Restoration and conservation works

The preservation of monuments of global, national, and local significance, as well as the regular implementation of restoration and conservation works, constitutes one of the priority activity areas of the “Icherisheher” State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration. Numerous successfully completed restoration and conservation projects in recent years on monuments of world and national importance—such as the Maiden Tower, the Shirvanshahs’ Palace Complex, the Muhammad Mosque, the Quadrangular Castle, the Beylar Mosque, the fortress walls, and others—serve as clear evidence of this commitment.

Most of the aforementioned restoration works have been carried out by the well-known Austrian company Atelier Erich Pummer GmbH. This year, the same company successfully completed restoration and conservation works on the Double Gates (Qoşa Qala qapıları)—a monument of great value not only for Icherisheher but for the history of Azerbaijan as a whole. According to the project launched in mid-2019, the Double Gates were restored and conserved from both the Inner City (interior side) and the Outer City (façade side).

The restoration and conservation works initially began from the inner section of the fortress walls, after which the exterior elements of the monument—including the two towers flanking the gates—were restored.

The Administration informs the public that the fortress walls were last restored in full during the years 1952–1957. For more than half a century thereafter, the monument was not restored, and only in 2011–2012 did the Administration carry out restoration of approximately 150 meters of the walls from the northwestern direction. Naturally, this majestic structure, whose construction dates back to the early Middle Ages, is subjected over time to external influences, resulting in damage and erosion of the stonework.

In this context, the Administration has successfully completed yet another restoration and conservation project implemented under the constant attention and supervision of the country’s leadership, restoring the Double Gates—one of the symbols of Icherisheher, dating back to the 12th century.