Castles of "Azerbaijan" ROUND TOWER (MARDAKAN) vs MAIDEN TOWER (BAKU)

Round Tower (Azerbaijani: Dairəvi Mərdəkan qalası) is a castle located in Mardakan, Baku, Azerbaijan. The castle is also called Shikh fortress by local residents. At the top of the gate of tower there are three inscriptions written in Arabic on a large rectangular stone layer. According to the first inscription on the castle, it was built during reign of Fariburz III. The second inscription shows that, the owner of the Round Mardakan fortress was Ihsac bin Kakuli and it was built in 1232. The third inscription indicates that it was built by architect Abd al-Majid Masood oghlu. The height of the Round Mardakan Tower is 16 meters. It is built of limestone and lime solution. The fortress surrounding the tower consists of a square-shaped yard (25x25 m), surrounded by stone walls, seven meters high on each side. At corners of the fortress wall, there are towers, railing and watchtowers. The tower is round in the plan and it gets narrow upward. The height of the tower is divided into three parts. These portions are covered with domes and connected to each-other with an installed stair. To enlight the second and third floors there are special windows, enlarging from outside to inside, in the form of a narrow strip.

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The Maiden Tower (Azerbaijani: Qız qalası; Persian: قلعه دختر‎) 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 is one of Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, and is thus featured on Azerbaijani currency notes and official letterheads. The Maiden Tower houses a museum, which presents the story of the historic evolution of Baku city. It also has a gift shop. The view from the roof takes in the alleys and minarets of the Old City, the Baku Boulevard, the house of Isa bek Hajinski and a wide vista of the Baku Bay. The Tower is covered by cloud of mysteries and legends which are rooted to the history and culture of Azerbaijan. Indeed, some epics became a subject for scenario for ballets and theatre's plays. The Maiden Tower (ballet) is a world-class Azerbaijani ballet created by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli in 1940 and ballet's remake was performed in 1999. Consequent to the receding of the sea shoreline of the Caspian Sea, a strip of land emerged. This land was developed between the 9th and 15th centuries, when the walls of the old city, the palace including the huge bastion of the Maiden Tower were built.

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