ruins of royal hammams, burial vaults, the Shah’s mosque, and the mausoleum of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi.

It is considered one of the masterpieces of medieval architecture and has been described by UNESCO as ‘one of the pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture. It was listed as World Heritage Site in 2000.

The palace was originally surrounded by a wall with towers and was thus an inner stronghold of the Baku fortress. No traces of the wall have survived.

Today, visitors frequent the palace complex to admire its magnificence and learn the history of the Shirvanshahs. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm daily. Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Shirvanshah Palace.

1. It was built as a residence for the Shirvanshah dynasty

Ibrahim I’s (Shirvan) bust in Museum of History and Ethnography in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. Photo by Aykhan Zayedzadeh-

 Rulers of the historical Iranian region of Shirvan from the 9^th to 16^th century were referred to as the Shirvanshah. In the 15^th century, the dynasty, under Ibrahim I of Shirvan transferred his capital from Shemakha (a city in Azerbaijan) to Baku.

This was after a devastating earthquake. Construction of the palace began in 1411. It is believed that the building is ideally a memorial complex built around the sacred shrine and tomb of Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi.

His mausoleum is on site. He was a Helwati Sufi saint. The Shirvanshahs were patrons of the Sufiye order, defined as Islamic mysticism.

After the conquest of Baku by the Safavid Empire in 1501, the palace fell into ruin over the centuries.

2. The main buildings of the complex were built at different times

Palace of the Shirvanshahs by Frokor-

What is now a complex of several buildings was not built at the same time. Construction began in 1411. The earliest building is the central part; an octagonal hall. Originally, the two-story building had 52 rooms connected by three staircases in the palace building.

The construction of the Eastern Portal, known as the Gate of Murad completed the formation of the complex. Deducing from the inscription on the portal niche, it was built during the years of occupation of Baku by Ottoman troops around 1585.

3. The complex comprises 9 main buildings

Shirvanshah Palace by Emin Bashirov-

The complex is made up of the Palace, the Divan Kahna court, ruins of the Kei-Kubad mosque, a mausoleum, the Eastern portal, shrine, bathhouse, the Ovdan, and the Palace Mosque.

The main entrance of the palace is decorated with a high portal. The ladder of the portal leads to a tall octagonal front hall, covered with a dome. The walls of the palace are shaded by alternating rows of stone of different colors, widths, and textures.

The Divan Khana is a closed courtyard on the north side of the palace garden. Its western façade is decorated with arabesques. The overhead planes are covered with ornament. It is believed that it was used as a hall for legal proceedings.

The Kei-Kubad mosque was added to the mausoleum of Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi, built at the end of the 14^th century. Remains of the mosque include two columns that once stood inside and part of the wall and the roof. The mausoleum is the burial place of scholar Seyyide. It has an octagonal body that completes the pyramidal tent.

The palace mosque is located in the front lower courtyard. It has a large hall covered with a dome on spherical sails and a minaret.

The bath house is located in the lower courtyard. Not far from it is the Ovdan, one of the largest reservoirs in the fortress. It supplied water to the palace and the entire surrounding area.

4. A large number of artifacts have been found from excavations

19th century Copper household items, Shirvanshah Palace by Interfase-

In 1937, archeological excavations were carried out in the palace and several artifacts were found. They dated from the 12^th to the 15^th century.

These include copper utensils, musical instruments, weapons, coins, embroidery, Shemakha carpets, and 17^th-century carpets woven in Baku. Some of the fragments of ceramics and coins dating back to the 8^th and 9^th centuries.

6. The Palace was transferred to the Russian military in the 19^th century

The palace had been empty since the 17^th century following its destruction. After Baku was besieged by troops of Peter I, the city was bombed and the palace suffered further destruction.

It was transferred to the Russian military department in the middle of the 19^th century. It was renovated significantly, and its facilities were used to store military equipment.

New doorways were made, and several walls were demolished. The lancet and cross labs on the second floor were demolished and replaced with flat beams.

7. It was almost demolished

Shirvanshah Palace by Ludvig 14-

At around the end of the 19^th century, the Eastern Orthodox Church in Baku sought the demolition of the entire palace.

They wanted to build a Baku cathedral on its grounds. This request was however rejected by the Roman authorities since the premises of the palace were being used for storage of military equipment.

8. It was made an architectural reserve in 1964

From 1920, the government of Azerbaijani SSR began to take measures to repair and preserve the palace monument. Extensive restoration works were carried out between 1932 and 1935, accompanied by archeological excavations.

Numerous artifacts were found, and for some time, the Azerbaijani People’s Museum was located in the palace building. In 1960, the complex was turned into an architectural reserve.

In 1964, it was transformed into the State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve Complex of the Shirvanshahs Palace.

8. It is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site

Shirvanshah palace statues by Xoncha-

The Palace of the Shirvanshahs was one of the very first monuments in Azerbaijan to feature on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

In 2000, at the 24^th session of the World Heritage Committee, the Baku Old City, along with the Palace and the Maiden Tower were declared World Heritage Sites.

In 2017, the Palace complex, alongside the Maiden Tower awarded the Certificate of Excellence. It is awarded every year based on the feedback of millions of visitors from around the world. The complex attracts many visitors and has been well preserved.

9. The Palace is depicted in Azerbaijani currency

It is depicted on the obverse of the Azerbaijani 10,000 manat banknote of 1994-2006. It is also featured in the 10 new manat banknotes issued since 2006.  In June 2022, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan issued a new banknote showing the Palace in the background.

10. It is illustrated in several art works

Images of the Shirvanshahs palace can be found in the works of several artists, including Grigory Gagarin, Georgy Hohenfelden, and in the photographs of Richard Thiele.

A postage stamp of the USSR dedicated to the palace was issued in 1990. Kurban Said’s novel ‘Ali and Nino’ described the palace.

The architecture of the complex features in the film ‘The Diamond Arm (1969) which was filmed in the Old City of Baku.