Maiden Tower in Baku

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Many attractions are located in the ancient capital of Azerbaijan Baku. The Maiden's Tower, photographs of which are presented in this article, is one of the most mysterious and grandiose. Until now, neither the date of construction of this structure, nor its actual purpose is known. The Maiden's Tower keeps its secrets securely. You will learn about some of them from this article.

External view of the tower

The unique architectural appearance of the Maiden's Tower still inspires awe in people. It rises in the coastal part of Icheri Sheher (old city) and is considered one of the most significant elements of the seaside "facade" of the city of Baku. The stern array of the structure is located on a rock, lined with hewn stone in places and surrounded by a fortress wall with semicircular ledges rising from the base to the very top. On the east side, the Maiden's Tower has a ledge, the purpose of which remains a mystery. This element could not be a hiding place, or a buttress, or a “spur” reflecting stone cores. The means protecting the structures could be located on the upper platform of the tower, the nature of the architecture of which did not reachour days. The surface of the body of the building is also unique, formed by a ribbed alternation of recessed and protruding rows of masonry.

The inner space of the thirty-meter tower is divided by stone flat domes into eight tiers, interconnected by spiral staircases. The building could accommodate up to two hundred inhabitants. Water could be taken from a deep well. The thickness of the walls of the tower at the base is five meters, at the top - four meters. In size, the stone colossus exceeds the castles of Absheron, whose walls are only two meters thick.

Date of erection

Scientists are still arguing about when the Maiden's Tower was built. To the right of the entrance there is a stone slab on which a Kufic inscription is engraved: "gubbe (dome, vault) of Masud ibn Davud". Based on the nature of the spelling of these words (Arabic script), the construction of the tower dates back for a long time to the 12th century. Later, however, scientists took a closer look at the inscription. Firstly, the word "gubbe", sometimes translated as "vault of heaven", was most often applied in the Middle Ages on the tombstones of Muslims, so that the souls of the dead ascended directly to God. Why is there a piece of tombstone on the wall of the stone colossus? Secondly, the mortar on which the slab is held was not used in the construction of the tower. It turns out that the inscription appeared on the structure quite by accident, during the repair, when in a hurry, with the help of stones, some damage was repaired in the walls. Perhaps there was a loophole or a square-shaped window in this place. Thus, it was establishedthat the construction of the Maiden Tower in Baku took place in two stages. The first refers to the pre-Islamic era, the second to the 12th century.

History

In different centuries, the Maiden's Tower had different uses. In the 12th century, it was an impregnable fortress of the Shirvanshahs, the main citadel of the Baku defense system. In the 18-19 centuries, the building was used as a lighthouse, which began to work in 1958, on June 13th. In 1907, the lighthouse was moved from the top of the structure to Nargin Island, as its light began to merge with the lights of the city at night.

The Maiden's Tower has been repeatedly restored. In the 19th century, during repairs, battlements (mashikuli) intended for defense were removed from its top. The last restoration of the building was carried out in 1960, and four years later the tower became a museum. In 2000, this unique historical monument became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fortress, lighthouse or temple?

Assumptions about the defensive purpose of the Maiden Tower were refuted by researchers. The construction is simply not adapted for military operations - neither in location, nor in form, nor in internal structure. Firstly, there are only a few windows in the tower, which are located along the stairs leading up and are oriented not down, but up. Secondly, on the roof of the structure, due to its small size, it is impossible to place any weapon. Thirdly, the Maiden's Tower did not have a permanent connection between the tiers. The first floor was connected with the rest by a temporary staircase, which at any time could beremove.

Besides its unique architecture, the Maiden's Tower strikes the imagination with its…smokyness. Moreover, the soot does not lie on the structure in a uniform layer, but is localized around the seven tiers of the tower (places where torches shone) and at the very top. According to historical sources: “seven inextinguishable fires burned on its top” (Moses of Khores, 5th century), and each level shone in a different color. What happened inside the mysterious tower?

There is speculation that the Maiden's Tower is an ancient lighthouse. But why build such a grandiose building and consecrate it on seven levels, when it is enough to light torches at the very top? In later times, the structure was used both as a lighthouse and as a watchtower, but no one has determined its original purpose. The most likely option is religious. The very name of the tower - "Gyz Galasy" - can be translated in different ways. The word "gala", or "kala", which has the meaning of "tower" or "fortress" among modern Turkic-speaking peoples, had a different meaning in ancient times. "Kala" is the place where the ritual fire blazes.

Why is the tower named "maiden's"?

There are many structures in the world with the name "Maid's Tower". Istanbul, Crimea, Tallinn, Belgorod-Dnevstrosky can boast of towers with the same name. The fact is that all these defensive structures were built during the gloomy Middle Ages, when a tower that had never been conquered by anyone was considered “virgin”, that is, it had not been in anyone’s hands. Apparently, the Baku Tower got its name inMiddle Ages, when European traditions began to penetrate into the eastern thinking of the inhabitants of Azerbaijan.

Legend of the Baku Maiden

There are many ancient stories associated with the name "Maid's Tower". The legend of the Baku Maiden says that in pre-Islamic times, a certain khan, ruling in those parts, wanted to marry his own daughter, who reminded him of his beloved wife who had died untimely. He received the blessing of his gods, built in honor of the bride a grandiose tower on top of a rock, and was preparing to begin marital duties. However, the young girl resisted the will of her hated father and at the last moment jumped off the tower into the raging sea. The waves picked up her fragile body and hit the rocks. Since then, the huge stone colossus has been named Maiden. If we turn to real historical facts, we can find indirect confirmation of the events described in the legend. In 439-457 AD e. The Sasanian ruler Yazdegerd indeed revived the ancient Zoroastrian custom, according to which brothers were allowed to marry sisters, and fathers to daughters. In the described story, one can find echoes of dissatisfaction with this state of affairs.

Legend of the Young Warrior

Another legend about the Maiden's Tower takes us back to time immemorial, when the city of Baku was called "Baguan", and its inhabitants believed in the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda. The holy city had already been under siege for three months, and the local high priest proclaimed that the enemy would be destroyed by the hands of an innocent maiden. Morning on top of an ancient temple(Maiden Tower) a beautiful fiery warrior appeared with a flaming sword in her hands. She flew up and hit the enemy commander - Nur Eddin Shah - right in the heart. However, she herself instantly fell in love with the young and beautiful young man she killed. Unable to bear the mental anguish, the maiden pierced herself with a sword and died, and her soul returned to the temple. For seven nights and days mighty winds blew - gilawari and khazri. They extinguished the sacred fires in the temple. But seven farsangs from the sanctuary a new flame blazed. Since then, the soul of a young warrior lives in the deserted temple. Sometimes she leaves her home, flies to the sea in search of her beloved, and, angry at her futile efforts, raises evil winds that create a storm.

Interestingly, this myth is also based on real historical events. During the siege of the city of Nur-Eddin Shah (7-6 centuries BC), a powerful earthquake occurred in the Baku region. The displacement of the ground led to the fact that the gas (“sacred fires”) began to come to the surface in the town of Sura-Khany (“seven farsangs” from the “Maiden Tower” structure). Until 1902, there was a temple in this area and an unquenchable fire burned.

Conclusion

The Maiden's Tower seems mysterious, harsh and impregnable. Baku is a city in which the historical oriental flavor and modern realities are intricately intertwined. This place deserves close attention. The gloomy mysterious building in the old city once shone with multi-colored lights, plunged travelers into awe, inspired artists and poets. Look at the Maiden's Towerwith my own eyes. To see and try to understand what ancient Gyz Galasy is silent about, what hides behind its thick walls, behind the unknown depth of gray centuries.