Tower · Baku, Azerbaijan
Maiden Tower
The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan. Built 1200.
Photo: Gulustan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Baku, Azerbaijan |
|---|---|
| Type | Tower |
| Built | 1200 |
| Height | Height: 29.5 m |
| Coordinates | 40.3662° N, 49.8372° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Maiden Tower is known for
The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan.
About Maiden Tower
The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan. Along with the Shirvanshahs' Palace, dated to the 15th century, it forms a group of historic monuments listed in 2001 under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments as cultural property, Category III. It was built, like most buildings in the Old City, by the Shirvanshahs, and is one of Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, and is thus featured on Azerbaijani currency notes and official letterheads.
History
Some scientific sources indicate that the Maiden Tower is a paramount example of Zoroastrianism and the pre-Islamic architecture in Iran and Azerbaijan. Davud A. Akhundov provides archeological and architectural evidence and argues that the Tower is Zoroastrians' Fire temple-Tower which had 7 fire exits on the top of the tower. Zoroastrian believed that there are 7 Steps or 7 Sky to reach heaven. Davud A.Akhundov and Hassan Hassanov date the fire temple-tower approximately as 8th-7th century B.C. The Maiden Tower, set in the south-east part of Icheri Sheher, has mystique and hoary history and legends that are linked to two periods, though not conclusively established.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Baku |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) |
| Distance from the airport | 13.0 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) · Baku, Azerbaijan · 13.4 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Azerbaijan
More towers
Frequently asked questions
What is Maiden Tower?
The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan.
Where is Maiden Tower located?
Maiden Tower is in Baku, Azerbaijan. Its coordinates are 40.3662° N, 49.8372° E.
How do I get to Maiden Tower?
The nearest town is Baku, and the nearest airport is Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD), about 13.0 miles away (straight line).
When was Maiden Tower built?
Maiden Tower was built 1200.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_Tower_%28Baku%29 — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q842822 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.