Getting There
Baku Medieval Market Square is located near the Maiden Tower in the Old City. You can get there by metro, using “Icheri Sheher” metro station, by bus №5 or by taxi. If you use bus №5, you need to get off the bus at the stop named “Puppet Theatre”. It will take you 5 minutes by walk straight till the Maiden Tower, near which the Market Square is located.
There are also buses № 6, 18, 65 and 77 going that direction. Buses № 6, 18 and 65 stop in front of the “Four Seasons” hotel near the Salyan gate to the Icherisheher. If you use bus № 77 you can enter the Old City from the entrance behind the “Icherisheher” metro station.
What to Expect
At the Medieval Market Square, you can observe an open-air museum with monuments of buried pilgrims and other archeological findings, buy a carpet from the carpet store under the ground, find the ruins of the church of St. Bartholomew and visit the “ABAD” souvenir shop inside an old bath – hamam.
History
Baku Medieval Market Square or Khanqah complex is a historic religious-architectural complex with arcade from the XII-XIII centuries. It is a part of Old City and is located on Kichik Gala street in the Old City of Baku. It was also registered as a national architectural monument by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated August 2, 2001, No. 132.
The complex was discovered during archeological excavations carried out in 1964 on the northern side of the Maiden Tower. 52 graves were discovered in the area as a result of the archaeological excavations. Most of the graves are specially preserved. Graves in the territory of the monument and under the arches are believed to belong to those deceased persons.
According to Islamic traditions, some people bequeath their bodies to be buried in sacred places. When the sacred place was too far away, the person was buried in nearby places. The found cultural monuments and graves reflects the opinions of the archaeologist, which means the place was once a pilgrimage site.
In the middle of the yard, near the graves, a cylindrical well and, at a certain distance, on the south-eastern side, a large eight-pointed column were discovered. The column stands on a three-tiered pavement, which was built of stone.
Facilities Available
- Audio guide
- Carpet shop
- “ABAD” souvenir shop
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Souvenir Shops
