, image = Böyük Mərdəkan qəsrinin ümumi görünüşü.jpg , former_names = , structural_system = , address = , location = Mardakan , location_city = WP baku siegel

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...

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Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

, coordinates = , status = Used as museum , building_type = , architectural_style = Architectural school of Shirvan-Absheron , client =

Akhsitan I Akhsitan I (also spelled Akhsatan; fa, اخستان یکم, Aḵestān) was the Shirvanshah after 1160, and thought to have reigned until the years 1197–1203/04. He was the son and successor of Manuchihr III (). His mother was Tamar, a Georg ...

, current_tenants = , landlord = , start_date = , completion_date = 14th century , demolition_date = , height = 22 m , diameter = , other_dimensions = , floor_count = , floor_area = , material =

Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

, main_contractor = , architect = , structural_engineer = , services_engineer = , civil_engineer = , other_designers = , quantity_surveyor = , awards = The Quadrangular Mardakan Fortress or the Great Mardakan Castle ( az, Dördkünc Mərdəkan qalası or az, Böyük Mərdəkan qəsri) is a historical and architectural monument located in the Mardakan settlement of the Khazar district in

. It is included by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan (currently - the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan) in the list of monuments of world importance. In 2001, along with other objects of the coastal defence of the Caspian Sea, it was included in the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Reserve List. The fortress was built in the shape of a quadrangle in the 12th century by

, the son of Shirvanshah Minuchihr III. The courtyard of the castle has the dimensions of 24x20 meters, and the height of the tower located in the courtyard is of 22 meters. The outer walls of the castle are reinforced with semi-circular blind towers located at the corners and along the wall. In general, the donjon of the Quadrangular Mardakan Castle has more developed architectural features compared to the Round Mardakan Castle.

History

The Great Mardakan Castle was built in 1187-1188 at the order of the Shirvanshah Akhsitan I. At various times, the fortress, built in the honour of the brilliant victory of Akhsitan over the enemy, was used as a defensive structure, as an observation post and as a castle.

Architectural features

The courtyard of the castle has the dimensions of 24x20 meters, and the height of the tower located in the courtyard is of 22 meters. According to L. Mamikonov, such an impressive height of the tower makes possible to fire from the platform on its top not only the castle's courtyard, but also the territory outside the outer walls of the fortress. The outer walls of the castle are reinforced with semi-circular blind towers located at the corners and along the wall. The distance between the towers does not exceed 10-11 meters, and this differs from the generally accepted distance in the construction of the defensive structures until the 14th century. Probably, intending to protect the areas adjacent to the outer walls of the castle with crossfire, the architect decided to reduce the distance between the towers. The entrance gate, located in the middle of one of the fortress walls, is protected on the both sides by well-fortified semi-circular towers. The courtyard of the Great Mardakan Castle is planned in such a way that the enemy, breaking through the first line of castle's defence and entering the courtyard, falls into a narrow corridor of 5 meters wide between the donjon and the castle wall, a fact which makes him an easy target for the defenders located on the platform at the top of the tower. Generally, the donjon of the Quadrangular Mardakan Castle has more developed architectural features compared to the Round Mardakan Castle. In contrast to the three-tiered form characteristic to the round donjons, the inner space of the square donjon of the Great Mardakan Castle is divided into five tiers. Among the donjon's tiers, only the first and the last one have a stone roof being designed in the form of a vaulted ceiling. The ceilings of the remaining tiers are flat being made on the basis of wooden beams. The extension to the four sides of the donjon semi-circular towers, on the one hand, influenced its architectural features and gave it a more durable character which made possible to increase the height of the building, and on the other hand, created conditions for a more effective organization of the tower walls' defence.

References

{{Castles and fortresses in Azerbaijan Buildings and structures in Baku Castles and fortresses in Azerbaijan Buildings and structures completed in the 14th century Monuments and memorials in Azerbaijan Tourist attractions in Azerbaijan

History

Architectural features

See also

References