Fortress, Baku — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The fortress walls of Icherisheher represent layers of Baku's complex and fascinating history. The site has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic period, and the fortress walls themselves reflect multiple periods of construction and expansion. A double wall system was developed, with the first built by Shirvanshah III and a second by Akhsitan I, creating powerful defensive structures. Over the centuries, the fortress has witnessed the arrival of Zoroastrian, Sasanian, Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Russian peoples and cultures. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated in 2000, was placed on the endangered list in 2003 but was removed from that list in 2009, reflecting ongoing preservation efforts. Standing within these walls, you sense the weight of millennia and the countless civilizations that have called this place home.