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Azerbaijan Architecture
Azerbaijani architecture typically combines elements of East
and West. Many ancient architectural treasures survive in modern
Azerbaijan. These sites include the so-called Maiden Tower in
Baku, a rampart that has been dated variously from the preChristian era to the twelfth century, and from the top of which,
legend says, a distraught medieval maiden flung herself. Among
other medieval architectural treasures reflecting the influence
of several schools are the Shirvan shahs' palace in Baku, the
palace of the Sheki khans in the town of Sheki in north-central
Azerbaijan, the Surakhany Temple on the Apsheron Peninsula, a
number of bridges spanning the Aras River, and several
mausoleums. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,
little monumental architecture was created, but distinctive
residences were built in Baku and elsewhere. Among the most
recent architectural monuments, the Baku subways are noted for
their lavish decor.
Data as of March 1994
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