# Old City (Icherisheher), Baku

> Icherisheher, Baku's Old City, is a walled hilltop quarter above the Caspian where people still live. Walking in is free and possible at any hour; you only pay for the museums inside — the Shirvanshahs' Palace is 24 ₼ for foreign adults and the Maiden Tower 19 ₼, both open daily 10:00–19:00. Allow three hours, half a day with museums. It is the one place in Baku you should not skip.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-old-town

- City: [Baku](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku), Azerbaijan
- YesGo score: 51/100 (Yes, go)
- Time on site: 3 h
- Opening hours: The quarter is open 24/7; museums daily 10:00–19:00
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry to the Old City: Free — it is an open quarter
- Shirvanshahs' Palace: Foreign adults 24 ₼, children 5–17 12 ₼
- Maiden Tower: Foreign adults 19 ₼, children 5–17 9 ₼
- Underground Bath: Foreign adults 10 ₼, daily 10:00–18:00
- Museum hours: Most open daily 10:00–19:00
- Museum of Miniature Books: Free, 11:00–17:00, closed Monday and Thursday (unofficial)
- Tourist information: 55 Boyuk Gala Street, daily 10:00–19:00
- Main gates: Double Gates (Qoşa Qala) and Salyan Gate
- Metro: İçərişəhər (Red Line), single exit onto Istiglaliyyat Street
- Coordinates: 40.36503, 49.83600
- Facts checked: 02.11.2026

## Key facts

- **22.1 ha** — area of the reserve inside the fortress walls (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration; Russian Wikipedia (English Wikipedia gives 21.5 ha))
- **2000** — inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Maiden Tower and the Shirvanshahs' Palace (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration; English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **Free** — to walk in — it is an open residential quarter; only the museums charge (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration (FAQ, Museums))
- **1078/79** — date in the inscription of the Muhammad Mosque, the oldest dated monument in the Old City (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration; Russian Wikipedia)
- **1977** — the year Icherisheher became a state historical and architectural reserve (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration; Russian Wikipedia)
- **2003–2009** — years on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger, after the 2000 earthquake and unchecked building (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration; English Wikipedia)
- **15th century** — balconied minaret of the Juma Mosque; the mosque itself was rebuilt around 1900 (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration; Russian Wikipedia)
- **14th–16th c.** — Multani and Bukhara caravanserais — sources date them differently (source: Icherisheher State Reserve Administration (Multani 14th, Bukhara late 15th); English Wikipedia (15th and 16th))
- **2002** — the Museum of Miniature Books opened (source: minibooks.az; Russian Wikipedia)
- **The Diamond Arm** — the 1968 Soviet comedy used these lanes to stand in for a foreign city; Amphibian Man was filmed here too (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)

## Is Baku Old City free?

Yes. Icherisheher is an open quarter with homes, hotels and cafés, so there is no gate fee and no closing time — you can walk in at midnight. What costs money are the museums inside the walls, each with its own ticket desk and a separate, higher price for foreign visitors.

The two big ones are the [Shirvanshahs' Palace](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/shirvanshahs-palace) at **24 ₼** for foreign adults and the [Maiden Tower](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-maiden-tower) at **19 ₼**; children aged 5–17 pay half or less. Both open daily 10:00–19:00. The Museum of Miniature Books is free.

Paying: Visa and Mastercard work in Baku's hotels, restaurants and larger shops, but keep some cash manat (₼, AZN) for small souvenir stalls, tea houses and street taxis. The metro runs on a BakıKart travel card sold at station machines and at the airport.

## Things to do in the Old City

- Walk up to the Shirvanshahs' Palace, a 15th-century complex at the top of the hill — palace halls, mosque, royal tomb and bathhouse.
- Climb the Maiden Tower, Baku's emblem by the lower wall, for the view over the bay.
- Enter through the **Double Gates** (Qoşa Qala), the main gateway, and look at the 18th-century Residence of the Baku Khans beside them.
- Find the **Muhammad Mosque** and its Synyg Gala minaret, dated 1078/79 — the oldest dated building here.
- Step into the courtyards of the **Bukhara and Multani caravanserais**, where Silk Road merchants once stayed.
- See the **Underground Bath** by the Double Gates, a medieval hammam excavated in 2016 and now a small museum.
- Browse the **Museum of Miniature Books** — free, and stranger than it sounds.
- Come back after dark for lit walls and the [Flame Towers](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/flame-towers) glowing above the lanes.

> **Mosque dress code and living streets** The Juma Mosque is a working mosque. Cover shoulders and knees, women should bring a headscarf, and shoes come off at the door. Elsewhere, remember that families live here: open courtyards are private, so stay out and ask before photographing people.

## How long do you need in Baku Old City?

Plan about three hours for the lanes, the gates and one museum. With both the palace and the tower, plus a tea break, it becomes half a day. The quarter is compact — from the Double Gates down to the Maiden Tower is roughly a 10–15-minute stroll — but the streets twist and climb, and getting pleasantly lost is part of the point.

The best order is uphill first: enter at the Double Gates, climb to the palace, then drift downhill past the caravanserais to the tower and out to the seafront. Early morning, before the museums open at 10:00, the lanes are empty and the light is soft for photos.

## How to get to Baku Old City

1. By metro: take the Red Line to its end at **İçərişəhər** station (called Bakı Soveti until 2007). Its single exit opens onto Istiglaliyyat Street, right by the western wall.
2. Turn towards the wall and walk through the **Double Gates** (Qoşa Qala, also known as the Shamakhi Gate) — you are inside within a couple of minutes.
3. From Heydar Aliyev Airport (GYD): ride the H1 airport express bus to 28 May, then two metro stops to İçərişəhər. A taxi takes about 30 minutes without traffic.
4. Buy a BakıKart at the airport or any station machine and top it up — you need it for the metro and the H1 bus. Contactless bank cards were added at metro gates in 2025, but may not accept every foreign card.
5. On foot from the seafront: walk up from the Baku Boulevard to the Maiden Tower, or come from Fountains Square, a few minutes from the walls.

## Which museum inside the walls?

|  | Shirvanshahs' Palace | Maiden Tower | Underground Bath | Miniature Books |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Foreign adult | 24 ₼ | 19 ₼ | 10 ₼ | Free |
| Child 5–17 | 12 ₼ | 9 ₼ | 6 ₼ | Free |
| Hours | Daily 10:00–19:00 | Daily 10:00–19:00 | Daily 10:00–18:00 | 11:00–17:00, closed Mon & Thu (unofficial) |
| What you get | Palace rooms, mosque, tomb, bathhouse | Exhibits on each floor and the roof view | Medieval hammam halls | Tiny books from around the world |

Short on time? Pick the palace — it has the most to see. The tower is mainly for the rooftop view. The rest depends on your interests.

## Is Baku Old City worth it?

Yes — it is the reason most people put Baku on the map. Few capitals keep a walled medieval core that is still lived in: mosques from the 11th and 15th centuries, Silk Road caravanserais and 19th-century houses with wooden balconies sit side by side, with the glass Flame Towers rising just beyond the walls.

Be honest about what it is, though. Parts of the quarter were heavily restored, and the streets by the main sights are full of souvenir shops and tour groups. If you only want one ticket, choose the palace; if you dislike crowds, come early or after 19:00, when the museums close and the lanes go quiet.

## Where to stay and eat in the Old City

Small hotels inside the walls, many in old houses, give you quiet evenings and the seafront a few minutes away. The trade-offs: cobbles and slopes that are hard on wheeled suitcases, and lanes too narrow for a taxi to reach every door — ask your hotel where the car can stop. For parking or bigger rooms, stay just outside, near the metro or the Boulevard.

Eating is easy. Tea houses and cafés fill the lanes, and the 17th-century **Two-Storey Caravanserai** now holds a restaurant serving Azerbaijani food. Places beside the main sights are geared to visitors, so check the priced menu before sitting down. For more choice, walk out to Fountains Square and Nizami Street.

## Hammams in the Old City

Bathhouses are part of the story here: medieval merchants were sent to a hammam after customs before entering the town. The 18th-century **Agha Mikayil Hammam** still works as a bathhouse — ask on the spot about times and prices, as there is no official visitor schedule. The **Underground Bath** by the Double Gates, described by Evliya Çelebi after his visit in 1647, is now a ticketed museum.

## Historic places in Baku: compare and choose

Every historic place in Baku rated by YesGo.

- [Maiden Tower](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-maiden-tower) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 19 AZN for foreign visitors
- [Old City (Icherisheher)](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-old-town) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Free entry, museums from 10 ₼
- [Palace of the Shirvanshahs](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/shirvanshahs-palace) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 24 AZN for foreign visitors
- [Flame Towers and Highland Park](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/flame-towers) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; funicular 1 AZN
- [Baku Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Heydar Aliyev Center](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/heydar-aliyev-center) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 15 AZN; classic cars +10 AZN
- [Azerbaijan Carpet Museum](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-carpet-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 10 AZN for foreigners, students 3 AZN
- [Ateshgah Fire Temple](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/ateshgah-fire-temple) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 15 AZN for foreign visitors
- [Gobustan rock art and mud volcanoes](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/gobustan) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ 10–15 AZN, volcanoes extra

## Old City and seafront in half a day

Up from the Double Gates to the palace, down to the Maiden Tower and out to the sea.

1. [Old City (Icherisheher)](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-old-town) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Free entry, museums from 10 ₼
2. [Palace of the Shirvanshahs](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/shirvanshahs-palace) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 24 AZN for foreign visitors
3. [Maiden Tower](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-maiden-tower) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 19 AZN for foreign visitors
4. [Baku Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-boulevard) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
5. [Azerbaijan Carpet Museum](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-carpet-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 10 AZN for foreigners, students 3 AZN

## Not to be confused

İçərişəhər is both the Old City and the metro station at its wall. The Double Gates, Qoşa Qala and the Shamakhi Gate are the same entrance. UNESCO lists the site as the Walled City of Baku.

## Tips

- Go uphill first — Double Gates to the palace — then downhill to the Maiden Tower and the sea.
- Wear proper shoes: the cobbles are polished and the lanes climb.
- Get a free map and guide information at the Tourist Information Centre, 55 Boyuk Gala Street.
- Carry small manat notes for tea houses, stalls and museum desks.
- Finish at the [Carpet Museum](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/baku/baku-carpet-museum) on the Boulevard, a 15-minute walk along the sea.

## Questions

### Is Baku Old City free to enter?

Yes. It is an open quarter with no entry fee or closing time. Only the museums inside charge — 24 ₼ for the Shirvanshahs' Palace and 19 ₼ for the Maiden Tower for foreign adults.

### What are the Old City's opening hours?

The streets are open 24/7. Most museums open daily 10:00–19:00; the Underground Bath closes at 18:00.

### How much time do you need in Icherisheher?

About three hours for a walk and one museum, half a day if you visit both the palace and the tower.

### How do I get to the Old City by metro?

Take the Red Line to İçərişəhər station. Its exit is right by the western wall; walk through the Double Gates.

### Is Baku Old City worth visiting?

Yes. It is Baku's historic core and a UNESCO World Heritage site, with 11th-century mosques, caravanserais and the city's two most famous monuments.

### What is the Old City of Baku called?

Icherisheher (İçərişəhər), meaning Inner City. UNESCO lists it as the Walled City of Baku.

### Can I pay by card in the Old City?

Visa and Mastercard work in hotels, restaurants and bigger shops. Keep cash manat for small stalls, tea houses and street taxis.

### Is it good to stay inside the Old City?

Yes for quiet evenings and easy walks to the sea. Expect cobbles, slopes and lanes where taxis cannot always reach the door.

### What should I wear to visit the mosques?

Covered shoulders and knees; women should cover their hair. Shoes come off at the entrance.

## How we checked

Museum prices and hours, entry, the tourist centre and reserve dates come from the official Icherisheher Reserve Administration site. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. The area differs — 22.1 ha from the reserve, 21.5 ha from English Wikipedia — so we show both; caravanserai dates also differ, so we give a range. The Museum of Miniature Books publishes no official hours, so those are unofficial. Walking times are YesGo estimates.

## Sources

- Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration: Museums (hours and prices), Monuments, UNESCO, History, FAQ, 02.11.2026
- English Wikipedia: Old City (Baku); Icheri Sheher (Baku Metro)
- Russian Wikipedia: Ичери-шехер; Wikidata Q344569
- Museum of Miniature Books: About page, minibooks.az
- Tech.az: NFC payment in the Baku metro, November 2025

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