The Caspian Shore Defensive Constructions

I visited this tWHS in 2023 focusing mainly on the 4 locations in the Absheron peninsula closest to Baku, namely Mardakan, Ramana, Nardaran and Sabayil. The other 4 locations are further north towards Siyazan and Shabran on the way to the Azerbaijan-Russia border (close to Derbent).

For starters, the only location of the 4 closest to Baku that is currently still on the Caspian Sea shore is Sabayil, in fact it is now IN the Caspian Sea and its few foundation remains can be seen during low tide from near the Baku Eye waterfront. The other 3 locations are now further inland due to the Caspian Sea shrinking. Nardaran Fortress is the next least interesting site and can be found near the town of Mashtaga, just 25km from Baku. The Shirvanshahs used the fortress for both observation and defense. Its best highlight is the Arabic inscription (seen above in the main photo). The Nardaran Mosque or Rahimakhanim Sanctuary which was built in 1663 is located about 200 metres from the fortress. What's left of the fortress is a square defensive wall around a round tower. Nearby, on the way to the other remaining locations, there's a similarly shaped fortress which can be seen and appreciated better, within the Qala Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum Complex, with some interesting archaeological finds displayed in situ.

The best partially restored/reconstructed locations are those of Mardakan Castle and Ramana Tower. The quadrangular Mardana Castle is bang in the centre of a very residential …

Just before leaving Baku, I managed to visit Mardakan Square Tower (pictured here) and Ramana Tower. Nardaran Tower still remained closed to tourists (July 2022), much to my disappointment. 

In terms of OUV, the selection of properties exhibit the importance of safekeeping the Caspian shore while uniting Azerbaijan with the rest of the Middle East and Europe.

A cause of concern is the private properties (houses and villas) built somewhat close to the tower gates.

This serial nomination consists of eight elements of defense built on the narrow costal plain between the eastermost peaks of the Caucasus mountains and the Caspian sea. Four elements are on the Absheron peninsula, and can easily be reached by bus from Baku, four are in the north, about an hour fom Baku, with very limited public transportation.

This narrow coastal plain is on average 11 km wide, with a narrow 2 km passage. Human trade route and bird migration use this corridor (called Besh Barmag bottleneck by ornithologists). It was on the northern border of the Sasanian empire and it successors. Derbent WHS (in Russia) and The great Wall of Gorgan TL (in Iran) are part of the same defense works.

Besh narmag peak, at 382 meter above the sea, overlooks the narrowest part of the corridor. This is a famous mountain in Azerbaidjan, as a mythical and sacred moutains, regularly visited by pilgrims. There is a dirt road going in the hills (passable with regular car, take the highway exit to Siyezen, and turn left after 2 km) and reaching a small setllement with shops and picnic restarant (all closed on the day of my visit). Steps then laders climb up to the peak, where a small mosque is built in the cliff. Entrance is free, but donations box are everywhere. Near the top of the peak lies wall of a fort, from which the corridor was totally controlled. At the bottom of the peak, a barrier was …