Azerbaijan is a unique country with several valuable landmarks of cultural and historical importance. Some of them have been recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites because of the need for their protection and preservation considering their uniqueness and importance to the collective interests of humanity.
First one is the Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshahs’ Palace and Maiden Tower, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Known as Old City or ‘Inner City’ by locals, this part of the city is like an open-air museum surrounded by 12th-century walls and oriental architecture brimming with history. Shirvanshahs’ Palace is described by UNESCO as “one of the pearls of the Azerbaijani architecture” in the Old City. This stunning architectural complex was built in the 15th century by Shirvanshahs who ruled the medieval period. It includes a mosque, mausoleum, hammam, divankhana, gates and reservoir besides the palace itself.
Another important part of the Old City is the mysterious Maiden Tower. Although the original purpose of construction is not entirely known, its architectural structure amazes its visitors to this day. All in all, within the atmospheric walls of the Old City, you’ll find a maze of narrow alleys home to a few thousand residents as well as museums, monuments, art galleries, traditional restaurants serving delicious food accompanied by soul-soothing music and welcoming locals.
Second on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Azerbaijan is the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape. Here, the ancient history of the Azerbaijani people comes to life in an amazing landscape with prehistoric cave paintings and musical stones. With an astonishing collection of over 7,000 ancient petroglyphs, travellers find themselves in the middle of paintings depicting warriors, animals, boats, hunting, camel caravans and more, dating back between 5,000 and 20,000 years. What is more, you can find mud volcanoes – one of the natural wonders of the country in close proximity of Gobustan in a moon-like landscape.
And of course, Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace is the latest addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List in the country. Sheki Khan’s Palace rests in the shade of a 500-year old plane trees with its unique exterior and interior design. Built in the 18th century, this is one of the most beautiful architectural monuments in Azerbaijan. Especially the palace’s windows are perfect examples of one of Sheki’s original crafts – shebeke. This is a technique of filling wooden lattices with thousands of pieces of coloured glass fitted together without glue or nails. Located on the ancient Silk Road surrounded by the magnificent Caucasus Mountains, Sheki is a perfect embodiment of historic preservation with its cobblestone streets and caravanserais while making arts and crafts as well as food enthusiasts feel themselves in paradise.
Overall, history is still alive in Azerbaijan thanks to years of preservation while you can see the modern vibe growing day by day as well. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are true testaments to this and ready to surprise their visitors with many surprising details.
