Restoration of ancient Maiden Tower to end in September
By Nigar Orujova
Restoration and conservation work on the Maiden Tower -- a historical symbol of Baku dating back to the ancient times -- will be completed in September, director of the Administration of State historical-architectural preserve Icherisheher (Old City), Mikail Jabbarov, told journalists.
The Maiden Tower is a 28.5 meter construction on the Caspian Sea coast in the center of Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.
According to Jabbarov, 75 percent of restoration works on the facade of the tower carried out by Austrian company Atelier Erich Pummer, which has restored over 400 monuments in locations throughout the world, have been completed.
Due to the restoration work, which started in April 2011, the Tower has been closed for visitors since January 22, 2013.
After the restoration, the monument, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, will acquire its historical appearance.
The reconstruction works at the Maiden Tower are being conducted under an approved plan of Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers on the restoration of historic sites of Baku.
However, besides restoration, scientific researches on Baku's prominent landmark are also needed, as the history of the Tower is still shrouded in mystery.
Archaeologists and historians are still debating on its age, its etymology and main purpose. Some historians charge it was used as an observatory by ancient astronomers during the rule of Seljuqs in Azerbaijan, while others say it was an important part of the city's defense system during the rule of Sassanians.
The most compeling theory suggests that it was built as a Zoroastrian temple used for fire worshipping, sacrifice rituals and other religious ceremonies. Of course, it is possible that the tower was used for all of the above-mentioned purposes at different times, and all these and other questions regarding the Tower's history need to find answers.
In 2008, with the support of Azerbaijani First Lady, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva, work started on scientific research and conservation of this mysterious monument as a museum.
The study of the monument is not yet complete, but at present, it is known that the slab with the name of Masud ibn Davud, according to which the monument dates back to the XII century, has nothing to do with the monument itself and was embedded later. As part of conservation work, new artifacts were also identified and are currently being studied.