Qala Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum Complex

The Gala State Historical Ethnographic Reserve is a complex of museums in Baku, Azerbaijan. The area of the museum extends to approximately 2 hectares. It is located in Gala, 40km far from Baku and bears the name of this district. Gala-State Historical Ethnographic Reserve is devoted to the history of the Absheron Peninsula.The reserve was established in the year of 2008 under the auspices of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. This impressive open-air park-museum features several furnished, traditional-style Absheron buildings – such as a house, blacksmith's forge, potters' workshop. Some are originals while others are reconstructions, and all are set amid a wide range of archaeological finds and petroglyphs. There's minimal shade so visiting in mid-summer can be exhausting.Three different types of museums: Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography (open-air), Castle Museum (partly open-air), and the Museum of Antiques are located on the territory of the reserve.

Mardakan Castle

Mardakan castle is a quadrangular historic castle located in Mardakan, Baku. It is one of the most noticeable castles in Mardakan. The castle was built in the middle of the 12th century by Akhsitan I, son of the Manuchihr III. It was erected after the victory of Akhsitan I. The castle was used as a shelter and observation point of feudals.The castle was built in a quadrangular form. It is divided into 5 tiers. The castle consists of 6 rooms. The inner courtyard of the castle is 28×25 m. The height of the tower is 22 meters. The thickness of it is 2.10 meters at lower part and 1.60 meters at upper portion. There are 76 stairs in the castle. Mardakan- Round Tower. Round Tower is a castle located in Mardakan near Baku. The castle is also called Shikh fortress by local residents. At the top of the gate of the tower, there are three inscriptions written in Arabic on a large rectangular stone layer. The fortress surrounding the tower consists of a square-shaped yard, surrounded by stone walls, seven meters high on each side. At the corners of the fortress wall, there are towers, railing, and watchtowers. The tower is round in the plan and it gets narrow upward.