Blast from the past
Few capitals have such a stark division between old and new. Recent years have seen glass-and-steel towers sprout here as quickly as in Dubai or other ‘new’ desert metropolises. But whereas those cities were just sand a century ago, life here dates to the Stone Age. Head 60km down the coast and you can see this writ large at Gobustan, where some 6,000 petroglyphs dot the rocky hills, some as old as 15,000 BC.
The city, of course, arrived much later. Baku Bay has been a natural harbour for those crossing the Caspian Sea since Roman times. Relics of ancient goods and even the graffiti of centurion soldiers (Gobustan) have been found. But it wasn’t until the days of the Shirvanshahs, an early medieval dynasty that ruled much of Azerbaijan under various caliphs, sultans and shahs, that Baku became the city we see today.
The triumph of their era is the UNESCO-listed Icherisheher (or Old City), whose 12th-century crenellated walls wrap what was once the capital of the state of Shirvan. Labyrinthine by intent, it was built to confuse invaders. These days, it’s a thrill to lose yourself in, picking your way past carpet shops that spill onto the cobbles, bakeries scenting the air with sweet almond pastries (shekerbura), and old caravanserai-turned-restaurants dishing up fragrant tumuli of flavoured rice (plov) and stuffed flatbread pancakes (gutab) cooked and served on a dome-like iron plate known as a sadj. Life crackles in the air.
Between the Old City’s scents and flavours, you’ll also find history. One of the oldest structures still standing is the mysterious Maiden Tower. Some say it was a Zoroastrian temple, built as early as 600 BC when fire worship was in vogue; others argue it was a watchtower constructed along with the citadel. A museum inside debates the merits of each and is worth exploring before moving on to the impressive Shirvanshahs' Palace. This sprawling 15th-century limestone complex includes a museum, courtyards, mosques, tombs, a hammam and a caravanserai. It’s a fitting testament to Baku’s medieval golden age.
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