SHIRVANSHAHS PALACE
Shirvanshahs palace or Shirvanshahs palace complex is the old residence of the rulers of the Shirvanshahs state located in Baku. In addition to the palace, the complex includes the Divankhana, the Shirvanshahs' tomb, the Shah mosque, the Palace bath, the ovdan, the tomb of the palace scholar Seyyed Yahya Bakuvi, and the remains of the Keygubad mosque.
The palace complex was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. Some buildings, including the palace, were built at the beginning of the 15th century, during the reign of Shirvanshah I Khalilullah. When the Ottoman Empire captured Baku, a palace wall surrounding it from the east and a gate named after Sultan Murad III were built in the palace area. The palace has been repaired and restored several times since the 19th century.
The building of the palace is located at the top of the hill in Baku, in the oldest part of Baku called "Castle". Currently, it is surrounded by ancient city walls. The area where the palace complex is located is small, it occupies an area of about one hectare. The buildings located next to the palace are directly related to the palace. Together with the palace, these buildings form a whole complex. The buildings included in the complex are the Shah Mosque with its minaret, the Shirvanshahs' tomb next to it, the Divankhana (adjacent to the palace from the north) and the tomb of Seyyed Yahya Bakuvi (this tomb, also known as the "Dervish Tomb", is located to the south of the palace). There used to be an ancient mosque near the tomb. Now only its remains remain. Near the buildings of the palace complex there is also a palace bath and a hunting lodge. They are located in the west of Shirvanshahlar tomb. Due to its hilltop location, the complex has a superior geographical position in the ancient city and is visible from afar. Among the medieval buildings of Baku, it stands out due to the weight of architecture, construction methods and grandeur. In the past, the palace was surrounded by a wall with turrets and thus was used as an inner fortification of the Baku fortress. Although no trace of this wall remains today, only in the 20s of the 20th century, the foundations of the tower and the related part of the wall could be seen in the north-eastern part of the palace.
