Baku Old City

I've never lived in a city with a medieval wall.  Baku has a walled Old City that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Old City is surrounded by a 12th-century defensive wall in beautifully preserved condition.

Interior portion of the wall, with a catapult!

Once inside the walls, the Old City is a maze of narrow streets.  Although the streets are lined with houses, stores, and restaurants, it's a haven of quiet from the bustle of downtown Baku.  Many buildings have elegant second-story balconies overhanging the streets.   

Streets of the Old City

The Old City also provides an interesting viewing point of one of Baku's newest buildings - the Flame Towers.  I've already started creating a series of photos I call "Old and New" - juxtapositions of medieval Old City with the modern Flame Towers. I won't bore you with all of them.

The gleaming Flame Towers overlook the stone Old City 

An important monument in the Old City is Maiden Tower.  The origins of the Tower are shrouded in mystery.  It may have been built as a temple by Zoroastrian worshippers, or as a celestial observatory, or as a defensive watch tower.  Today, it remains an important landmark of the city and an interesting tourist sight.

Erica in front of Maiden Tower

I've strolled through the Old City several times now, but feel I've only scratched the surface of what it contains...which is actually how I still feel about most of Baku.  I plan to continue learning more about what the city - both old and new - has to offer.

Erica and Jeremy at an Old City entrance gate