Icherisheher Baku Old City

Icherisheher, the Inner City, is the oldest part of Baku: a compact walled quarter of limestone houses, mosques, bathhouses and caravanserais, with the Flame Towers rising above its rooftops. Together with the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enter through the Double Gates, climb the Maiden Tower for views over the Caspian, then wander to the Shirvanshahs’ palace complex, built largely in the 15th century for the rulers of Shirvan. The lanes in between are lined with carpet sellers, small museums and courtyard cafés.

Go in the morning or late afternoon, when the stone is cooler, and wear comfortable shoes for the cobbles. The Old City sits across the road from Baku Boulevard, so the two make an easy half day together.