Icherisheher (Old City)

Icherisheher is Baku's Old City, enclosed by fortress walls. But it is much more than a collection of monuments. People still live among these narrow lanes, beside mosques, bathhouses and the old inns where travelling merchants once stayed.

The Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs are its best-known landmarks. Between them, smaller details tell another part of the story: a carved doorway, an arch, a quiet courtyard. The whole historic ensemble is recognised by UNESCO. If you explore beyond the main souvenir streets, remember that some doorways lead to private homes. Give residents their space, and let the neighbourhood unfold at its own pace.