Maiden Tower (Baku)

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This article is about the tower in old town Baku, Azerbaijan. For the tower near Istanbul, Turkey in the Bosphorus strait, see Maiden's Tower.

Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and **Maiden Tower**¹
**UNESCO World Heritage Site**

State Party	Azerbaijan
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv
Identification	#958
Region²	Europe and North America
Inscription History
Formal Inscription:	2000 24th WH Committee Session
In Danger	2003-
WH link:	http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/958
1 Name as officially inscribed on the WH List 2 As classified officially by UNESCO

The Maiden Tower (Azeri: Qız Qalası, Russian: Девичья башня; old name: Göz Qalası - "The Eye Tower"), is a tower in Old City, old town Baku, originally on the shore of the Caspian Sea.Due to land reclamation in the early 20th century the tower is now separated from the Caspian by a busy main road and public gardens.

It was constructed in the 12th century, or possibly earlier - its architectural style and construction sequence is obscure, and estimates for its age go back to an unlikely 2,500 years. Earlier it was thought to have been built by the 12th century architect Masud ibn Davud. This theory was predominant until historian Sara Ashurbeyli proved that ibn Davud's name appeared on a tombstone that was used to repair the tower, rather than on the stones that it was originally built of.^[1]

There are a number of competing explanations for the name:

A legend concerning a maiden who threw herself off its top, to her death in the waves below.
The fact that the tower has never been taken by force.
Some historians relate it to Oghuz turks
maybe once it was a WatchTower [Göz Qalası]

Maiden Tower by night

The Maiden Tower is a noted landmark and one of Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, to be seen on Azeri currency notes and other official pieces of paper. It houses a museum and a gift shop, selling traditional textile and ceramic products. The view from the roof is highly recommended, taking in the alleys and minarets of the Old City, the Maritime National Park, the De Gaulle house and a wide vista of the Baku Bay. In recent years the brazier on the top has been lit during the nights of the Norouz festival, celebrated in Iran as well as Azerbaijan.