Nardaran Fortress ( az, Nardaran qalası) was built in 1301 by architect

Mahmud ibn Sa'd Mahmud ibn Sa'd ( '; az, Mahmud ibn Səd) was an architect who lived in the 13th–14th centuries. Among his works are old Bibi-Heybat Mosque (demolished in 1936), Nardaran Fortress and Molla Ahmad Mosque in Baku's Old City, all three in the mod ...

in the northern part of

Absheron Peninsula The Absheron Peninsula ( az, Abşeron yarımadası) is a peninsula in Azerbaijan. It is the location of Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and also the Baku metropolitan area, with its satellite cities Sumqayit and Khyrd ...

. Nardaran Fortress is located 25 km north of Baku in the village of Nardaran near the town of Mashtaga.

Shirvanshah ''Shirvanshah'' ( fa, شروانشاه), also spelled as ''Shīrwān Shāh'' or ''Sharwān Shāh'', was the title of the rulers of Shirvan from the mid-9th century to the early 16th century. The title remained in a single family, the Yazidids, ...

s used the fortress for both observation and defense. Nardaran Mosque or Rahimakhanim sanctuary which was built in 1663 is located about 200 m from the fortress. Stamps of Azerbaijan, 2000-562

An inscription on

Nardaran Nardaran is a settlement and municipality on the Abşeron Peninsula in Baku, Azerbaijan. It has a population of 8,300. Located 25 kilometers northeast of central Baku, it is politically part of the Baku city-subdivision and treated as a suburb. ...

fortress, which was translated by A.A.Alasgarzade, says: But the geographical location of Nardaran Fortress indicates that there couldn't be a foremost defense. Similar fortresses were built there, from where it was expected to be attacked. Such regions were in the western borders and seashores of Absheron. But Nardaran Fortress was too far from the western borders of Absheron and also its seashores. On October 24, 2001, Nardaran fortress was included on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The construction of the Fortress

The fortress is divided into three parts. The first part of the fortress is higher than the other parts. The thickness of the walls is ranging from 1,5 to 1,8 meters. A deep well is located on the first floor of the tower. In some sources it is noted that, the fortress was supplied with underground sewerage system.

Arabic inscriptions

Above the entrance to the central tower, at the height of the second floor there are two inscriptions, carved out of stone. On the last inscription the name of the master who also built the old mosque and minaret in the village of Shikhov in the XIV century and a mosque in Baku called the Molla-Ahmed Mosque and the date of 1300 is shown.

Fortress architecture

The height of the tower consists of three tiers, covered with flat stone dome vaults and connected by stone stairs. The fortress was made of white stones. The height of the tower is 12 meters high and the height of the walls that it's surrounded by is different. The fortress is located in the center of a square courtyard. There are also 4 corner towers with a barrier and loopholes.

References

Buildings and structures in Baku Tourist attractions in Baku Monuments and memorials in Azerbaijan Castles and fortresses in Azerbaijan {{Castle-stub