Download Telman Ibrahimiv Shirvanshahs Palace in Baku

Telman Ibrahimov
THE SHIRVANSHAH’S PALACE
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Telman Ibrahimov. The Shirvanshah's Palace
Baku, “Şərq-Qərb” 2013. 60p
ISBN 978-9952-512-70-0
Project Coordinator :
Kubra Aliyeva
PHD in Art
Prof., honored art worker of
Azerbaijan Republic
Scientific Editor :
Sadikhova Sevil Yusif
PHD in Art. Prof.
PHD in Art, professor Telman Ibrahimov's current book is devoted to Shirvanshah's Palace,
one of the best examples and unique piece of middle ages Azerbaijan architecture. The
construction and restoration of this amazing monument covers XII-XVI centuries.
The Palace Complex that belonged to the rulers of Middle ages Azerbaijan state of
Shirvanshahs is considered one of the masterpieces of world architecture
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………..6
SHIRVANSHAH’S STATE FORMATION………………………7
NEW CAPITAL OF SHIRVANSHAH’S…………………………13
SHIRVANSHAH’S PALACE………………………………………17
BIBLIOGRAFY…………………………………………………… 57
LIST OF ILLUSTRATION’S……………………………………..59
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INTRODUCTION
The palace of the rulers of the medieval Azerbaijani state Shirvanshahs,
was built in Baku under Shirvanshah Khalil Ullah’s reign, after the transfer of
the Shirvan state’s capital from Shamakhi to Baku. The palace structures form a
complex, which includes the main building of the palace, the Divankhana, the
burial vault of the Shirvanshahs, the palace mosque with the minaret, the bath,
the mausoleum of the scholar Seyid Yahya Bakuvi and the East Gate,
nicknamed the "Murad’s Gates".
The Shirvanshah Palace is a pearl of the Azerbaijani medieval palace
architecture. The palace complex of the Shirvan rulers that has arisen for several
centuries reflects the history of the formation of the state of the Shirvanshahs
and the development of architectural and planning, decorative, stone-cutting,
calligraphic and other kinds of art. Synthesis of all these crafts is reflected both
in the architectural appearance of the individual structures of the palace and in
their decorative decoration.
The palace's structures, their design features and decoration embody the
centuries-old traditions of the Shirvan architectural School with its exquisite
proportions, laconic forms and rich traditions of stone carvings.
The history of the palace is inextricably linked with the history of both the
state itself and its rulers from the Derbendi dynasty, who ruled the state
between1382 - 1539.
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SHIRVANSHAH’S STATE FORMATION
1386 year. Winter. The troops of the great conqueror of Asia Timur are
on the approaches of Shirvan. Rumours about Timur’s ruthless army committing
outrages on the conquered lands arosed the atmosphere of panic terror and
horror in the towns of Shirvan.
Meanwhile the supreme administrative Council of the State - Diwan
headed by Shirvan ruler Sheiykh Ibrahim, the founder of a new dynasty of
Shirvan rulers-Darbandi was sitting in Baku, at the winter residence of
Shirvanshahs. Shirvanshah’s great vizier Abu Yazid insisted on telling that it
was impossible to resist Timur’s troops and Shirvanshah should run and hide in
the mountains “and be Allah’s will on everything else “.
But Sheiykh Ibrahim whose destiny was inseparable from the fortune of Shirvan
decided not to run but meet the danger and what is more “ be Allah’s will on
everything “.
Having ordered Sheiykh-ul Islam (the head of the clergy) to give
instructions about the reading of sermons glorifying Timur’s name in all the
mosques and the head of Diwan to emboss coins with Timur’s name, he went to
Timur`s headguarters in Garabagh
with splendid presents to express his
obedience to him and rescue Shirvan from destruction.
According to tradition the presents had to be worthy of Timur’s fame as
well as the wealth and rank of the grantor. According to the ancient Mongolian
tradition which was preserved under Timur, any present to the conqueror had to
be nine pieces of each one, otherwise the present was not received which meant
“your days are numbered”.
The number of all precious presents made by Shirvanshah met these
requirements except one – the number of beautiful slaves was eight. Scrutinizing
the presents and being satisfied with them Timur looked at the slaves. His
question “Why isn’t the number of slaves nine? “ sounded in ghastly silence.
The answer of Shirvanshah about the wealth and pride of whom there were
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made up the legends and whose power didn’t know the bounds was unexpected
and disarming: “The ninth slave of your Highness is in front of you, my
sovereign“.
Timur liked Shirvanshah’s disarming answer and his presents so that he
left him to rule over Shirvan by his order bequeathing all his descendants to
ensure the security and inviolability of properties of Shirvanshah and his
descendants.
Thus Shirvan was rescued of destruction and disaster and Shirvanshah
Ibrahim continued ruling his flourishing country.
The historical role of this event for Shirvan can’t be underestimated so
long as the real flourishing of the state of Shirvanshahs began that time
and reached its height under Sheiykh Ibrahim’s son – Khalilullah I, governing
over Shirvan
from 1417
up
to 1465, and then his son Farrukh Yasar,
governing from 1465 up 1501.
Having returned to his new residence
in Baku
Sheiykh Ibrahim
ascended the rampart of the town citadel situated on the hill. The town
was spread before his eyes. Looking at this dear town and imagining what
could be happened when he was going to Timur, Shirvanshah unvoluntarily
raised his hands to God praying “ Thank You, Allah. May Your will and
wisdom be glorified”.
The town lying under his feet had an ancient history
which was
inseparably linked with Shirvanshahs over thousand years. He and his sons
had to continue it.
Looking at familiar contours of the town the Shirvanshah’s memory
carried him away to the distant past, when the owners of this country
began to be called Shirvanshahs which literally meant Tsar of Shirvan.
The history of Shirvan rulers governing over 1000 years on the historical
territory of the North Azerbaijan bordering in the west with Georgian lands
along the river Alazan, in the north with Big Caucasian range , in the east
with the Caspian Sea, began in Sasanid period (3-7cc.). At that time sasani
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shahinshah Khosrow made arrangements with the most competent local
tribe with the name Shirvan (Sharvan) about the joint guarding
of
mountain passages of the Caucasus from the northern nomadic tribes who
were passing through the Transcaucasus, and from here to Iran plundering.
The next page of the history of Shirvan is connected with conquests
of Arabic Caliphate in this region. The conquest of Shirvan the name of
which figured as an ethnotoponym happened under the second Caliph-Umar
ibn Khattab (634-644) who disseminated Islam as far as the Caucasian range.
As Khosrow in his time, Caliph entrusted to the local hereditary ruler of
this region who was henceforth called Shirvanshah to guard the northern
borders of the Islamic world from nomadic pagansturks then called “kaphirs” (non-believers).
The dynasty of
Shirvanshahs
ruling under
Arabs
was
called
Mazyadids (861-1027) after the name of its first representative Shirvanshah
Yazid ibn Mazyad who was of Arabic origin. Mazyadids became the first
Moslem dynasty of Shirvanshahs. Islam of sunnite persuasion disseminated
in Shirvan during the period of their ruling but could completely abolish
the ancient local religions and cults among which were paganism,
zoroastrism and Christianity.
After the adoption of Islam by the majority of population in Shirvan
there began general islamization of the ancient sanctuaries called “pirs”.
They began to be sanctified according to Moslem traditions and names.
Since that time there has begun a rapid growth of medieval towns of
Shirvan which appeared on the places of big settlements, or strategic places
with their locations that from geographic and military points of view
ensured a safe passing of the army and defended the caravan routes. By
these routes the riches assigned to Caliph’s treasury were brought to the capital
of the Caliphate.
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The biggest towns with strongly fortified fortresses were Shamakha
(Yazidiya), Shabran, Baku (Bakuh),
Darband (Al-Bab)
where
handicraft
production, trade and commodity- money relations were growing rapidly.
A new dynasty of Shirvanshahs – Kesranids were ruling over Shirvan
in
the
period
of
seljuk
and
mongolian
conquests
in Asia
Transcaucasus (1027-1382). Under this dynasty in1911, after
and
destructive
earthquake in Shamakha, the ancient capital of Shirvan which brought to
an end the lives of Shirvanshah Akhsitan’s mother and son, the new
residence began to be built in a more fortified and comfortable seaport of
Shirvan – Baku.
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NEW CAPITAL OF SHIRVANSHAH’S
The town of Baku, as one of big settlements of Shirvan numbered
then several centuries of its history. Oil with constantly throwing out
natural gas and fire in the 5-6th centuries attracted here the pagans and the
followers of cult of fire whose usual occupation was fishing and extraction
of the natural oil – petroleum.
The biggest temple of this period devoted to Zoroastrian goddess
“The Virgin Anakhit” was co-called “Maiden Tower” that has been preserved
up to our days within the frontiers of the old town. The unique construction
of the tower according to the principle of sundial was serving as an
astronomic tower temple making it possible to determine during of prayers
and sacrifices devoted to the goddess during the day, from the sunrise to
the sunset, as it is written in the sacred book of Zoroastrians – Avesta.
The fame of Baku as one of the centres of Zoroastrism has already
been stated in the name of the town which
under sasanids was called
Atshi-Bagu-un (the place of God of fire).
Later on, in the 11th century the Arabic historian and traveller AlMasudi also confirmed this characteristics of the town: “ On the Caspian
Sea there is a town of Bakuh, where there are oil springs of the kingdom
of Shirvan. There are also fire springs gushing out of the earth. These fire –
spitting springs never die down, spurting out the fire as high as a
mountain. Near Baku on the sea there are several islands where also gush
out heavy fountains of fire accompanied by whistle and spitting”.
Islamization of Shirvan and Baku resulted in such a situation that a
new religion declaring a merciless war to paganism re-oriented sanctuaries
of fire in the spirit of Islam and began to build on their places new,
Moslem sanctuaries, the “pirs” connected with the names of Moslem saints.
The last dynasty of Shirvanshahs-Darbandi was ruling over Shirvan
from 1382 up to 1538. Prosperity of Baku which becomes a developed
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medieval town is connected just with this dynasty. By that time it had
been surrounded by the second row of fortress walls with towers and deep
moat
filled with water at the moments of danger of capture of the town
by the enemy.
The old fortified citadel of the town with the inner fortress- the
Kremlin and the castle tower of the ruler called “dondjon” began to be
reconstructed on the top of the town hill. Shirvanshah Akhsitan’s castle
and tower heavily destroyed by catapults of mongols when they was capturing
the town did no longer meet the new, rather secular views about how tsar’s
residence was to be . The growing shah’s court, his Diwan, the richness and
Shirvanshah’s manner of life required a more scaled complex of erections.
Not a castle (kasr),but a palace (imaret) with a developed infrastructure and
splendour of personal chambers, service premises, gala halls and tsar’s mosque,
mausoleum and other structures could answer these requirements.
The decision about permanent living on the territory of the kremlin
demanded building of a series of compulsory civil erections most of which
would be built in the 15th century. By that time there was an old mosque built in
the middle of the 14th century by Shirvanshah Keygubad the First ibn (i.e.son
of) Farrukhzad the Second, who acquired the epithet “the fair”.
It was the last years of Shaiykh Ibrahim`s reign when his new residence
where luxurious secular court life would have to substitute severe mode of life
used to be led in old castles started to be erecting. But just at that time appeared
Timur ravaging towns and whole countries.
The fortune gave Sheiykh Ibrahim, who just returned from Timur’s
headquarters and was now standing on the fortress wall of that old citadel, a
chance to begin building of a new capital and
a new palace worth of
Shirvanshah’s glory. As soon as the country escaped the danger his dream to
create such a palace which would immortalize his and his sons’ names in the
history has been revived.
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SHIRVANSHAH’S PALACE
For working on the project of the palace which had to dazzle with its
luxury and magnificence Sheiykh Ibrahim invited the best architects and
decorators of Shirvan.
Taking care of the history of Shirvan and wishing to stress the hereditary
dynastic relations with Shirvanshahs Kesranids, Sheiykh Ibrahim decided to
preserve the dilapidated tower of Shirvanshah Akhsitan, including it in a plan of
the new palace.
The Akhsitan’s tower, the upper part of which was destroyed by catapults
of the mongol army, numbered about 300 years of its history. After the
reconstruction the tower was in the shape of octahedral prism with deep bays
and the dome covered with blue tiles. Along with the high entranced portal
attached to this tower it formed a vestibule leading to the second, less in sizes
octahedral premises serving as a peculiar compositional centre, from where it
was possible to go up to the throne -room, personal chambers, and down to
ground floors or go up to the roof.
The throne -room elongated on the axis west-east ended in a large space
under the dome called “Shahnishan” where there was sitting Shirvanshah and
his surroundings.
Under the octahedral hall in a round premises there was hidden the State
treasury. The idea to place the treasury in the basement of the thick-walled
Akhsitan’s tower that was included in the interior of the palace, had a particular
practical significance: State treasury had to be reliably protected, for it was a
symbol of prosperity of the state and the tsar’s power.
All the other official and personal chambers numbered 47 rooms quartered on
two floors which were connected by three spiral staircases made within the
walls.
The rooms of the lower floor consisted of household premises and storehouses,
as well as of the rooms for the palace manager, servants, guardians, the seal11
keeper, poets, scholars, theologians, musicians, dancers and a great number of
menials. A particular room called “Zorkhana” was for shah’s gymnastic
exercises.
The rooms of the upper floor were the shah’s, his wife’s and sons’
chambers. There was also a dining-room and a sitting-room there. From the
windows of these rooms the level of which was higher than that of fortress walls
there opened a wonderful view of the town. According to the ancient building
traditions of Shirvan, all the rooms of the palace had a vaulted cover and the
main facade had to be oriented to the east, to the sunrise. The orientation of
dwelling houses on the axis east-west was always characteristic for old Baku
spread over the eastern part of the hill oriented to the sea and the sunrise.
The entrance to the palace was from the western side, through a big
arched portal prevailing in its sizes the height of the palace. Decorative stone
carving of the shah’s portal was not completed in Sheiykh Ibrahim’s time, and
Khalilullah, in memory of his father, decided to leave it as it was.
The roof of the palace was equipped as an inspection ground as it used to
be in ancient castle architecture of Shirvan. The exit to the roof from the upper
chambers turned it into eyvan (balcony) where one could catch a breath of fresh
air and have a rest not going out of the palace.
The palace was being built of a local Absheron stone of ochre tint. The
best stone and wood carvers, plasterers and painters took part in the decoration
of the palace. The walls, vaults, doors and windows were covered with fretted
flower and geometrical ornament forming fanciful lattice-shebeke. Plastered
stone vaults of halls and rooms had a painted and mosaic decor, astonishing the
imagination with its richness and mastery. The floors of the throne-room and the
palace chambers were covered with the best Shirvan carpets winning fame
among European merchants. Of particular beauty was the golden chandelier
consisting of 12 lamps depicting signs of the zodiac. Shirvanshah’s poet Badr
Shirvani describes in his poem this wonder of mastery with the verses like this:
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It is like a sign of heavenly zodiac,
Like the sun’s motion under the dome of sky.
Look at these two spheres hanging under the vault of heaven,
One is headed down, and the other, the blue dome, goes upward.
The magnificence and luxury of Shirvanshah’s palace called “The palace of
delights” was glorified by the court poet in the other poem addressed to
Shirvanshah:Your new palace, called “The palace of delights”is guarded by the
planet Saturn, and the celestial sphere goes round it.
The world`s Builder hasn’t built anything finer,
It is like your honour- high and grand.
This building is like Kaaba, which surrounding is the Paradise.
At Shirvanshah Ibrahim’s court, famous with his wealth and generosity,
there found shelter and the fame later spread in the whole Moslem world the
poets, scholars and theologians for whom Shirvanshah was a patron, connoisseur
of science and art. As a witness to it there can be mentioned a memorable event
- a competition between poets at a mejlis (a sort of literary salon) held in the
palace in 1416 where the Shirvanshah granted 10000 golden dinars to a Persian
poet Katib Turshizi for only one of his poems.
Destructive military hostilities and dynastic revenge followed in 84 years
after Sheiykh Ibrahim’s death didn’t leave his distant descendants even the
grave of Sheiykh Ibrahim who did so much for his country. But fortunately his
palace remained for centuries, and no one of the conquerors who occupied the
residence of Shirvanshahs could bring themselves to demolish it.
The phenomenon of long-living of Shirvanshahs’ Palace is astonishing, so
long as the aggressive practice of the feudal East supposed destroying the
residence of the defeated enemy and there were many such conquerors in the
history.
The mosque was the second compulsory structure without which the orthodox
inhabitants of the shah’s palace couldn’t manage.
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Till then, the Shirvanshah, all his family and the inhabitants of the palace
attended the old mosque left after Keygubad. Now, the large family and the
court needed a new, larger palace mosque with high domes, cells and meeting–
houses for men and women with separate entrances.
Besides the needs in a big mosque that became urgent, there was a
personal and secret factor causing Shirvanshah’s decision to build a new
mosque. Its building was also the act of personal repentance and craving for
God`s forgiveness worrying him for a year. Memory of his son Kayumar who
was executed by his order in 1412 on suspicion of betrayal and the desire to
overthrow his power would not let him have a minute’s peace. Hasty decision
about the execution later raised in his soul suspicions and torments. He could
free himself from them doing a work that would please God. He was building
the mosque. It is thought that the man who builds a God’s house on his own
money gets “savab”, i.e. acquire merit in God`s sight that will free him on the
Day of Judgement from his sins made during this life. Such an absolution of the
sin gnawing him could be a new palace mosque.
The site for building of the mosque was chosen opposite the place of
Kayumar’s execution, in front of the palace which turned for Shirvanshah into
the birthplace of spiritual torments. Now this place had to become the place of
his spiritual peace and reconciliation.
Perhaps this secret factor determined the appearance of three entrances to this
not so large mosque.
The main entrance was opposite the most rancorous place for Shirvanshah
– the place of the execution. The entrance used by the shah was from the eastern
side, so that he could enter the mosque not going through the place memorable
for him.
A separate passage for the shah covered with a cylindric vault led from
the palace to this entrance. The third entrance led to the women’s part of the
mosque from the western side.
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The mosque consists of the domed main hall and the women’s meeting-house of
smaller sizes with its separate dome attached to it. On the southern walls of the
central hall and women’s meeting-house there are simply decorated altar bays
(mikhrabs) fenced off the hall by a low stone lattice.
Decoration of the mosque, both interiors, and its facade, is very modest
and even ascetic for the shah’s mosque. But this modesty can be explained if to
think of the second secret reason for its construction, as well as of the fact that it
was not completed during the reign of Sheiykh Ibrahim. He died in 3 years, in
1417. The building of the mosque was finished at the time of Khalilullah in
1441/2, after attaching of one of the most beautiful minarets in Shirvan to the
mosque.
Cylindrical minaret ascending of 16 metres high stands on a cubic base.
One can go up the minaret by the inner spiral staircase which takes start from
inside the thick wall of the meeting-house .On the height of 12 metres the
staircase leads out on the circular balcony for muedzin (“sharafa “) leaning upon
the cornice richly decorated with stalactites under which there is an inscription
with the date of its building encircling the cylinder: “Thank the highest and allpowerful Allah and blessing to Mohammed the chosen. And then ordered to
open this
minaret the greatest sultan Khalilullah. May Allah glorify the days
of his ruling and reigning. 845 y.h.(1441/2)“.
The domed part of the minaret - “guldeste” “ended in a graceful corrugated
dome is placed over “sharafa” “. Ideal processing of the surface of stones of the
minaret, perfection of its proportions and richness of decor mark a new refined
palace style which will be characteristic of palace construction of Khalilullah’s
period.
Thus the mosque connected two periods-father’s and son’s periods in
itself. Sheiykh Ibrahim’s ascetic, chary of decor mosque contrasts with its
refined minaret which has no equal in all the architecture of Shirvan.
Sheiykh Ibrahim’s time was coming to end and the text of building
inscription inserted into one of the fortress walls of the town perhaps can serve
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the highest appraisal of this person: “ In the days of ruling of the great and wise
sovereign of people, sultan Sheiykh Ibrahim, Allah extend his reigning.” “
In the time of Sheiykh Ibrahim’s successor, his son Khalilullah I the
construction gained wide scope in Shirvan, Baku and especially in palace
residence. A large number of erections where there are building inscriptions
with the date containing the text: “In the time of the most honourable of all
sovereigns, devout, worthy and just ruler Khalilullah ibn Mohammed adDarbandi “ speaks about it.
Khalilullah was really the worthiest and most fair of Shirvanshahs whose
reigning is marked by the flourishing of the state and urban culture with its
trade, spiritual and secular life.
Like his father, in his foreign policy he kept the orientation on Timurids,
with whom the treaty signed by his father and Timur, connected the
Shirvanshahs.
After Timur’s death in 1405 his sons Miranshah and Shahruh became his
descendants and Khalilullah had to build his relations with them for the sake of
preserving the independence of Shirvan. Hence since the beginning of the 15 th
century Shirvanshahs added to their Persian title “shah” a new Turkish title
“sultan”. All the succeeding Shirvanshahs had it in their titles.
Not being inferior to his father in the foresight, breadth of views and
diplomatic abilities Khalilullah repeated the action of his father: in December,
1420 he left Shirvan and went with rich presents to Shahruh who, like his father,
preferred to spend winters in Garabagh.
Having been favourably received by sultan and honoured with precious
belt Khalilullah charmed Shahruh with his wit, honesty and bravery. In
accordance with Shahruh’s wish it was decided to strengthen the friendship of
two sovereigns with ties of relationship. Khalilullah became engaged to
Miranshah’s grandaughter Khanike. On this occasion Shirvanshah’s mother
Bike-khatun came from Shirvan with precious presents and on the 3 rd of April,
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1421 in Garakapak(Garabagh) there took place a magnificent wedding which
strengthened the union of Shirvanshah with Timurids.
It will be not for once that protection of high and mighty relative will save
the dynasty of Shirvanshahs from occupation and destruction. The same was
later when Iskander, the son and descendant of Gara Yusif, the ruler of South
Azerbaijan who had for a long time cherished a hope to conquer Shirvan
famous for its riches.
A little later there appeared one more enemy of Shirvanshah in the person
of Sheiykh Junade, the third descendant of the famous South-Azerbaijanian
Sheiykh Safi Ardabili. Sheiykh Junade was driven away from Azerbaijan by
Iskander’s descendant Jahan shah .
Sheiykh Junade belonging to Shiite sect of Islam used the Shiite population of
Shirvan where there were lots of his followers (“murids”) in his struggle against
Shirvanshah. In 1460 in the bloody war between Khalilullah and Junade, the
latter was defeated, captured and executed by order of Shirvanshah.
In 28 years, in 1488 Khalilullah’s son Farrukh Yasar killed Sheiykh
Junade’s son Sheiykh Heydar who being possessed by the thought to take
vengeance on his father’s death treacherously attacked Shirvan in spite of the
allied relations. Both of these events and a dynastic revenge following them
will cost much for Shirvan 41 years later when young shah Ismail I Safavi
will take vengeance on his father’s and grandfather’s deaths. But now, in
1434, after the war with Iskander returning to Baku, Khalilullah was full of
hopes and wishes. The young Shirvanshah was eager to realize his wish and his
father’s will: Baku had to become a pearl of Shirvan and Shirvanshah’s court - a
pearl of Baku.
Having been at a mature age and tired of wars Khalilullah decided to do
works pleasing to God and began a large-scale construction all over Shirvan.
The restoration of Moslem sanctuaries, apportion of vakf lands, oil wells,
salterns for them had to ensure the income of priests. Building a great number
of caravansarays financed by the Diwan was undertaken to ensure regular transit
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trade that brought great incomes to the treasury. The construction of defence
fortresses in Shamakha, Darband, Baku and in its suburbs had to secure peaceful
flourishing life of the towns, and to prevent them from the repeating of the
destructions that happened in the past.
The growing inflow of riches to Shirvan was also conditioned by
unprecedented development of trade of strategic raw materials of Shirvan-oil,
silk, salt, saffron with European countries thanks to Venetian merchants who
founded in Baku their trading stations and exported goods by sea through
Astrakhan by the rivers Volga and Don, and from there through the Azov Sea
to Europe.
The ambassador of Castilia Rue de Gonzales being here in the time of
Sheiykh Ibrahim
described the rich life of the town and its trade in his diary, calling the Caspian
Sea – Baku Sea.
Venetian merchants Iosofato Barbaro and Contarini who exported silk
from Shamakha to Europe through Baku also called the Caspian Sea as the
“Baku Sea” (“mare di Baccu”). Venetian travellers Donato de Leze and
Andjolelo mentioned Baku in their diaries spelling its name as “Baccuc” and
called it a “wonderful harbour at the Baku Sea”. A lot of European merchants
came to Shirvan in the second half the 15th century after the occupation of
Constantinopol by the Turks in 1453.
Transfer of the world trade routes from Asia to Europe, and thus from the
Black to the Caspian Sea, was caused, first of all, by safety of this new route. At
the same time, it was an outcome of a certain policy of Europe the aim of which
was to weaken Ottoman Turkey that presented a growing danger for Europe.
Seeing all this Khalilullah tried to create favourable opportunities for export and
transit trade from South – Eastern Asia (China, India) by the Caspian Sea. For a
short time this policy enriched the treasury of Shirvan so much that it became
possible to realize the most daring plans of the improvement of the country.
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A few caravanserays survived up today, such as, Caravanserai in
Sangachal located on the way from Baku to Salyan, as well as Bukharanian and
Indian(Multani) caravanserays in Baku, are only little number of the
caravanserays built by Khalilullah to promote the domestic and international
transit of goods.
Besides the trade, the State had a giant income brought by the craftsmen who
occupied the whole quarters in the town. The production of pottery, carpets,
metal-working, armoury and building craft were rapidly developing in all the
towns of Shirvan.
After his victorious return from the war Khalilullah began to restore the
order and lawfulness shaken by to the war in the towns of Shirvan. The poet
Badr Shirvani wrote about the restoration of law and order in Baku in his poem
dedicated to him:
“Shade of God, Sun of justice is Sultan Khalil
His palace is the base of state,
Order and law have reigned in Baku
It happened after the star of victory rose from the constellation of triumph”.
Economic and cultural life of the town, its administration, educational
institutions (medresse) where theology, philosophy, religious law was taught
needed new buildings. A great number of new town services could no more
function in the town which at that time remained to be just like early medieval
settlement. The needs in a new town with its developed infrastructure,
communications, and social buildings were growing constantly. Thus, largescale construction started in Baku while Shamakha, the capital of dynastic lands
of Shirvanshahs, remained as their summer residence.
Under such conditions Khalilullah decided to begin realization of the most
grandiose of his projects which immortalized his name. The Palace of
Shirvanshahs built by his father and all the territory around it, had to turn by
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its scale into the true royal palace ensemble with a new mosque , mausoleum,
palace bath, library, stable, garden and other erections. To work on this
project there were gathered the best architects (memar), engineers (muhandis),
builders (benna, serkar), carvers (hakkak), calligraphers(khattat) from all over
Shirvan. The best of them all were memar Shamseddin from Shamakha, Hajy
Ahmed from Darband, Tajeddin from Shabran.
Being at war with Iskander Khalilullah trusted his brother Gazanfar who
was left to govern the civil life of the country to construct the fortifications of
the capital and to make some renovations to the shah’s residence. The most
famous construction of Gazanfar was a new defence tower in one of the
fortress walls which was completed by Khalilullah in 1445, in 2 years after
Gazanfar’s death.
In Badr Shirvani’s ode of praise this tower was called “Gazanfariya” by name
of sultan:
Erected to the skies by you the tower “Gazanfariya”
It is like the tower of the planet Saturn.
Not less famous was a palace bath, which Gazanfar began building in
Khalilullah’s absence and finished in 1438/9.
Consisting of 26 premises and a central hall with a swimming–pool the
bath was half-underground, for better preserving the heat in winter and the cool
in summer. Water running through furnace chamber entered the bath by ceramic
pipes from Abdan (construction for collecting of subsoil waters) built by
Khalilullah in 1436/7. The bath was heated with condensed kerosene hardened
in the form of stone of yellow colour, burning as a candle. Heat- conducting
ceramic pipes with hot air from the furnace chamber passing under the floors of
the premises and warming the seats and floors of the bath served as a heating
system.Each of premises intended for the members of Shirvanshah’s family
and inhabitants of the palace had a dome for preventing the loss of heat. Domes
20
leaning upon the stalactite cornices, swimming-pools and walls were completely
encrusted with coloured majolica tiles forming a refined vegetable ornament.
Bath premises consisted of a vestibule, cloak-room, a hall with swimming –
pools of hot and cold water as well as the hairdresser’s. Shah’s bath was not
only the place for bathing. It was a place where shah could have rest body and
soul.
1434 was a year of victory for Khalilullah and at the same time it was a
year of irreplaceable tragic loss striking the heart of the son and the father. In the
course of several weeks at first died Shirvanshah’s mother Bike-Khatun and
then his two-year-old son Mohammed Ibrahim. The cause of Shirvanshah’s
mother’s death was inconsolable grief and suffering on the occasion of untimely
decease of her beloved grandson- Gazanfar’s son. The poet writes in his ode
devoted to Gazanfar:
Being unable to stand parting with your son
Your mother left this frail world
Khalilullah’s son died of blood-poisoning in three weeks after his
mother’s death had tensed the atmosphere in the palace. The poet describes
these events as “the end of the world, darkness covered the eyes of the people “.
All the people of Shirvan shared his personal tragedy with Shirvanshah.
Respected by the people for her kindness and intercession Shirvanshah’s mother
and his son were buried side by side on the territory of the palace. Khalilullah
honouring his mother and loving his son decided after the lapse of 40-days
mourning to begin the construction of their mausoleum which would be finished
with Allah blessing till their anniversary in 1435/6.
The Mausoleum (Turbe) built by Khalilullah for his mother and son
became the first big monument of palace ensemble built in the time of
Khalilullah.
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Palace mausoleum is situated to the west of the palace, in a small closed
yard and faces the palace with its facade. Differing from traditional tower
mausoleums widespread in Shirvan, palace mausoleum is a rectangular building
with a central under-domed hall and four official premises placed in the corners
of the hall.
The high entrance portal of the mausoleum as well as the palace portal
prevailing over the height of the building and concentrating the best
achievements of stone-carving.
The portal accentuates the entrance to the small vestibule attached to the hall.
The lancet bay of the portal through a stalactite belt passes into a refined fluted
semi-dome forming a deep portal bay. The tympanum of the portal is entirely
covered with a graceful carving of vegetable ornament symbolizing the Moslem
paradise. There is an inscription in handwriting “sulce” “ in its upper part where
is given the 92nd verse of the 12th sura from Koran saying: “ Allah the Most High
and Blessed said: Allah forgive you, for he is the most merciful of all “. A part
of Hadise is also placed here. “The Prophet – let the worthiest prayers be with
him said: “You will indeed see your God with your own eyes”” “.
There is one more inscription over the entrance door: “The greatest sultan
and Shirvanshah, namesake of Allah’s prophet, protection of religion
Khalilullah - let Allah immortalize his reigning and dominion. Ordered to build
this mausoleum for his mother and his son in 839 y. h.(1435/6).Let Allah show
mercy to both of them. “
Two symmetrically placed medallions traditionally called badami
(almond-shaped) are striking on the background of the vegetable ornament of
tympanym.
Calligraphic art of the East knows quite a number of examples when the
inscriptions were put into code of the ornament or even the picture. The skill of
composing the picture of outlines of words was considered to be “ aerobatics” “
of calligraphers.
22
Medallions of the mausoleum at first sight describing flower bush actually
consist of heraldically repeating symbol of faith of shiahs” “Thanks Allah. Ali
his felicity. “The left part inspite of its exact symmetry with the right one was
written in mirror manner and had to be read mystically or intuitively, otherwise,
only with the help of the mirror.
All this confirms that masters who took part in the decoration facing of
the mausoleum were really the very best.
The dome of the mausoleum encrusted with thin stone slabs of triangular
form from outside forming a star motif was faced on the inside with blue tiles
describing starry sky.
Differing from more modest tower mausoleums of Shirvan, palace mausoleum
had no underground vault. Graves marked by carved trunk-shaped tombs of
stone were placed in the mausoleum directly under the dome.
It is known that Khalilullah had 5 sons. Four of them had died during his
life-time and only one them Farrukh Yasar inherited the throne.
His second son Farrukh Yamin died in 1442/3 when he was seven years
old, then Sheiykh Saleh when he was two (1445/6) and at last Bahram, on the
battlefield at the age of 18. Later all of them will be buried here too.
In this hard period of his life Shirvanshah found consolation in the
philosopher and
the scholar-astronomer Seyid
Yahya al Bakuvi living at
Shirvanshah’s court and religions leader of Shirvan Haji Sheiykh Mohammed ad
Bakuyi. Tragic losses following one another and desperate attempts to find the
Cause and Reason accompanying each loss brought Shirvanshah to cardinal
revaluation of the meaning of life after which new epithets of Khalilullah “ the
most devout” “ and “defence of religion” “ would be added to the previous
ones.
After the burial of his sons next to his mother and his son the mausoleum
of Khalilullah’s mother turned into patrimonial mausoleum of Shirvanshahs
where 14 members Shirvanshah’s family including Khalilullah himself would be
buried.
23
Emotional frivolousness appeared after all these losses Shirvanshah tried
to fill by building and reconstructing religious constructions all over Shirvan.
The construction beyond the walls of the palace of the Big Juma mosgue with a
refined minaret where words from Koran reflecting his emotional state in that
period were carved by his order belongs to that time. “Told the Most High Allah
, thank him – in his book: Those who came to belive in Allah and were afraid of
nobody except Allah,revive the mosques of Allah, their way is true.””“ Sultan
Khalilullah . In the year of 841(1437/38).
The 40-50-es was the period of Khalilullah’s maturity as a ruler and
personality who was a good judge of not only material but also spiritual values
of the world. His passion for the poetry, science, philosophy and the teachings of
mystics attracted well-known scholars, poets, philosophers and theologians to
his palace.
Musical and poetic mejlises, philosophic and religious debates held in his palace
gathered the pick of not only Shirvan but also of the whole oriental culture.
Arabic was the official state language of Shirvan but it was used only in
the office work and by clergy. The language of the palace and higher feudal
aristocracy was Persian. Middle and lower sections of the population spoke local
turkish language. This trilinguality of Shirvan made it attractive for many
thinkers of the East who were claimed in Shirvanshah’s palace. It can be
explained by geographic position of Shirvan owing to which it was an important
link on the “great silk route” “ connecting the Front Asia and Europe with the
Middle Asia and the Far East. Economic relations inevitably involved cultural
interchange in which men of science and culture actively took part. Shirvanshah
had created maximum favourable conditions for their activity.
As it was everywhere in the East poets enjoyed a special attention at
Khalilullah’s court. After Badr Shirvani’s death in 1450 such leading lights in
oriental poetry as Mirza Jahanshah Hagigi, Sheiykh Ibrahim Gulshani, Kishvari
and others were taking part in the poetic mejlises of his palace.
24
Khalilullah’s next passion after poetry was philosophy. In his youth he
took a great interest in teachings of shiah sect “hurufits” “spending much time
in conversations with its founder Fazlullah Naimi exiled to Baku by Timur.
According to the teaching of hurufits the letters (huruf) of Arabic alphabet were
secret mystical signs of lines and elements of human face. After the execution of
Naimi by Timur’s son Miranshah, the outstanding poet and thinker Imadaddin
Nasimi became the head of the sect.
Philosophical views of Nasimi who went in his meditations farther than
his teacher were attracting young Khalilullah with their boldness and being in
opposition to dead dogmata of Islam. Nasimi called to abandon the devotion to
Allah and religion. According to him the divine beginning is reflected in the
man, even in his face for the man has been created like God.
The execution of Nasimi as an atheist in the year of Khalilullah’s
ascending the throne in 1417 cooled the young shah’s head who invited Seyid
Yahya Bakuvi for permanent residence to the palace as a spiritual tutor. He was
also mystic and sufi but with more moderate views.
The teaching of sufi- dervishes was based on the idea of mystic reunification of
the man with God through self- perfection and overcoming of special mystic
points (makam). Passing of these evolutional points was characterized by a
special ecstatic condition, mystic trance (hal). Successive overcoming of
makams, total number of which was seven, was bringing to a full victory of
spirit over flesh and indifference to vain life and its blessings. The ultimate
aim of “ a mystic way” “ along which the sufi was going was To find the
truth through mystic merging and solution (fana) in God.
Religious- mystic ideas of
Bakuvi, his works on philosophy and
astronomy were spiritual food for Khalilullah. Casting horoscopes, studying
constellations by court scholars infected Shirvanshah who built an observatory
in Shamakha where they secluded themselves at nights observing heavenly
bodies.
25
Bakuvi’s death in 1463 was felt tragically by Khalilullah who as
everybody considered him to be holy (seyid). The decision to bury Bakuvi on
the territory of the palace and to erect a mausoleum over his grave was a
gesture of gratitude of a disciple to his tutor and his wish to have a sacred
place (pir) on the territory of the palace.
It is known that Bakuvi gave up eating at the end of his life and
promised to pray Allah uninterruptedly till his last not going out of his cell in
the old mosque of Key- Gubad.
Knowing about the promise of the deceased and the force of his sanctity
(karamat), Khalilullah decided not to break his promise and not to take his
body out of the cell. Having buried him there he reconstructed the cell into
mausoleum attaching it to the old mosque and forming a small cult complex on
the territory of the palace.
Typical for memorial architecture of Shirvan Bakuvi’s mausoleum is an
octahedral prismatic construction crowned with a pyramidal hipped roof. The
upper premises of the mausoleum is a space 2.5 m in diameter and 4.5 m high ,
covered with a spheric dome on which there was a vegetable ornament painted
on a plaster. Transition from the dome to the walls has been designed in the
form of a painted frieze and small lancet vaults located along the perimeter of
the drum of the dome.
The burial vault of the mausoleum – square premises covered with a
lancet arch is very ascetic. Entrances to the upper and lower chambers are one
above the other.
The palace mausoleum of
Seyid Yahya Bakuvi well-known
among the
people as “ a mausoleum of dervish “ is a magnificent specimen of mausoleums
built in Shirvan in the course of centuries over the graves of holy hermits (
zahid )- sufis.
The presence of a very ascetic, at the same time perfect in form
mausoleum points out the role and significance of the Cult of holies in the life
of Shirvan including his sovereign.
26
The last years of Khalilullah’s life who was over 90, were the years of carrying
out the works pleasing to God. At the same time with the realization of futility
of the vain life about which Bakuvi spoke, the events happened in those years
promoted it.
Fierce and bloody war with Sheiykh Junade who attacked Shirvan in
1460 and which ended in Shirvanshah’s victory and execution of Junade by
his order was his last fight for earthly blessings. After this war all his thoughts
would be directed solely to God and the Doomsday to which he wanted to come
with peace in his heart.
In such a condition of spirit, in 1465 in his palace among his close
relatives left this world “ the last of great Moslem sovereigns” “ - Khalilullah
ibn Mohammed ad Darbandi. God forgive him.
Ascended the throne after him Farrukh
Yasar continued peaceful
construction of the state and palace residence which would be enriched with a
new architectural masterpiece “Diwankhana” “ .
The name “Diwankhana” “takes its origin from the word Diwan
-
meeting(mejlis) and khana-place which literally means a Place of meetings
and as a matter was a place of meeting of the higher administrative – financial
state machinery headed by Shirvanshah. The incomes of Diwan consisted of
taxes received mainly in the form of money rent as well as military spoils and
contributions.
Diwankhana” which began to be built in the 90-es of the XV century had
to concentrate in itself the higher administrative – financial governing of the
state. Its appearance testifies to the formation of a new conception of State
governing where temporal, bureaucratic component gets a special role which
had to reflect the
construction magnificent according to its architectural
qualities.
Diwankhana” is an octahedral rotunda raised to the height of 1.5 m from
the level of the earth. It is called Koshk according to Moslem tradition. An
octahedral hall of prismatic form covered with a dome is in the centre of the
27
rotunda. The upper cover of the double dome was decorated with mosaic laying
of star-shaped motif like the decor of the dome of the Mausoleum. Later, at the
beginning of the XX century mosaic cover was replaced by an entire stone
facing.
The outer colonnade around the octahedral hall forms a roundabout
gallery, which has five exits from the hall. Constructive form of rotunda of
Diwankhana” finds its analogy in the form of the throne (Takht)on which were
sitting Shirvan rulers. It eloquently points out the significance and essence of the
building.
From three sides of the isolated with high walls of the inner yard where
rotunda is situated there is a covered arcade. There, in the arched aperture were
sitting the officials. The pavilion itself was intended for Shirvanshah and the
higher feudal aristocracy – emirs.
It is possible to get the inner hall of the rotunda through a small vestibule
where one can pass through the shah’s entrance leading from the palace and the
main entrance
leading from the inner yard of
Diwankhana”. The central
entrance to rotunda is emphasized by a high splendid portal decorated with a
luxurious carving on stone. Besides the shah’s entrance to the territory of
Diwankhana there is an entrance from the street designed in the form of a small
but deep portal.
An open, pavilion type of the building points out that it was intended for
warm and especially summer time of the year when stuffy heat and moisture of
Baku “ drove out “ all the dwellers to the open air. In winter months when the
work of Diwan was not so much its meetings took place in the palace.
The covered arcade around the central rotunda reminds theatre boxes
where took seats the higher executive machinery of the state, the hierarchical
structure of which looked like this:
The next person after Shirvanshah was Vizier, whose role can be
compared with the role of the present Prime-Ministers. His deputy Naib and
manager of Diwan- Sahib-diwan submitted to him. Then comes military deputy
28
of sultan - Shikhna who was engaged in defences. Mukhtasib carried out
police functions as well as control of bazars and commercial-handicraft quarters.
Then comes Rais, the representative of merchants’ guild and trade shops,
further, Sadr – the higher official, occupied in the works of vakf and at last,
Sheiykh-ul-Islam who was in charge of clergy, the institution of shariat courtKadi and teachers of medresse – Mudarris. Here were the higher officials
engaged in control of trade, building, water-supply, tax and many others too.
Then there were a great many of minor officials who carried out Diwan’s
decisions and reported on their patrons.
Accumulation, distribution and redistribution of state budget, solution of
legal, social and military problems of the state took place in Shirvanshah’s
Diwan. In the regions of the country, ancestral lands of one or another emir there
were emir diwans which solved analogical regional problems.
Shah’s Diwan was an institution where decisions on which depended the
prosperity of country, human fates and belief in Shirvanshah were taken every
day. Perhaps that’s why having decided to warn his officials against abuses he
ordered to write the following text from Koran above the entrance from the
vestibule of the pavillion to the hall:
Allah calls his followers to the Paradise
And directs the needs to the way of Truth
Higher blessings of the Paradise are waiting for those who were good
Neither shame nor disgrace will fall on their faces.
Everyone who entered the hall inevitably was passing under this Holy
Scripture. It was equivalent to giving a promise and getting the defence of
Koran from the tempter (shaitan).
As distinct from the palace treasury where Shirvanshah’s personal wealth
was kept Diwan had its own treasury where the state income was received. This
treasury was under the floor of the octahedral hall where one could get from the
29
vestibule and which was intended for keeping money and jewelry. Under this
depository there was a square apartment where one could go down from the
yard. This depository was intended for keeping stock of precious metals used in
casting coins. Coins found on the territory of the palace and information of the
sources that there was a mint place in Baku where gold and silver from shah’s
Diwan was brought
makes it possible to suppose such a purpose of this
depository.
Among official premises of Diwankhana there are two more small rooms
situated in two floors. The entrance to one of them is from the vestibule, to the
second from rotunda. In these rooms there were kept copy-books (daftar),
where incomes and expenses of Diwan were stated. Current documents were
kept in the lower room, the archives in the upper one.
There were some hole- depositories 15 m deep in the yard of Diwankhana.
Probably there were kept reserved strategic money funds of Diwan.
The palace garrison carried out a permanent guard of the state Diwan. A
stone staircase which was located in the thickness of the wall surrounding
Diwankhana made it possible to place the guard along the perimeter of outer
walls.
The simplicity and laconism of the architecture of Diwan is hidden
beyond the richest decorative
stone
carving
covering the portal, arched
tympanums, apertures and columns of rotunda.
The portal of Diwankhana with a complicated vegetable ornament carved
on stone in the upper part is by right considered to be a masterpiece of
decoration. The portal bay is designed in the form of the fluted lancet semidome passing through a stalactite belt to a deep bay with a doorway.
In the lower part of the tympanum, in the height of 2,5m from the floor
there are two carved hexahedral rosettes placed to the left and to the right of the
door. Outwardly reminding a geometrical ornament the rosettes, as a matter of
fact contain skillfully carried out inscriptions in “kufi” “. In the six-pointed star
inscribed in the left rosette the followings are repeated thrice “There is no God
30
except Allah “, “Mohammed is Allah’s envoy “and “Ali is a true deputy of
Allah” “.
In the right rosette the inscriptions form a six-pointed star. Each
inscription forms a peculiar modulus, general number of which is 12 by the
number of holy Imams. In all these rhombes there is a six fold repetition of
two inscriptions. “Allah is single “and “Mohammed” “.
The sacral calligraphy, the best specimens of which we see in decorative
rosettes of Diwankhana speak not only about the mastery of calligraphers and
carvers but also about the peculiarities of the religious way (Tarikat), which
was given preference at Shirvanshah’s court. The sufi roots of this tarikat are
leading to Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, whose grave and mausoleum was honoured as a
sacred place. In order to understand the influence of sufi method of
“cryptography for the initiated” “is enough to look at the epigraphy of the palace
ensemble. Contents being different, the intentional complexity, sometimes frank
code of inscriptions is common for all of them.
As it is known the teaching about the concealment of the Truth from those
who is uninitiated was characteristic for the teaching of sufis and batinists
(Batin – inner, secret ), who considered themselves to be able to see in Holy
Scripture that, what is not accessible to all. Sufi scholars created symbolic
works with allegorical disseminations intended
for “ the initiated” “ (Arif).
And their followers - calligraphers often used the method of concealment in
their craft-calligraphy.
It is known that one of such mystic- philosophic works “Risale-I
Batiniya”“(“Treatise about the Concealed” “) created by Bakuvi was very
popular at Shirvanshah’s court.
Visual concealment of the holy name within the ornament is met above each of
five entrances leading from the inner hall of rotunda to the roundabout gallery.
Above all of them at the very top of the arch there are six-pointed rosettes in
which the name of shiah iman Ali has been written in carpet method.
31
According to carpet principle of decoration the elements of the ornament,
as a rule are composed in such a way that the emptiness between them also turns
into the ornament seen not at once and not to everybody.
The genius of the master- decorator whose sufi orientation is beyond any
doubt, transformed this decorational method into a calligraphic device. As a
result of it the name of imam Ali carved in rosettes arises not only in vivid
contours but also in the emptiness between them.
The master could express mystic teaching on the revealed and concealed
Truth in a simple decorative sign understandable to various levels of
comprehension. Thricely repeated and written boldly “Ali” “owing to its
evidence was intended for the uninitiated but the initiated ones saw “Ali “in the
emptiness too, that is to say sixfoldly. If to remember that the number 6 always
meant Paradise in Moslem sacral symbolism, it is getting clear that thanks to Ali
the initiated saw Paradise which was waiting for them.
The construction of Diwankhana and its stone carving inimitable in its
beauty was not completed. Military operations and occupation of Shirvanshahs’
residence in 1501 by armies of South-Azerbaijanian ruler Shah Ismail I Sefevi
didn’t make it possible to complete work of decoration. Ornamentation of
capitals and bases of columns, arched apertures of rotunda and many others had
partially been carried out till that time and in such a form came up to our days.
Shirvanshah Farrukh Yasar’s life came to end tragically on the battlefield.
Shah Ismail took vengeance for the death of his father and grandfather executed
by Farrukh Yasar and his father Khalilullah.
In 1501 Shah Ismail occupied the residence of Shirvanshahs in Baku.
Dynastic revenge was a fierce blow to the majesty of Shirvanshahs which would
never be restored fully.
Legendary fame about the riches of Shirvanshahs which sefevids couldn’t
find for a long time, brought to serious destructions of palace constructions.
Discovering easily Shirvanshah’s personal treasury in the palace, Ismail’s
commander Khulafa bey for a long time couldn’t find the treasury of Diwan,
32
imperceptible entrance to which was concealed long before the occupation of
the town by the enemy.
Having learned from the captured members of Diwan that money and gold
were brought directly from the house of Diwankhana, Khulafa bey ordered to
make a hole in the centre of the domed hall and thus discovered the treasury in
the basement.
Personal treasury and all values of Diwan were taken away to Tabriz,
palace property was plundered by the troops of Ismail.
Having taken vengeance on Shirvanshahs, Shah Ismail left Shirvan and
that year ascended the throne in Tabriz, the capital of South Azerbaijan.
Shirvanshahs’power was preserved till 1538 when shah Ismail’s son Tahmasib
abolished the independence of Shirvan annexing it to South Azerbaijan. The last
Shirvanshah was Farrukh Yasar’s son Shahrukh executed by Tahmasib in Tabriz
in 1539.
So catastrophic and unfortunate was the end of the history of hereditary
rulers of Shirvan- Shirvanshahs, who left in the history the blessed memory
about themselves and magnificent architectural monuments preserved up to
nowadays.
After all these events there began the second history of the Palace of
Shirvanshahs lasted not a century, but full of destructions and alterations of the
palace for various needs.
Untypical in this destructive history is only the period of turkish occupation of
Baku
in the 80-es
of the XVI c. It is untypical because the Palace of
Shirvanshahs was restored that time and increased by one more magnificent
construction, that is to say “Eastern gates”” “ or “Murad’s gates “ as they were
called later.
“Eastern gates “ were built in 1585/6, in the period of turkish occupation
of the town by the armies of sultan Murad 3, whose name had been remained in
the name of the gates. As a matter of fact, according to inscriptions on the gates
33
it becomes clear that they have been built by order and means of the noble
Baku dweller Rajab-baba, a zealous worshipper of dervish Bakuvi’s grave.
The so-called “Eastern gates “ as a matter of fact was an entrance portal
to a new, the more scaled sanctuary (Pir) of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi destroyed
later, during the occupation of the town by Russian troops in 1723. From the
destroyed sanctuary there remained only its portal which later would be called
“gates “.
The old entrance to the complex leading directly to the palace lost its
significance long ago. The construction of this Pir with its separate entrance was
conditioned by it. The mausoleym of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi honoured by a local
population, the mosque of Key Gubad and the shah’s mosque remained
functioning in the palace complex. The entrance portal of the sanctuary opened
the passage to the grave of the saint for pilgrims. Not passing through the whole
territory of the palace ensemble the whole territory of the palace ensemble the
pilgrims could pass through this sanctuary directly to the grave and mosques.
Amir-shah Valyancukhi – the dweller of the suburbs of Tabriz had built this
sanctuary. His name remained on the portal escaped the destruction which
turned into the gates in the wall.
In 1607 the new ruler of South Azerbaijan Shah Abbas 1 won back
Shirvan and Baku from the turks. Missionaries – carmelites who were in Baku
on September of that year gave the information that the Palace of Shirvanshahs
were heavily destroyed and plundered. German traveller E. Kempfer who was
in Baku in 1683 informed that the old palace of Shirvanshahs had been deserted.
Sultan’s new residence was built a little bit lower of the old palace and was
much smaller in sizes.
In 1723 Shirvan and Baku were occupied by the Russian emperor Peter 1.
Bombardment of the town from the ships did much damage not only to the town
but also to the palace of Shirvanshahs. Shooting down sultan’s residence the
artillery destroyed palace domes and vaulted covers of the upper floors of the
palace. In the 19th century after the final submission of Shirvan and Baku to the
34
Russian Empire there was located in Baku a Russian garrison which used the
palace as an ammunition depot. All the territory of the palace ensemble was
surrounded with a new wall and the building of the palace underwent a
barbarian alterations.
In 1918 the fire destroyed the old mosque of Key Gubad which was still
preserved near the mausoleum of Bakuvi.
The palace complex was restored in 1932-34 under the Soviet power, but
it couldn’t rehabilitate the initial view of the palace and other buildings.
The gradual and unavoidable destruction of the palace was going on till
September of 2001 when there began the works on the new, all-embracing
restoration and conservation of the monument entered into the list of monuments
of the whole mankind by UNESCO.
On the 16th of July, 2003 the works on the restoration of Diwankhana carried out
by restorers of “Arte e Restauro “ were completed . On the 21 st of July
Diwankhana was solemnly opened for visitors.
P.S. The author of this article, from Shirvan by birth expresses a cordial
gratitude to restorers of the Italian company “Arte e Restauro” “ , masters,
builders, masons of the Department of construction of the city of Baku for
their careful attitude to this rare monument of the history of Shirvan.
The Palace of Shirvanshahs, Diwankhana, Mausoleum and other constructions
of the palace complex of the 15th century are not only architectural masterpieces.
They are illustrations of the history of the people always keeping in memory
those who destroyed this history and those who preserved and reconstructed it
for future generations.
Notes:
35
1) Such towers- dondjons of big feudals were built in the 13-14 th centuries
in the suburbs of Baku, on the perimeter of the whole Apsheron
peninsula, forming a system of fortificational towers, some of which are
preserved in Mardakan, Ramana, Nardaran up to our days.
36
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СССР.Б.1940.№5
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Азерб.ССР.№1.1947
16.Дадашев С.,Усейнов М. Архитектурные пвмятники Баку.М.1946.
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Азербайджана. М.1963.
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Переднего Востока. М.1966.
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38
LIST OF ILLUSTRATION’S
1. General plan of “Shirvanshahs Palace” complex.
2. Reconstruction project of Palace (I.P.Sheblitkin). 1932 year
3. View of the Shirvanshas Palace Complex.
4. Southern facade of Shirvanshahs Palace.
5. Entrance portal of the palace.
6. Octahedral hall of the palace.
7. The second octahedral hall of the palace.
8. Stairway to the second floor of the palace.
9. The throne room of the palace.
10. Palace mosque.
11. The western facade of the mosque.
12. Entrance portal of the mosque.
13. Prayer mihrab of the mosque.
14. The minaret of the mosque.
15. The palace bathroom.
16. The central hall of the bathroom.
17. Bathing rooms of the bath.
18. Palace Divankhana and eastern gate portals.
19. Entrance portal of the burial vault.
20. Entrance of the burial vault.
21. Shirvanshah tombs in the burial vault.
22. Tympanum portal of the burial vault.
23. Calligraphic rosette of the shrine tympanum.
24. The fragment of the shrine tympanum.
25. Mausoleum of the palace astrologer and a saint Said Yahya Bakuvi.
26. Dome decoration of the mausoleum of Said Yahya Bakuvi.
27. The plan and the section of the mausoleum of Said Yahya Bakuvi.
39
28. Divankhana (a place of meetinf of the Shirvanshah supreme medjlis).
29. Octahedral rotonda of the Divankhana.
30. Divankhana. Painting of Gagarin. 1840 year.
31. Divankhana Portal.
32. The interiors of the divankhana rotonda.
33. Internal view of the divankhana rotonda.
34. Tympanum decoration of the Divankhana main portal.
35. One of the archways of the divankhana rotonda.
36. Entrance portal to the central rotonda.
37. The fragment of the internal portal of divankhana.
38. Wall niche of the main entrance of divankhana.
39. Window lattice of service personal room of divankhana.
40. Capitulum rotonda of divankhana.
41. Left calligraphic rosette of main divankhana entrance.
42. Right calligraphic rosette of main divankhana entrance.
43. Calligraphic rosette (Shesh Ali – Six Ali) over the divankhana rotonda.
44. Base of column of Divankhana rotonda.
45. Domed cellar of divankhana rotonda.
46. Eastern gates of palace complex (Gates of Murad)/
47. Portal of the eastern gates of palace complex.
48. The fragment of tympanium arch of the eastern gates of palace complex.
49. The inscription of the eastern gate of the palace complex.
50. The inscrription of the eastern gate of the palace complex.
40