Visiting
Entry to the quarter is free: this is a residential district, not a museum with a turnstile. Tickets are needed only for the museums inside.
Where to start
The most logical entrance is the twin fortress gates (Qoşa Qala Qapısı) in the northern wall: Great Fortress Street begins there. It is a few minutes' walk from İçərişəhər metro station; from Neftchilar Avenue passages lead into the quarter by the Maiden Tower.
A walking loop — the twin gates, the palace, the Juma Mosque, the Maiden Tower, the caravanserais — takes two to three hours. With museums, allow half a day: the Maiden Tower and the Shirvanshahs' Palace need time, and both involve stairs.
Opening hours and prices change here, so check them before setting out on the site of the Reserve administration rather than in guidebooks.
Orientation
- Address
- Sabail district of Baku, between Istiglaliyyat Street and Neftchilar Avenue
- Metro
- İçərişəhər — east of the reserve
- Main entrance
- the twin fortress gates in the northern wall
- Area
- 221,000 m², an oval of roughly 600 × 400 metres
- Museums inside
- the Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshahs' Palace, the Museum of Miniature Books, the Vagif Mustafazadeh house museum, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography
- Footwear
- cobbles and climbs — flat shoes are better
- Hours and prices
- check on icherisheher.gov.az
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a ticket to enter İçərişəhər?
No. This is a residential quarter inside a fortress wall; entry is free and open around the clock. Tickets are needed only for the museums: the Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshahs' Palace and small private museums.
How long does a walk take?
Two to three hours to cover the main streets and see the monuments from outside. With the two main museums and a coffee stop it comes to half a day.
How do I get there?
By metro to İçərişəhər station, then on foot to the twin fortress gates. From the centre you can walk from the seaside boulevard or Fountains Square.
Do people really live here?
Yes, more than thirteen hundred families live inside the walls. That is worth remembering: the courtyards and lanes hold private lives, not scenery, so it is better to be tactful about photographing people and entering yards.
Where was The Diamond Arm filmed?
The “foreign city” scenes were shot in the lanes of İçərişəhər, with the fortress walls, the palace and the minarets in frame. A monument to Yuri Nikulin stands in the quarter.
If there is time for only one thing, what should it be?
The Maiden Tower: the climb through eight tiers ends with a view of the Caspian, the roofs of the Old City and the Flame Towers — three eras of the city from one spot.
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Sources
Facts were checked against Wikipedia articles in four languages, the UNESCO World Heritage entry and the site of the Reserve administration. Where sources disagree, both versions are given.