Azerbaijan is home to countless castles, forts and fortified towers which stand as monuments to diverse and dramatic pages in the country’s history. Ranging from Silk Road watchtowers to strongholds of the Karabakh Khanate, each has a fascinating story to tell.
SHIRVANSHAHS’ PALACE
Occupying the highest spot in Baku’s charming Old City is the former residence of the powerful Shirvanshah dynasty. Constructed in the 15th century, the complex features a palace, Divankhana, mosque, mausoleum, hammam, gates and water reservoir and is considered one of the finest examples of mediaeval Azerbaijani architecture. It has been a museum-reserve since 1964 and is a key part of the Icheri Sheher UNESCO World Heritage site.
MARDAKAN CASTLE
This 12th-century castle is located in the coastal village of Mardakan. It was erected to honour a victory of Shirvanshah king Akhsitan I and served as a shelter, defence and observation point. The height of the main tower is 22 metres, so you can climb up to the top and enjoy great views. This is one of two castles in Mardakan which in the past formed part of a network of observation and defensive forts spanning the Absheron Peninsula.
CHIRAG GALA
Dating from the 4th-5th centuries AD, Chirag Gala watchtower, whose name means “Lamp Tower,” was used for defence and signalling purposes, protecting the paths of the Silk Road passing through Azerbaijan. When an enemy approached, a fire was lit at the top of the castle and was visible for miles around.
SUMUGGALA
An icon of the historic village of Ilisu, Gakh region, this three-storey defensive tower was built in the 17th or 18th centuries (sources differ) when the village was the centre of the Ilisu Sultanate, a semi-independent khanate. The rectangular two-toned tower was used to defend against enemies. Today it houses a small museum on the Ilisu Sultanate which is open only in summer.
PERIGALA FORTRESS
Located 15 km from the small city of Zagatala, this extraordinary fortress is carved into the cliff face at a height of 300m near the village of Chardakhlar. Historians have concluded that Perigala was built during the 3rd-5th centuries AD under the ancient state of Caucasian Albania. The castle is made of limestone brick and consists of three rooms and a window. To reach it requires special climbing equipment and a professional guide, but you can admire it from a distance in Yukhari Chardakhlar village.
SHUSHA FORTRESS
The hilltop city of Shusha is the pearl of Karabakh and Azerbaijan’s cultural capital. Surrounding the city’s historical centre is an 18th-century fortress built by Panah Ali Khan to help him govern the Karabakh Khanate (1748-1822). Its construction was supervised by the famous poet and vizier, Mollah Panah Vagif, whose mausoleum is another landmark of Shusha. The fortress’s location on a plateau between 1,300m and 1,600m above sea level surrounded by rocky cliffsmade it nearly impregnable.
ALINJA CASTLE
Dubbed by some as “the Machu Picchu of Azerbaijan,” this is a recent reconstruction of a mountaintop fortress dating from the 8th century in the Julfa region of Nakhchivan. The castle overlooks the village of Alinja in the valley below and was famed for its invincibility – it took 14 years for the mighty Mongol ruler Tamerlane to conquer it in 1401. Centuries earlier it had housed the treasury of the state of the Atabays. About 2,000 steep steps lead up to it. The climb is exhausting but worth the effort for the spectacular views!
