Visiting the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in Baku

The Palace of the Shirvanshahs stands at the top of Baku’s Old City. The Shirvanshahs ruled the land of Shirvan for centuries. The reserve says that of all their palaces, this is the only one still standing.

This page walks through the complex part by part. It covers the courtyards, the house, the tombs and the bath, then hours and access. Facts come from the Icherisheher reserve, azerbaijan.travel and UNESCO.

Why it was built here

The reserve gives the reason. The Shirvanshahs moved their capital from Shamakhi to Baku. This palace was then built as the seat of their state and its culture. Work took place in the 15th century, in the reign of Khalilullah I.

UNESCO adds the setting. The palace stands at the highest point of the walled city. From the sea side you climb to reach it.

Every building here is made of local golden limestone. The reserve stresses the fine stone carving on all of them.

A note on the dates

The tourism board’s Old City page calls the palace 15th century, as the reserve does. UNESCO gives the complex a wider span, from the 12th to the 15th century. An older tourism board press release, from 2020, gives the late 12th to late 14th century instead. We go with the 15th century for the palace itself. The wider complex clearly grew over a long time.

The complex at a glance

The reserve describes three inner courtyards inside strong walls. The bath and the water store sit below them.

Level	What stands there
First courtyard	The house, and a tomb built for Farrukh Yasar
Middle courtyard	The Dervish’s tomb, Murad’s Gate, the old mosque base, stones from Bayil Castle
Lower courtyard	The family tomb of the Shirvanshahs, the palace mosque
Lowest part	The palace bath and the ovdan, a water store

The house of the shahs

The two-storey house is the oldest building in the complex. The reserve says it once had 52 rooms. There were 27 on the lower floor and 25 above.

The two floors had different roles. The lower floor has narrow windows, like a store. It was for servants, housework and goods. The shahs and their close circle lived upstairs, in rooms with wide windows.

The middle courtyard

This is the strangest part of the visit. The whole yard is covered in stone slabs carved with text and images.

The reserve explains where they came from. They are the remains of Bayil Castle, a medieval fort that lay under the waters of Baku Bay for centuries. The slabs were brought up and laid here.

The same yard holds the tomb the reserve calls the Dervish’s tomb. UNESCO names it as the tomb of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi. You also see the base of the Key-Gubad Mosque, which no longer stands.

Murad’s Gate

On the east side is a carved portal known as Murad’s Gate. It is the youngest building in the complex, from the 16th century. UNESCO notes it is the only 16th-century monument there.

The Divankhana

UNESCO lists a building called the Divankhana. The name means a hall for receptions or a court. UNESCO notes that some scholars think it was a royal tomb instead. As with the Maiden Tower, the question is still open.

The tombs and the mosque

The lower courtyard holds the family tomb of the Shirvanshahs and the Shah Mosque. The tourism board says the complex keeps the tombs of Khalilullah I and his close family.

The bath and the water store

At the lowest point sit the palace bath and the ovdan. An ovdan is a covered water store. The reserve lists underground water tanks as part of the complex. Our page on the hammam in Azerbaijan covers the working baths you can still use today.

Visiting

The reserve lists the palace as open every day, 10:00 to 19:00. Entry needs a ticket. We read that on 5 October 2026. We do not print prices, as the reserve sets them.

The address is 76, 1st Gasr Lane. The palace has worked as a museum-reserve since 2000.

The site is on a slope, across several levels. The reserve does not publish access details. If anyone in your group struggles with steps, ask before you go.

The Walled City around the palace has had a hard time too. UNESCO put it on its danger list in 2003. It came off the list in 2009, after measures to protect it.

Pairing it with the tower

Most people see the palace and the Maiden Tower on the same walk. The tower stands down by the sea, and the palace at the top. Our Old City guide covers the lanes between them.

Arranging it

RH Travel can build a day in Baku around the palace, with a guide who can read the courtyards with you. Send us your dates and where you are staying. We will plan the route through the Old City from there.