Getting There
You can get there by metro, using “Icheri Sheher” metro station. There are also bus stops near the metro station, buses №10, 18 and 65 stop there. It will take you 5 minutes to walk till the tower.
Buses №10 and 18 stop at the “Nizami Garden” bus stop. It will take you 5 minutes by walk to reach the Quadrangular Tower from there.
What to Expect
Quadrangular Tower or Keeper of the Fortress of Baku is a stone keep in the Old City in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is also called a “donjon”, which translates from French as “defensive tower.” The height of the tower is 18 meters, the thickness of the walls is 2 meters. For rapid movement of soldiers, a tunnel continued along the bottom of the wall towards the tower gate. This tunnel surrounded the city on the northern side.
Today inside the tower there is an Old City Traditional Art Center under the name “The Tower of Arts”. The tower hosts many exhibitions and cultural events. Paintings and other exhibits are freely available.
History
The tower was built in the 14th century and was an integral part of the fortress wall and the defensive fortifications in Baku. Construction was done to maintain the architecture and integrity of the fortress walls. The towers were built to make the defense system easier. According to medieval authors, within 70 semicircular and northern walls of the Baku Fortress Wall was a quadrangular fortress-type tower. In the Middle Ages it was used as an armory. The tower was built to store weapons and to further strengthen the northern part of Baku.
On August 2, 2001, the building was declared a “national architectural monument” by the Cabinet of Azerbaijan. Since the reconstruction in 2014 it started to operate as the Old City Traditional Art Center under the name “The Tower of Arts”.
Facilities Available
- Old City
- Workshop of Ali Shamsi
- Restaurants
- Souvenir Shops
- Public Toilet
- Hotels
