Baku Fortress Wall

The Independence Museum of Azerbaijan or "Istiqlal" Museum (Azerbaijani: İstiqlal Muzeyi) – is a museum established on 7 December 1919 in Baku - the capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. H. Mirzajamalov and I. M. Aghaoglu had a great role in creation of the museum. Archeological finds, exemplars of rare books, objects of numismatics, jewelry, etc. were collected in the museum.The museum was located in the building of the ADR’s Parliament (at present – the building of the Institute of Manuscripts of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences). It is noted that, namely at that time, an attempt at making a legal document about organizing and storing museum items was undertaken. The museum existed only a year and couldn’t realize all intended plans. It was liquidated in 1920, when the Soviet Power was established in Baku. Materials collected in the museum became basis for "Muzexcurs" foundations and Azerbaijan State Museum. The second Independence Museum was established on 9 January 1991. Then the museum had only 7,000 exhibits. Due to attempts and investigations of the museum's collective the number of exhibits is above 20,000 now. The main goal of the museum is to highlight national independence movement of Azerbaijan that lasts from ancient times till now. The exposition of the museum is exhibited in six halls: The first hall is dedicated to the history of Azerbaijan from the ancient times to the 19th century, the second hall to the history of Azerbaijan between the second half of the 19th and 20th centuries, the third hall to national independence movement in the Southern Azerbaijan in the first half of the 20th century, the fourth hall to the history of Azerbaijan during repression and the Great Patriotic War, the fifth hall to national independence movement of Azerbaijan at the end of the 20th century and the first Karabakh War, and the sixth hall to the history of Independent Republic of Azerbaijan and activity of the national leader Heydar Aliyev. There are masterpieces of art and architecture, maps, pictures, books, currencies and other exhibits in the Independence Museum of Azerbaijan. A lot of expositions and activities dedicated to historical events are held in the exposition of the museum. The museum opens its doors during such events as the International Day for Monuments and Sites (April 18), International Museum Day (May 18) and World Tourism Day (September 27). Free access to the museum is available for members of ICOM (International Council of Museums), museum workers, military personnel, veterans of World War II, victims of the Karabakh war and Black January. The museum also has a children’s circle called “We are the heirs of the independence”, where children are offered a variety of tasks and told about the history of the state in entertaining form.

The Declaration of Independence monument was erected on the Istiglaliyyat Street in honor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and was opened on May 25, 2007. The monument is located between the buildings of the Institute of Manuscripts of the National Academy of Sciences and the Azerbaijan State Economic University. The Declaration of Independence proclaimed by the National Council of Azerbaijan on May 28, 1918 in Tiflis city, Georgia. This day is celebrated as Republic Day since May 28, 1992.

Haci Bani Mosque (Azerbaijani: Hacı Bani məscidi-Hacı Bani məscidi) is one of the mosques of Azerbaijan, was built in the 16th century. It is located in Old City, Baku.

Old City or Inner City (Azerbaijani: İçərişəhər) is the historical core of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The Old City is the most ancient part of Baku, which is surrounded by walls which were easily defended. In 2007, the Old City had a population of about 3000 people. In December 2000, the Old City of Baku, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Old City Museum Center or Icherisheher Museum Center (Azerbaijani: İçərişəhər Muzey Mərkəzi) is a museum in Azerbaijan. The Museum Center is a part of the State Department of the Historical and Architectural Reserve of Old City. The museum explores the architecture, life and culture of the ancient Shirvanshahs' Palace, Maiden Tower, ancient mosques, baths (Beyler Mosque, Siratagly religious-architectural complex), Baku Khans' Palace, and the Gala village. The Center collects, preserves and propagates material about the cultural monuments of the period, and holds international conferences, symposiums, themed parties, theatrical museum events at the Monuments Complex.The fund of the Old City Museum Center includes photo negatives, applied arts, numismatics, rare books, documents, photos, graphics and archeology examples.

The Ismailiyya Palace (Azerbaijani: İsmailiyyə Sarayı) is a historical building that currently serves as the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. It is on Istiglaliyyat Street in Baku. The palace was constructed for the Muslim Charity Society by Józef Plośko at the expense of the millionaire Musa Naghiyev in commemoration of his deceased son Ismayil, and was named Ismailiyya after him. Construction began in 1908 and ended in 1913.

Istiglaliyyat Street (Azerbaijani: Istiqlaliyyət küçəsi) is an arterial road in the central uptown part of Baku, Azerbaijan. It begins at Gulustan Palace, located on the southern hillside part of Baku, and continues north, then northeast, terminating at the intersection of Aziz Aliyev and Mammad Amin Rasulzade Streets at the edge of Fountains Square.

Quadrangular Tower (Azerbaijani: Dördbucaqlı qala), or Keeper of the Fortress of Baku (Azerbaijani: Bakı qalasının donjonu), is a stone keep built in the 14th century. It is part of the Old City in Baku, Azerbaijan. On August 2, 2001, the building was declared a "national architectural monument" by the Cabinet of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Museum of Miniature Books is the only museum of miniature books in the world, settled in the old part of Baku, called Inner City. The museum started its operation on April 2, 2002. In 2015 the Museum of Miniature Books was presented the Certificate of the Guinness Book of Records as the largest private museum of miniature books.

Palace Mosque is a mosque in Baku, Azerbaijan located inside of Palace of the Shirvanshahs complex. It was built in 1441–1442.

The Palace of the Shirvanshahs (Azerbaijani: Şirvanşahlar Sarayı, Persian: کاخ شروان‌شاهان) is a 15th-century palace built by the Shirvanshahs and described by UNESCO as "one of the pearls of Azerbaijan's architecture". It is located in the Inner City of Baku, Azerbaijan and, together with the Maiden Tower, forms an ensemble of historic monuments inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum (the so-called "mausoleum of the dervish"), south of the palace, a portal in the east, Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of a bath house. Earlier, there was an ancient mosque, next to the mausoleum. There are still ruins of the bath to the west of the tomb.In the past, the palace was surrounded by a wall with towers and, thus, served as the inner stronghold of the Baku fortress. Despite the fact that at the present time no traces of this wall have survived on the surface, as early as the 1920s, the remains of apparently the foundations of the tower and the part of the wall connected with it could be distinguished in the north-eastern side of the palace.There are no inscriptions that survived on the palace itself. Therefore, the time of its construction is determined by the dates in the inscriptions on the architectural monuments, which refer to the complex of the palace. Such two inscriptions were completely preserved only on the tomb and minaret of the Shah's mosque. There is the name of the ruler who ordered to establish these buildings in both inscriptions is the – Shirvan Khalil I (r. 1417–1462). As time of construction – 839 (1435/36) was marked on the tomb, 845 (1441/42) on the minaret of the Shah's mosque.The burial vault, the palace and the mosque are built of the same material, the grating and masonry of the stone are the same.The complex used to occupy more area. There were rooms for court servants and services.The main buildings of the ensemble were built at different times. Despite this fact, these buildings are linked by unity of scale, by rhythm and proportionality of the basic architectural forms – cubic volumes of buildings, domes, portraits. The builders of the ensemble relied on the traditions of the Shirvan-Absheron architectural school.In 1964, the palace complex was declared a museum-preserve and taken under the protection of the state. In 2000, this ensemble, along with the fortified walls of the historic part of the city and the Maiden Tower, was named a World Heritage Site.The palace is depicted on the obverse of the Azerbaijani 10,000 manat banknote of 1994–2006 and of the 10 new manat banknote issued since 2006.

The palatial bath houses of the Shirvanshahs (Azerbaijani: Şirvanşahlar hamamı) are dated back to the 15th century and are a part of the Shirvanshahs’ Palace Complex. It is in the eastern part of a lower yard.