Open-air museum

One of Baku`s most important monuments is the fortress walls known as protection fortification, dated back to many centuries which survived until today, protected Baku from the attacks by foreign invaders.

The fortress walls are an evidence of the material culture of the Azerbaijani people. According to the three-line stone inscription found during the restoration of the fortress wall in 1950-1954 that the city wall of Baku was built by Shirvanshah III Manuchohr the XII century (1120-1160). This stone inscription, which is considered to be a very valuable document for the ancient history of Baku, is currently being kept in the fund of the National History Museum of Azerbaijan.

The fortress walls were built of hewn limestone. These walls were resistant even to the most modern weapons by being very thick and durable.

People used to call the Rectangle tower defense system jabbakhan (weapon warehouse). This fortress was used as a weapon warehouse in the Middle Ages and later. The main purpose of its construction was to keep the area under adequate control and use it as a weapon warehouse to further strengthen the defense of the northern part of Baku.

Construction script in Arabic alphabet and two lions and bull head, i.e.ancient coat of arms of the city described on the arch dam of Gosha Gala. Lions are the symbol of strength among animals. The root of the word “Shirvanshahs State” is “shir”, a “lion” and is hint to power and might of the city. A bull head was found during archaeological excavations in Icheri Sheher and was the first coat of arms of old Baku.
The project over demolition of fortress walls was worked up resulting in Baku’s falling under Russian power. Demolition of the exterior wall and the outer fortress gate’s passing to the first wall and the identity of the door with an old one, are shown as conditions. So, term "Gosha Gala Gates" appeared and put to operation in 1887.

The expansion of trade relations of Azerbaijan with foreign countries led to the increase in the number of merchants coming to the country starting from the Middle Ages. Therefore caravanserais were considered as buildings and palaces built on trade roads acting as guest houses. The location of Azerbaijan on the Great Silk Road increased the need for such buildings. The caravans were kept, people could rest in those buildings which were built by merchants of those times and then continue their journey.

Caravanserais were typically built in the shape of “N” with arcade and surrounded by open balconies along the perimeter, they were divided into two parts based on the constructional structure: intra-urban and suburban. The main parts of almost all of these buildings are located in the basement underneath the ground.

The caravanserai was built in the XVII century. According to the sources, it was given into the disposal of Baku resident Gasim bey from the Selimkhanovs and his successors by Shirvanshah I Khalilullah. The caravanserai has two-side open entrances located on the same axis. It is possible to enter the caravanserai from the coast street and the part in which the trade road is located, related with offshore business. The caravanserai is square based on its interior plan. Its interior is octahedral, and is has a yard surrounded by balconies of which there are separate rooms in the back side.
The entrances to the caravanserai are completed with portals at the height of the building and deep niches at the level of the first floor. The caravanserai is protected with whole corner towers from the southeastern side. It also shows its defensive characteristics in the city walls system.

The caravanserai was built on Icherisheher trade road in the end of the XV century. It is square on the plan. It has a large quadrangle shaped yard with cut-off corners. It was covered with balcony along the whole perimeter. And there are dwelling rooms intended for personal use in the back of the balcony. It has a single-room, double-side open entrance connecting trade streets on the south-east axis. Northern and southern entrances of the caravanserai are in the form of portal. The main entrance portal of the caravanserai was from the side of the sea in the Middle Ages. The facade of the caravanserai on the southern side is two-storey with magnificent fortification.

The caravanserai was built in the ХIV century. Multan is a city in Pakistan. The name of the caravanserai is related to the fact that many Multani fire-worshipping pilgrims were coming to Baku back then. It is square on the plan. Its yard is also square. However its corners are cut off. It was partially erected on old buildings. The built entrance has vestibule groups. The architectural planning structure of the caravanserai consists of balconies surrounding the yard and separate rooms designed for private living located in the back of them. And this proves that it is similar to the Bukhara caravanserai in terms of style.

Small caravanserai or “Khan caravanserai” was built in the XVII century. It is square on the plan. It has a large quadrangle shaped yard with cut-off corners. It was covered with balcony along the whole perimeter. And there are dwelling rooms intended for personal use in the back of the balcony. It has a single-room, double-side open entrance connecting trade streets on the south-east axis. Northern and southern entrances of the caravanserai are in the form of portal.

The exhibits demonstrated here introduce the history of stage-wise creation of coins, their role in human life, which also testifies to more than 2500 years of statehood history of our country. The expansion of trade with foreign countries in Middle Ages and introducing of silver coins in the world market reports about Azerbaijan’s relations with foreign countries, which founds its reflection in monetary units preserved and demonstrated in museums of those countries.

Along with the demonstrated coins circulated in different times, commodity exchange outlets used as money substitute in old times, Bronze age decor items, Kauri shells fetched from the Indian Ocean, collection and demonstration of natural volcanic glass obsidians make deep impression on each guest of the museum.

Tahir Teymur oğlu Salahov, born 29 November 1928, Baku. He is a Soviet, Azerbaijani and Russian painter and draughtsman. First Secretary of the Union of Artists of the USSR (1973–1992), Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Arts, member of over 20 academies and other creative organizations throughout the world, including academies of art of France, Spain, Germany, Austria, etc.

The House Museum is a cultural, scientific and research institution established based on the prominent representative of the modern Azerbaijani school of painting, Hero of Socialist Labor, USSR and Azerbaijan State Prize laureate, USSR and Azerbaijani People`s Artist Tahir Teymur Salahov`s own collection containing his paintings and personal archive donated to Azerbaijani state by him. Memorial items, graphic and oil painting works, photographs reflecting his public activity and decorative applied art works are demonstrated at the exposition of the museum. The house museum of Tahir Salahov has been operating since 2012.

The Marionette Theater was established in 1990. The founder and artistic director of the theater is Tarlan Gorchu, the Honored Art Worker of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan. It has been operating in Icherisheher since 2016. The opera “Leyli and Majnun” by U.Hajibeyov was staged at the opening of the theater. “Arshin Mal Alan”, the first performance of the theater was shown in France, Germany, the USA, Russia, Poland, Switzerland and other countries.

“Icherisheher” Traditional Art Center is located in the historical center of Baku. It was established in 2012 at the initiative and with the support of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. This center is the result of the joint project between Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve and the Prince`s Foundation School of Traditional Arts in the UK. The purpose of the center is to keep alive and develop traditional arts and crafts of Azerbaijan by training young talented and creative artists. The structure of nature and rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan are the criteria reviving the activities of “Icherisheher” Traditional Art Center.

The Center operates in four traditional types of craft: ceramics, batik, jewelry and wood carving. Each craftwork is aimed at creating harmony between the principles and techniques used in the past and modern-day universal standards of maturity. Our design team contributes to the projects implemented in Icherisheher, Baku such as the restoration of Baylar Mosque and design of the Shirvanshahs throne, along with creating interesting works.

Religious temples, which constitute an important part of our ancient history, have a special place among the monuments. And this was able to show itself more clearly in the example of “Icheri Sheher”. The most interesting building erected for religious purposes is Religious-architectural complex with arcade - Sacred place khanagah. The monument was found during archaeological excavations near Maiden Tower, Baku in 1964. The monument dates back to the XII-XIII centuries.

Vagif Aziz oghlu Mustafazadeh was born in 1940 in Icharishahar. His creativity brought new ideas to our national music and became an integral part of our jazz music thinking and life. First teacher of Vagif, who began to play piano from the age of 3, was his mother Zivar khanum Aliyeva. He was one of the first pianists of Azerbaijan.
In the renewed artistic-aesthetic style of the 60s, experiments of young Vagif related to the synthesis of jazz with mugham began to draw attention. The phenomenon Vagif Mustafazadeh, his historical importance as the founder of jazz-mugham style, theoretical bases, creativity in the development of world jazz arts, as well as jazz music were consistently investigated and emphasized in the book published by the publishing house “Light” in 1986.

Vagif Mustafazadeh, who left up to 1300 works, was the winner of numerous jazz festivals and competitions.