I don’t think I’d ever considered visiting the Caucasus until I met an Azeri girl at the all-inclusive resort in Cancun who, in very favorable manner told me about her home town, Baku, and how it was becoming the “new Dubai”, backed by world’s growing demand for Azeri oil and gas. Thank you, Ulviya, for kindling my interest and assisting me with planning this trip to the “Land of Fire”. Azerbaijan wasn’t my only destination, as I was thrilled by an idea to swim in both seas – Caspian and Black – on the same trip. That is how my 11 day “Baku to Batumi” journey came about and until now, it is one of my favorite trips.

Literature.

• Lonely Planet. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• Charles King. “The Ghosts of Freedom: A history of Caucasus”
• Thomas de Waal. “The Caucasus: An Introduction”
• Nikki Kazimova. “Azerbaijan. The Essential guide to customs and culture.“
• Kurban Said. “Ali and Nino. A Love Story”
• Thomas de Wall. “Black Garden. Armenia and Azerbaijan through peace and war”
• Henry James Dodds. “Baku. An eventful history”
• Alexandre Dumas. “Tales of the Caucasus”
• Alexander Pushkin “A Prisoner in the Caucasus” (A.C. Пушкин “Кавказский пленник”),
• Mikhail Lermontov “Mtsiry” and “A Hero of Our Time” (Михаил Лермонтов “Мцыри” и “Герои нашего времени”)
• Lev Tolstoy “Hadji Murad” (Лев Толстой “Хаджи-Мурат”)

History.

The ancient history of the Caucasus is fairly mysterious. However, two statements can be made with confidence: the region is a treasure trove for archeologists, and its ancient past has very little bearing on the present. Some of the earliest-ever skulls, dating back 1.8 million years and named (with more than a hint of patriotism) Homo georgicus were discovered by archeologists in Dmanisi in southern Georgia. A Neanderthal jawbone found in a cave at Azykh in Karabakh has been dated as over 300,000 years old. There was a flourishing Stone Age culture in the region around 6,000 B.C. that may have invented wine-making. There are rock engravings at Qobustan (Gobustan), south of Baku, that are almost 4,000 years old. All these indicate continuous patterns of settlement since ancient times.

Azerbaijan is the largest country in the South Caucasus, with a population of almost nine million people, of whom about 90% are ethnic Azeris. It is also the least studied and its name is much less recognized internationally than its two neighbors, Armenia and Georgia, whose historical narratives are more easily told. Many more cultural threads have formed the weave that makes up contemporary Azerbaijan. The name “Azerbaijan” has been traced back to Atropatenes, a Persian lord in the time of Alexander the Great or, more poetically, to azer, the Persian word for fire, on the grounds that it describes the Zoroastrian fire-temples of the region. Until modern times, the word “Azerbaijan” was more often applied to the northern Turkic-populated part of Iran than to the modern-day state of Azerbaijan. Before the 20th century, outsiders tended to call Azerbaijanis either “Shirvanis”, “Caucasian Tatars”, “Turks”, or just “Muslims”. Their own self-identification was flexible. In the 19th century, Brenda Shaffer writes,“Azerbaijanis could consider themselves as both Turks or Iranians, or Russian subjects, with little conflict. Some where active in political movements in all three of the regions, concurrently or at different times of their carriers.”

The earliest evidence of human settlement in the territory of Azerbaijan dates back to the late Stone Age and is related to the Guruchay culture of the Azykh Cave – which is considered to be the site of one of the most ancient proto-human habitations in Eurasia. Remnants of the pre-Acheulean civilization, found in the lowest layers of the cave, are at least 700,000 years old. It was here, in 1968, Mammadali Huseynov discovered a 300,000-year-old partial jawbone of an early human. Carved drawings etched on rocks in Qobustan demonstrate scenes of hunting, fishing, labor and dancing, and are dated to the Mesolithic period.

Following the overthrow of the Median Empire, all of what is today Azerbaijan was invaded by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in the 6th century B.C. This earliest Persian Empire had a profound impact upon local population as the religion of Zoroastrianism became ascendant as did various early Persian cultural influences. Many of the local peoples of Caucasian Albania (no link to the present-day Balkan republic) came to be known as fire worshipers. This empire lasted for over 250 years and was conquered later by Alexander the Great which led to the rise of Hellenistic culture. The Seleucid Greeks, who inherited the Caucasus following Alexander’s death in 323 B.C., ultimately allowed local Caucasian tribes to establish an independent kingdom for the first time since the Median invasion. However, the Albanian kingdom wasn’t given much time to coalesce around a native Caucasian identity and to forge a unique state. Already in the 2nd or 1st century B.C. the Armenians considerably curtailed the Albanian territories and very soon the region became an arena of wars when Romans and Parthians began to expand their domains. Most of Albania came, very briefly, under the domination of Roman legions under Pompey  –  rock carving of what is believed to be the most-eastern Roman inscription survives at the site of Qobustan. It is inscribed by Legio XII Fulminata at the time of emperor Domitian. Subsequently, Caucasian Albania came fully under Persian rule.

Ruins of many churches confirm that from A.D. 325 Albanians started to convert to Christianity. Albanian king Urnayr was baptized by Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia and accepted Christianity as his kingdom’s official religion, however Christianity spread only gradually, and a large part of Albanians and Persians remained Zoroastrian until the Islamic conquest.

While fully subordinate to Sassanid Persia, Albania retained its monarchy and remained an entity in the region until the 9th century. In the first half of the 7th century, the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate repulsed both the Sassanids and Byzantines from the Caucasus region and turned Caucasian Albania into a vassal state after the Christian resistance, led by King Javanshir, was suppressed in 667. The decline of the Abbasid Caliphate resulted in the inception of numerous local dynasties such as the Sallarids, Sajids, Shaddadids, Rawadids and Buyids. However, at the beginning of the 11th century, the territory was gradually seized by waves of Turkic Oghuz tribes from Central Asia. The first of these Turkic dynasties was the Ghaznavids from northern Afghanistan, who took over part of Azerbaijan by 1030. They were followed by the Seljuqs, a western branch of the Oghuz who conquered all of Iran and the Caucasus and pressed on to Iraq. The Seljuqs became the main rulers of a vast empire that included all of Iran and Azerbaijan until the end of the 12th century and Azerbaijanis consider the 11th and 12th centuries to be a golden age in their history. During the Seljuq period, the influential vizier of the Seljuq sultans, Nizam ul-Mulk helped to introduce numerous educational and bureaucratic reforms; great progress was achieved in different sciences and philosophy, the region experienced a building boom and the unique architecture of the Seljuq period was epitomized by the fortress walls, mosques, schools, mausoleums, and bridges of Baku, Ganja and Absheron. This period gave birth to such notable figures of Azerbaijani culture as poet Nizami Ganjavi, the scholar Khatib Tabrizi and the architect Ajami. Locally, Seljuq possessions were ruled by Atabegs, who were technically vassals of the Seljuq sultans, but de facto – rulers themselves. Under their rule from the end of 12th to early 13th centuries, Azerbaijan emerged as an important cultural center of the Turkic people. Important to mention that the pre-Turkic population that lived on the territory of modern Azerbaijan spoke several Indo-European and Caucasian languages, which were gradually replaced by a Turkic language, the early precursor of the Azerbaijani language of today. 

The next ruling state of the Jalayirids, that came to power in 1225, was short-lived and fell under the conquests of Timur. The local dynasty of the Shirvanshahs became a vassal state of Timur’s Empire, and assisted him in his war with the ruler of the Golden Horde Tokhtamysh. Following Timur’s death, two independent and rival states emerged: Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu, but not for long. The Shirvanshahs returned, maintaining a high degree of autonomy as local rulers and vassals from 861 until 1539. The state of the Shirvanshahs was famous for its exports of silk and gave rise to a material and intellectual culture that was highly respected in its time and whose creators are major figures in the history of Azerbaijan. Among them was a poet Nasimi, who wrote his ghazels (poems) in Azeri language, unlike his predecessors who wrote in Persian and Arabic.  In 1501 the Iranian dynasty of Safavids, who ruled the territory of Azerbaijan, imposed Shia Islam upon the formerly Sunni population, as it was battling against the Sunni Ottoman Empire. This, in combination with another series of events, laid the foundation for the fact that both the contemporary Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran are the only Shia majority countries ever since. Despite efforts of the Safavids, the Ottomans briefly managed to occupy swaths of present-day Azerbaijan twice over the centuries.

In the early 18th century, a collection of autonomous Muslim khanates emerged across Azerbaijan. De jure these khanates were the subjects of the Iranian Shah; however they exercised self-ruling control over their affairs via international trade routes between Central Asia and the West. To preserved their independence against a rebounding Persia, several khanates united and asked Russia for assistance, the Empire, that by the late 18th century and forward, led a more aggressive geo-political stance towards its two neighbors (and rivals) to the south, namely Iran and Turkey. Following a chain of events that started with the re-subjugation of Georgia into Iran in 1795, Russia actively contested and battled with Iran over possession of the Caucasus region. The successful Russian campaigns in the later stages of the Russo-Persian War (1804–13) were concluded with the Treaty of Gulistan, in which the shah’s claims to some of the Khanates of the Caucasus were dismissed by Russia on the ground that they had been de facto independent long before their Russian occupation. Per Gulistan Treaty, Iran was forced to concede suzerainty over most of the khanates  to the north of the river Aras (alongside Georgia and Dagestan) to the Russian Empire. Under the subsequent Treaty of Turkmenchay which finalized the Russo-Persian War, Iran was forced to recognize Russian sovereignty over the Erivan Khanate, the Nakhchivan Khanate and the remainder of the Lankaran Khanate. After incorporation of all Caucasian territories from Iran into Russia, the new border between the two was set at the Aras River, which, upon the Soviet Union’s disintegration, subsequently became part of the border between Iran and the Azerbaijan Republic. One of the results of that cession was a separation of the Azerbaijani ethnic group between two nations: Iran and Azerbaijan.  Furthermore, the present number of ethnic Azeris in Iran (20 million people) far outnumbers that in neighboring Azerbaijan (9 million).

Azerbaijan can lay claim to being the most historic oil region in the world as in 1848 the first oil well in the world was drilled in Bibi Eybat near Baku, which was soon followed by the Azeri equivalent of the Gold Rush. The discovery of oil didn’t come as a surprise. Travelers had recorded the oil seeping through the ground on the shores of the Absheron Peninsular by the Caspian Sea for centuries. Azerbaijan’s ancient Zoroastrian fire-temples burned on flammable gas issuing from oil deposits underground. Oil-impregnated sand, scrapped of the beaches, was a valuable fuel send by camel for hundreds of miles around. In 1872, the czarist government allowed the oil-producing land to be auctioned off to private companies, and businessmen from around the world flocked to Baku to make their fortunes. The Swedish businessmen Robert and Ludvig Nobel invested in a small refinery and laid the groundwork for the rise of the Nobel brothers’ petroleum empire. The industry would soon attract financiers such as the  Rothschilds and international firms such as Shell. The world’s first oil tanker “Zoroaster” sail off the Caspian coast in 1878 and the Baku-Batumi pipeline was built in 1897-1907. By the beginning of the 20th century, half of the world’s oil production was located in Baku. The oil boom led to a period of unprecedented prosperity and growth in the years prior to World War I but also created huge disparities in wealth between the largely European businessmen and the local Muslim work force. Today, Baku owes its European looks to the magnificent buildings built with early oil money in the late 19th- early 20th centuries. New York Times wrote in October 28, 1900: “As a business center, Baku was acquired considerable wealth, and the new city, which had naturally extended in all directions, contains substantially built, indeed elegant, stone houses and large shops, which would do credit to any city of Europe. The streets are rapidly being paved, and they will soon be better, in this respect, that any other town in Russia, with the exception of St. Petersburg. Evidences of wealth are not only to be seen in the appearance of the city itself, but also among many of its inhabitants.” By 1900, the population of Baku increased from 10,000 to roughly 250,000 people as a result of worker migration from all over the Russian Empire, Iran, and other places.

At the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, an independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed in Ganja on May 28, 1918 following an abortive attempt to establish a federal Transcaucasian Republic with Armenia and Georgia. This was the first modern parliamentary republic in the Muslim world. In July 1918 the local coalition collapsed and was replaced by a British-controlled government known as Central Caspian Dictatorship. Researching the history of Azerbaijan I was surprised to see Brits there, however, their stakes in Azeri oil were very high. British forces under General Dunsterville occupied Baku and helped the mainly Dashnak-Armenian forces to defend the capital from the ongoing Turkish invasion. However, Baku fell on September 15, 1918 and an Azeri-Ottoman army entered the capital, causing British forces and much of the Armenian population to flee and massacring ethnic Armenians  who couldn’t escape. The Ottoman Empire, however, capitulated on October 30, 1918 and the British occupational force re-entered Baku. Azerbaijan was proclaimed a secular republic and its first parliament opened on December 5, 1918. Among the important accomplishments of the Parliament was the extension of suffrage to women, making Azerbaijan the first Muslim nation to grant women equal political rights with men. Another important accomplishment of ADR was the establishment of Baku State University, which was the first modern-type university founded in Muslim East.

Independent Azerbaijan lasted only 23 months until the Soviet Red Army invaded it, establishing the Azerbaijan SSR on 28 April 1920. It was incorporated into the Transcaucasian SFSR along with Armenia and Georgia in March 1922 and by an agreement signed in December 1922, the TSFSR became one of the four original republics of the Soviet Union. The TSFSR was dissolved in 1936 when its three regions became separate republics within the USSR. Like other union republics, Azerbaijan was affected by Stalin’s purges in the 1930s. During that period, sometimes referred to as the “Red Terror”, thousands of people were killed, including notable Azeri figures such as Huseyn Javid, Mikail Mushvig, Ruhulla Akhundov, Ayna Sultanova and others. Directing the purges in Azerbaijan was Mir Jafar Baghirov, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan. His special target was the intelligentsia, but he also purged Communist leaders who had sympathized with the opposition or who might have once leaned toward Pan-Turkism or had contacts with revolutionary movements in Iran or Turkey. As a result of Baghirov’s brutal purges, over 100,000 Azeris were shot or sent to concentration camps, never to return.

During the 1940s, the Azerbaijan SSR supplied three-quarters of the Soviet Union’s gas and oil during the war with Nazi Germany and was thus a strategically important region. When Hitler’s German invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Germans identified Baku oils as a vital asset. In August 1942, the Germans occupied the western side of the North Caucasus and planned a push south to Azerbaijan. Saying “Unless we get the Baku oil, the war is lost,” Hitler diverted divisions away from the battle of Stalingrad toward the Caucasus. That summer, Hitler’s staff famously had a cake made for him that had a shape of a Caspian sea in the middle. Film footage shows delighted Hitler taking a slice of the cake, which had the letters “B” “A” “K” “U” written on it in white icing and chocolate made to look like oil spooned over it. The debacle at Stalingrad in the winder of 1942-1943 meant that Germany never invaded the South Caucasus, but even the threat of attack was a death-sentence for the Baku oil industry. Stalin, who knew the Baku oil fields from his revolutionary days of 1905, had the oil wells shut down so they would not fall into German hands. Almost the entire Azerbaijani oil industry and its experts were transferred to the oil wells of Volga and Ural. After the war, Russian’s oil fields received the major investment, and Azerbaijan suffered. The on-land fields dried up and in order to reach the trickier offshore fields a small town of Oily Rocks (Neft Daşları, Нефтяные Камни) was built 55 kms out in the sea – reached across the causeway built on sunken ships. Cramped and polluted, Oily Rocks eked out what could still be drilled of Azerbaijan’s oil within the capacity of Soviet technology. By the time Soviet Union ended, Azerbaijan was producing only 3% of the Soviet oil output. Important to note that even though the battles of WWII didn’t reach Azerbaijan, a fifth of all Azeris fought in the war from 1941 to 1945 and some 250,000 people were killed on the front.

Policies of de-Stalinization and improvement after the 1950s led to better education and welfare conditions for most of Azerbaijan. This also coincided with the period of rapid urbanization and industrialization. During this period of change, a new wave of сближение (reapprochement) policy was instituted in order to merge all the peoples of the USSR into a new monolithic Soviet nation. However, in the 1960s, the signs of a structural crisis in the Soviet system began to emerge. As Azerbaijan’s crucial oil industry lost its relative importance in the Soviet economy, republic had the lowest rate of growth in productivity and economic output among the Soviet republics, with the exception of Tajikistan. Ethnic tensions, particularly between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, began to grow, but violence was suppressed. In an attempt to end the growing structural crisis, in 1969, the government in Moscow appointed Heydar Aliyev as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan. A Major-General of KGB, he would later become the non-replaceable leader (or likely – “khan”) of post-Soviet Azerbaijan.

Perestroika (Перестройка) in the late 1980s was also a time of increasing tension with Armenia. Tit-for-tat ethnic squabbles between Armenians and Azeris over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh bubbled over into virtual ethnic cleansing (pogroms of the Armenian population in Baku and Sumgait), as minorities in both republics fled escalating violence. On 20 January 1990, the Red Army made a crassly heavy-handed intervention in Baku, killing dozens of civilians and turning public opinion squarely against Russia, a sentiment that is still very much alive in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 18 October 1991, and the Soviet Union itself officially ceased to exist just a few months later, on 26 December 1991. Even though, the dissolution of the USSR was the most peaceful break-up of the state in the history of humanity, it did have violent repercussions in Caucasus. The sovereign borders established by Russian Empire in the 19th century and by Soviet government in the 20th century were so artificial that multiple wars for land broke up as soon as there was no more central government. The early years of Azerbaijan’s independence were overshadowed by the Nagorny-Karabakh war with the ethnic Armenian majority of the region backed by Armenia.  By the end of hostilities in 1994, Armenians controlled up to 14% of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorny-Karabakh itself. As a result, an estimated 17,000 people had been killed and more than a million Azeris and Armenians (750,000 Azeris and 350,000 Armenians) had been displaced. The truce was signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan over two decades ago but until present day, the news of the escalating tension and military provocations show up from time to time. Sadly, the most culturally and religiously diverse republic in the Caucasus became very homogeneous as many Russians and Armenians left Azerbaijan in the 1990s. I would like also to note that it wasn’t the first intercommunal bloodshed on the territory of Azerbaijan. The 20th century saw several attempts of Azerbaijanis to annihilate their Armenian neighbors, the most appalling events happened in February and September of 1905 (well documented in Henry’s book “Baku. An eventful history”), as well as events of 1988 – 1990 (Sumgait pogrom), resulting in the first wave of Armenian refugees leaving Azerbaijan. Despite the centuries of peaceful co-existence, no Azeri would tolerably speak of Armenians anymore. Sad.

Another thing I would like to mention before moving on to the fun stuff is the Aliyev’s clan. In 1993 Heydar Aliyev overwhelmingly won a presidential election and his position as supreme leader was now secure, although armed uprisings, which the president harshly suppressed, threatened social stability. Actual or alleged coups d’état became an almost annual occurrence – in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998 – but in the aftermath of each one, Aliyev was able to augment his power over both rivals and old associates. He preferred not to experiment with democracy and began to built a strong semi-authoritarian state to replace the fragile but pluralistic country he had inherited. Unlike his many opponents, Aliyev stood at the center of a vast network of friends and colleagues from his days as Communist Party leader and, even more crucially, from his earlier career as head of the Baku branch of the KGB. The president began building a base of support within the legislature through the creation of his own pro-presidential organization, the New Azerbaijan Party. During the years following Aliyev’s rise, the party emerged as the preeminent faction in successive elections, none of which was believed by international observes to meet democratic standards. However, party politics turned out to be far less important than the clan politics that encouraged loyalty to Aliyev. His base of support remained the cadre of old friends and personal connections from the particular part of Azerbaijan – Nakhichevan, his home region.

Due to the limited reforms and the signing of the so-called “Contract of The Century” with British Petroleum in October 1994 (over the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli giant oil field) that led to increased oil exports to western markets, the economy began improving. Aliyev’s loose community worked to secure control over state institutions, and its members also emerged as critical players in the booming energy sector. Aliyev’s son, Ilham, became vice-chairman of the state oil company, which negotiated with Western investors for access to Azerbaijan’s oil fields. Backroom machinations, not the dialectic of reform and reaction, defined Azerbaijani politics well into the early 2000s. Political and economic success was largely a function of personal loyalty to the president. During his tenure Aliyev created a personality cult – his image still adorns billboards across Baku and the countryside, his visionary leadership was credited with bringing Azerbaijan back from the brink of civil war and nurturing international interest in the country hydrocarbon reserves. None of this was exactly untrue as Aliyev’s iron hand no doubt played a role in preventing chaos. However, in the process of preserving order he forged the most clearly authoritarian state in the south Caucasus.

When Aliyev announced that he would not run for another term in 2003 (he died later that year), he chose a method of political succession familiar to authoritarian leaders around the world – he handed power to his son. Ilham Aliyev was duly elected president in a race that was again viewed by both local and international monitors as deeply flawed. Shortly, the long-awaited Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline opened up in 2005 and 2006 respectively, and Azerbaijan’s position as a stable country with oil/gas resources shoot up. However, extreme levels of corruption and nepotism in the state system created by Aliyev’s clan prevent Azerbaijan from more sustained development, especially in the non-oil sector. The plummeting oil prices decreased Azerbaijan’s growth from a whooping 16% in 2008 to -3.5% (negative) in first quarter of 2016. So, welcome to the country where Aliyev’s giant photo will stare at you from every corner, and where oil rigs at sea and land will never let you forget what makes up the large chunk of Azerbaijan’s GDP.

I flew Minsk-Baku via Moscow and would like to mention a pretty cool campaign ran at that time by the WWF.ru called “Feed the fish, make a wish” where for 100 rubles ($1.5) you can throw some food into a giant aquarium, full of gold fish. I think we need more interactive initiatives like this to raise money and awareness about our planet.

I arrived to the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and was pleasantly surprised to find out that some of the oil money went to build one of the most impressive airports I’ve got to travel through – uber-modern, glassy and sleek, it looked like many other giant modern buildings in Baku, which, unlike Dubai, weren’t lacking the national element. At the airport, I was greeted by my Baku hotel co-owner who took me to the hotel (22 manat ($21) to the city center).

Along the highway, I got a glimpse of other examples of Azerbaijan’s new architectural bang – from Baku Olympic Stadium to Baku Expo Center, from Buta Palace to the new 2015 European Games Athletes Village and from SOCAR Tower (to be the tallest building in Azerbaijan after its completion) to Zaha Hadid‘s Cultural Center named after Heydar Aliyev, of course.

History of Baku.

“Baku” is derived from the Persian words باد-کوبه Bād-kube, meaning “the city where the wind blows”, referring to a place where wind is strong and pounding. Indeed, the city is renowned for its fierce winter storms and harsh winds even in summer, that’s why its nickname is “City of Winds”.

Rock carvings discovered near Bayil, as well as a bronze figure of a small fish found in the territory of the Old Town have led some to suggest the existence of a Bronze Age settlement within the city’s territory. Further archeological excavations revealed various prehistoric settlements, native temples, an observatory, statues and other artifacts within the territory of the modern city and around it. Roman inscriptions found in Gobustan dating from 84-96 A.D. prove that in the 1st century, Romans reached Baku too. The remnant of this period is the village of Ramana in the Sabunchu district of Baku. In the Life of the Apostle by Bartholomew, Baku is identified as “Armenian Albanus” called Albanopolis. Local church traditions record the belief that Bartholomew’s martyrdom occurred at the bottom of the Maiden Tower within the Old City, where according to historical data, a Christian church was built on the site of the pagan temple of Arta. A record from the 5th-century historian Priscus of Panium was the first to mention the famous Bakuvian fires, due to which Baku became a major center of ancient Zoroastrianism. 

There is little or no information regarding Baku in medieval sources until the 10th century, when Baku was a domain of the Arab Caliphate and later of Shirvanshahs. After a devastating earthquake struck Shamakhy, the capital of Shirvan, Shirvanshah’s court moved to Baku in 1191. Between the 12th and 14th centuries, a massive fortification was undertaken in the city and around it. The Maiden Tower, castles of Ramana, Nardaran, Shagan and Mardakan, and also famous Sabayil castle (Bayil Castle) on the island of the Baku bay were built during this period. Despite the attacks by Mongols, the biggest problem of Baku during this time was the transgression of the Caspian Sea. The rising levels of the water from time to time engulfed much of the city and the famous castle of Sabayil went completely into the sea in the 14th century. These led to several legends about submerged cities such as Shahriyunan (“Greek city”). After visiting the part of the exhibit at the Shirvanshahs Palace dedicated to the Bayil Castle and seeing the artifacts recovered from the sunken island, I asked a few locals about it and sadly, no one knew what I was talking about. The Shirvan dynasty was ousted in 1501 when Shah Ismail I sacked Baku and then forcibly converted the previously Sunni city to Shia Islam. When Peter the Great captured the place in 1723, its population was less than 10,000, its growth hamstrung by a lack of trade and drinking water and for the next century Baku changed hands several times between Persia and Russia, before definitely ceded to the Russians.

Oil had been scooped from surface diggings around Baku since at least 10th century. However, when commercial extractions was deregulated in 1872 the city rapidly became a boom town. Workers and entrepreneurs arrived from all over the Russian Empire and Europe, swelling the population by 1200% in under 30 years. In the wake of two Russian revolutions Baku’s history became complex and very bloody with a series of brutal massacres between formerly neighborly Armenian and Azeri communities. When the three South Caucasus nations declared their independence in 1918, Baku initially refused to join Azerbaijan’s Democratic Republic, a position bolstered by a small British force that secretly sailed in from Iran hoping to defend the oilfields against the Turks (Britain’s WWII enemies). In the end game of WWI, the Turks were forced to evacuate too and Baku became capital of independent Azerbaijan for almost two years until, on 28 April 1920, it became the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, within USSR.

In 1935 the search for oil moved into the shallow coastal waters of the Caspian. A forest of offshore platforms and derricks joined the tangle of wells and pipelines on land. Investments dwindled after WWII and only really resumed in earnest after Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991. Since 1994, however, foreign oil consortia have spent billions exploring these resources and for reasons as much political as economic and Baku has boomed once again – fountains and enormous flagpoles, countless towers and futuristic skyscrapers have mushroomed while those grand older buildings have been cleaned and up-lit. The city’s resurrection is truly one of the most impressive in the modern history.

Baku’s old town and the neighboring areas deserve to be explored on foot and in detail. Luckily, the main places of interest are very accommodating in regard to pedestrians and could be visited within a few days. I stayed at the Baku Palace hotel and Hostel, a 5 mins walk to the old town. It was a very decent accommodation considering the location and price, however, the owners came across as a bit shady. The hotel is run by two brothers, one of whom was constantly partying and drinking in the hotel’s common room, which sadly happened to be next to my room, and another brother, who was very helpful but still tried to scheme a deal out of me and my www.booking.com reservation. Displeased but not surprised by his tricks, I refused to bend. Despite all, I had 3 full days in Baku and I wanted to take a full advantage of my time.

The streets and buildings closest to the hotel were in an artistic state of dilapidations. There were many old uninhabited houses with broken windows and untidy courtyards, many 3-4 stories walk-up buildings with neon signs advertising massages that turned out to be the places for men looking for “happy ending”, some bars with forever closed doors, etc. However, the area didn’t lack charm, as every morning a lonely shoe master set up his sewing machine right on the street and busied himself with work till very late night, as well as multiple “hole-in-the-wall” eateries with check-out windows or 2-3 small tables. I ate the most delicious food at those tables and met the most amazing hosts there too. The Baku Palace was located just a few blocks from the Fountain Square (Fəvvarələr meydanı, Площадь Фонтанов), an endlessly popular leafy boutique-ringed piazza. In 1864, the plan of Baku assigned this place for the exercise and as a parade ground. Until now known and referred to as “Parapet”, it was built in 1868 by the city architect Kasim Bey Hajibababayov and served as the business and social center of Baku. Along the square there were two-storey caravanserais (now the “Araz” cinema and the Museum of Azerbaijan Literature), residencies and two hotels – “Grand Hotel” and “Metropol”. During the Soviet times, the square of Karl Marx (as it was called then), turned into a spacious, well-landscaped area. The current name of the square derives from the presence of dozens of fountains throughout the square constructed during the 1980s and it is an attractive tourist and local destination with many boutiques, restaurants, shops and hotels.

Outside the large McDonald’s (whose faithfully transliterated menu includes dabl cizburqers), there is a bronze statue of a young lady with an umbrella, bare midriff and a cell phone, I guess representing a modern Bakuvian.

Approached down a wide tree-shaded fountain-adorned stairway from the southwestern side, the square is given an artistic aspect by the Nizami Literature Museum (Nizami Gəncəvi adına Azərbaycan ədəbiyyatı muzeyi, Музе́й азербайджа́нской литерату́ры и́мени Низами́ Гянджеви́), whose exterior facade is a series of the nation’s literary giants – Muhammad Fuzuli, Molla Panah Vagif, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Khurshidbanu Natavan, Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, and Jafar Jabbarly. The museum contains one of the greatest and richest treasuries of Azerbaijani culture, as its collection has more than 3000 manuscripts, rare books, illustrations, portraits, sculptures, miniatures, memories of poets and other exhibits stored in 30 general and 10 auxiliary halls of the museum’s exposition.

The main place of interest for a history junkie like myself was Icheri Sheher (İçəri Şəhər, Old town, Ичери́-шехе́р, Внутренний город) – the historic heart of Baku that in December 2000 became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The name Icheri Sheher literally means Inner City (I will refer to it in the blog also as Old City), and the modern Baku grew outside and around this area. It is the crown of the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan and the capital of the ancient state of the Shirvanshahs. The walled area of 22.1 ha encompasses hundreds of historical sites, 4 of which are included in the list of World Heritage Monuments and 28 of which are listed as national heritage. There are 1300 families presently residing in Icheri Sheher, several museums, 18 hotels and more than 100 businesses, shops and restaurants. This carefully-restored and well-maintained unique site is one of the best places to glimpse into life of ancient city.

It is widely accepted that Icheri Sheher, including its Maiden Tower, date at least to the 12th century, with some researchers contending that construction dates as far back as the 7th century. However, the peculiar bronze fish figure discovered at an archeological excavation on the northern side of the Maiden Tower suggests that Icheri Sheher was populated many centuries before Christ. Located on a beautiful natural bay at the crossroads of caravan trade routes, and rich with natural resources of oil, copper, iron ores and other minerals, the Inner town has attracted traders from all over the world since ancient times. Extracted oil and salt, as well as saffron exported to various Eastern countries were a major impetus for the growth of Baku. The population of ancient town was comprised of a feudal aristocracy (who ruled the city and owned oilfields, crop lands and salt lakes) and the urban population – craftsmen, merchants and priests, considered to be the third most important profession after the ruler and the Commander in Chief. Thanks to its unique location, Icheri Sheher contained a rich diversity of different cultures which impacted the Turkic origin of its architecture with the elements of Zoroastrian (Muhammad Mosque), christian (Bartholomew’s Church) and islamic art (mosques, caravansarais, madrasas etc). In the second half of the 11th century, as a result of the collapse of the Abbasids’ caliphate, an independent state of Shirvanshahs emerged as one of the most significant with its new capital in Icheri Sheher. It was the time of prosperity, development of new crafts and construction of architectural monuments that still adorn the old town today – two rows of fortress walls, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, multiple mosques, hamams, etc. During the 16th-18th centuries, handicraft, including carpet weaving developed which in 2010 was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In 1806, when Baku was occupied by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Persian War. There were 500 households,707 shops, and 7,000 inhabitants in Icheri Sheher (then the only neighborhood of Baku), almost all of whom were ethnic Tats. Once the port was re-opened for trade, and in 1809 a customs office was established, Baku started to extend beyond the city walls, and new neighborhoods emerged, as well as the terms Icheri Sheher and Bayir Sheher (Outer city). Referring to the early Russian rule, Bakuvian actor Huseyngulu Sarabski wrote in his memoirs:”Baku was divided into two sections: Ichari Shahar and Bayir Shahar. The Inner City was the main part. Those who lived in the Inner City were considered natives of Baku. They were in close proximity to everything: the bazaar, craftsmen’s workshops and mosques. There was even a church there, as well as a military barracks built during the Russian occupation. Residents who lived inside the walls considered themselves to be superior to those outside and often referred to them as the “barefooted people of the Outer City”. With the discovery of oil the traditional architectural look of the Old City changed. Many European buildings in Baroque and Gothic styles were constructed during the 19th century and early 20th century, which, in my view, added to the charm and diversity of Icheri Sheher.

During my 3 days in Baku, I kept coming back to Icheri Sheher over and over again, browsing its narrow crooked streets and discovering more hidden gems. I found the Icherisheher audio-guide (rent at the booth next to the Maiden Tower, allow 2-3 hours, 5 manat – $4.75) to be very useful to get a comprehensive and detailed information about the old city. It came with a precise map and well-marked sites throughout the city. Well, I have to admit that despite its history that goes to the times before Christ, Icheri Sheher doesn’t look very old, au contraire, it has a very modern feel to it. I guess after being “schooled” by the UNESCO for the poor conservation and “dubious” restoration efforts, Azerbaijan’s attempt to “make it right” went so far as to convert the old city into authentic yet a movie set.

I start the exploration of Icheri Sheher from the most recognizable (and convenient) place – The Maiden Tower and follow the route given by the audio-guide.

The Maiden Tower (p.2 on the map) (Qız Qalası—Гыз галасы, Девичья башня) – 2 manat ($1.90), allow 20-30 mins. Built in the 12th century, this 29.5m high tower is one of Azerbaijan’s most distinctive national emblems and a UNESCO Historical monument. There are a number of competing explanations for the name, the most prominent of which is the legend of a wealthy ruler (Khan of Baku) who fell in love with his own daughter and asked her to marry him. Revolted by the thought of incest but unable to disobey her father she commanded that he build her a tower high enough to survey the full extend of his domain. On a wedding day, when the tower was finally completed, she climbed to the roof and threw herself off to her death in the waves below. In some sources she is said to be the sister, rather than the daughter, of the king who came to be incarcerated by her brother. A better translation of Qiz Qalasi would be “virgin tower”, metaphorically alluding to military impenetrability rather than any association with tragic females. It was certainly an incredibly massive structure for its era, with walls 5 m thick at the base and an unusual projecting buttress.

One of the oldest buildings in Baku, it was believed that the tower foundations, which extend 15m below ground level and the bottom three stories above ground, were originally built between the 4th-6th centuries and then later in the 12th century. However, recent discoveries of the wooden girders at the base of the tower, used to resist earthquakes, imply that the tower was built at one go. Scientists and historians have long been unable to reach common ground concerning the Maiden Tower’s purpose, which still remains a mystery.

• Its location at the center of Baku Bay, its hight and thickness of its walls, the protected entrance area and several other factors lead scientists to believe that the tower was built, along with the city walls, during the Shirvanshahs rule for defensive purposes. At the same time, the Maiden Tower lacks certain features characteristic of defensive buildings, such as floors within the tower.
• The space, as well as the positioning of the windows and the structure as a whole, indicates that it was a religious building, important for rituals and ceremonies. The bird-eye view of the tower recalls the shape of a “buta”, a symbol of fire, light and sun which has been in wide use in Azerbaijan since ancient times. Further, the placement and layout of the upper four windows allow sun rays to penetrate directly into the tower on December 22, the winter equinox. Some theories propose that on that day, the shortest day of the year, the augurs (local rulers) held rituals at the tower to restore the sun’s power and renew its cycle. Historians who pursue this point of view insist that the tower was built in the 8th century B.C. by local tribes who worshipped fire and the sun.
• According to some hypothesis the Maiden Tower was an astronomical observatory. Proponents of this theory believe that the current Tower was built on the remains of a 2,500-3000 old construction. It is suggested that the tower was built mainly to observe the annual cycle of the sun and to study the most important moments in this process, such as the winter and summer solstices and the autumnal and vernal equinoxes. Thus, it may be that the fact that some structural features of the tower – its windows and buttress – face the rising sun on important dates is no coincidence at all. Since there was no fundamental difference between science and religion in those times, the observatory hypothesis doesn’t contradict the belief that the tower was used to carry out rituals or had a defensive function.

The tower’s 8 stories are divided by stone floors which are connected by a staircase in the south-eastern section of the wall (once there was no staircase between the first and second floors). There are two vertical shafts within the tower wall. One is a stone-cased water-well opening onto the third floor. The second narrow shaft, running down from the top floor through the whole tower, includes ceramic pipes slotted into each other; their purpose is still unclear. Today, the Maiden Tower interior contains some old photographs, a souvenir shop and a costume photo opp, but its highlight is the rooftop viewpoint surveying Baku Bay and Icheri Sheher.

To the right of the Maiden Tower is one of the most beautiful buildings of old Baku – House of Isabek Hajinsky (İsa bəy Əbdülsalam bəy oğlu Hacınski, дом Исабека Гаджинского) – built in the years 1910-1912 in the style of German Gothic. At the time, the building was quite shocking and stood out against the background of the flat roofs of Baku’s traditional houses. There is a funny story associated with this building. It is said that during its construction the workers forgot to build a sewer and this unfortunate mistake was discovered only during the inauguration of the building. Hadjinsky’s architect admitted the mistake and promised to correct it however, for a long time, the building was called “the house without a sewer.” By the way, important to mentioned that Charles de Gaulle stayed at this very building during his visit to the Soviet Union. It is said that on the occasion of the visit, a huge French tricolor of Sheki silk was woven to impress an important guest.

Haji Bani Hammam (p.3 on the map) (Hacı Qayib hamamı, Баня Хаджи Гаиба) is a bathhouse built in the late 15th century that carries the name of its architect. In the old city, each mahalla (community) had its own hammam. According to their architectural design, the lower half of the hammam was underground to ensure that the building was warm in winter and cool in summer. The hammam also served as a place for conversations and in many ways assumed the role of a social club. In addition to their sanitary and hygienic functions, hammams were also the best place to spend relaxing, leisure time. For long time, this bathhouse had remained underground and was discovered during the archaeological works of 1964.

Close to the Maiden Tower, the remains of Saint Bartholomew Church (p.4 on the map) (Церковь Святого Варфоломея) can be found. Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, who in the 1st century A.D. came to Baku to evangelize the Gospel. He preached Christianity where fire-worship traditions had been deep-rooted and for that in A.D. 71 he was crucified in front of the Maiden Tower. In 1892, Saint Bartholomew Church was built on the area of an ancient temple, but unfortunately it was destroyed during the Soviet period, as were many other religious monuments. However, fragments of the chapel foundation still remain to this day.

Market Square, Arcades and Burial Places (p.5 on the map) (Khanegah, Bazar meydanı, Базарная площадь). This is the place where Sufi sheikhs lived and preached. Khenegahs were typically situated on caravan trade routes and included a complex of monuments such as mosques, tombs, hammams, caravaserais and other religious and public buildings. After their death, sheikhs were usually buried here and their followers were often buried next to them. After time, Khanegah were perceived to be sacred and became the places of pilgrimage. During archeological digs conducted on this site in 1964, more than 50 graves were discovered here. Presently, you could see multiple tomb stones placed on the square as well as funerary slabs orderly displayed on the walls. It reminded me more of a meditative Japanese garden than a Sufi burial place, many of which that I visited in India.

Bukhara and Multani Caravanserais (p.6 on the map) (Buxara karvansarayı, Multani karvansarayı, Бухарский и Мултанский Караван-сараи). These caravanserais, or medieval hotels, were situated on caravan routes and were temporary places of trade and residence for Multani (present Pakistan) and Bukharan (present Uzbekistan) merchants. Built for the travelers protection but also for the newcomers who were trying to fit together or get to know the region better, this kind of caravanserai served as embassies and cultural hubs, as well as one or another of the region’s market places. By the 20th century, Multani Caravanserai was completely destroyed but fully restored to its original plan in 1973-74, while original parts of the west facade, south-west rooms and entrance portal remained of Bukhara caravanserai.

The Multani Caravanserai (dating from the 14th century) is located on Qulle (Tower) Street and was built in a traditional style as an octagonal courtyard (35m by 35m) with a simple facade and isolated living quarters. Its name is related to the frequent visits of fire worshippers from Multan city to Baku and their construction of the “Ateshgah” temple in Surakhany on Absheron. Caravanserai had a total of 10 rooms – some of which were covered with a hexagonal arched canopy that went through the courtyard, while others were of the same height, width, and had their own balconies. Multani caravanserai cellar is one of the most interesting parts of this monument –  now in the basement of the house, it used to be the first floor of the caravanserai – and was designed to keep animals and store merchandise. Decorated with the ancient Azeri carpets, jewelry, carpets and kilims, old cisterns and paintings, this place makes you become a part of the story of Ali Baba and forty thieves.

The Bukhara Caravanserai, located opposite the Multani Caravanserai, was built in the late 15th century along a commercial road passing through the Shamakhy Gate. This is a one-storey caravanserai, but it is assumed that other floors remained underground. The Bukhara caravanserai, which consists of 17 rooms, has a circular shape with an original 15th century pool in the middle of the courtyard. It is a perfect place to sit down and enjoy some traditional Azerbaijani tea.

Moving further along Qulle Street (house #18), you can visit the House Museum of Kamil Aliyev (Дом-музей Камиля Алиева), who was a national carpet artist of Azerbaijan. It is impossible to express the uniqueness of the Azerbaijani carpets with words! The riot of colors, the motives rich in ornaments, and unique mixture of themes are all hallmarks of the detailed, long time work of Azerbaijani carpet makers. In every Azeri home, carpets are always in plain view, whether displayed on a floor, hung on a wall, provided as a dowry, inherited or given as a gift for a special occasion. Carpets are also presented to diplomats and heads of state. Exactly the carpets of this kind were woven by Kamil Aliyev (1921-2005). His house-museum is situated in a four-storeyed stone building where the artist lived only for 11 months before his death at the age of 83. The museum displays 127 of Aliyev’s carpets, including miniatures and patchworks as well as some works that were never completed.

“House with Chains” and “House of Sailor” (p.7 on the map) (Дом с цепями и Дом моряка). The estate named “The house with chains” (because of the statue with chains decorating the roof of the building) was constructed in late 19th – early 20th centuries and owned by a merchant Hadji Mammadhuseyn Mammadov. In 1928 the estate was bought by famous brothers merchants Melikov, however, already in 1930 the estate was confiscated by the government and converted into a clothing factory. However, it is still commonly known as the Melikovs’ estate. Owing to the architectural style and aesthetic appearance the “House with chains” has special place among the architectural monuments constructed in Icheri Sherer in early 20th century. Presently the building serves as the Museum of Archeological and Ethnography Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Right next to the house of Melikov, on the left side, there is a “House of Sailor” of Abdul Manaf Alekperov. Abdul Manaf was a military navigator who spent so much time at sea, that he decided to built his house in a form of a ship’s deck. They say that he was very strict with his children, making them salut him and raised the flag every time he returned home from the sea.

The narrow street between “The House with Chains” and “The House of Sailor” is also home to the well-known “house with cats”. Story goes that this house once belonged to a judge, who was very cruel. One day his two children were playing at home with a cat who ran out and jumped out of the window. Children tried to stop the cat and fell out of the window themselves. The cat, of course, survived, but children didn’t, which led people believe that God sent a punishment to the judge for his cruelty. Again, these are legends of the Icheri Sheher and whether it is true or not, no one knows …

On the same side with the “House of Sailor” are the remains of the Baku Khans Residence (p.8 on the map) (Bakı xanlarının evi, Дом бакинских ханов), an architectural monument of the 18th century. This complex, consisting of five enclosed courtyards, gardens with pools and flowers, was a residence of the last Baku khan – Husayn Quli Khan, his family members – Abdurrahim bey and Mehdigulu bey between 1747 to 1806. The entrance, in the form of a curved arch, still exists and contains an inscription with the alleged date of its construction. In 1806 when the Baku Khanate was annexed to Russia, general Bulghakov lived at the residency; he ordered the gilded oil paintings on the walls of the Khans residence to be removed. Now only the entrance portal and a small restored mosque have survived. The underground bathhouse in the low part of the fortress walls in the territory of the Khans’ palace still remains unearthed. The latest excavations of 1985- 86 revealed a lot of cultural samples, a water supply system and underground architectural constructions. Sadly, the Palace Complex is in ruins and presently serves as a workers’ warehouse while the Official Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve “Icherisheher” informed media that they have whatsoever no intentions to repair the palace.

Building of National Encyclopedia and remains of St. Nicholas Church (p.9 on the map) (AMEA- Milli Ensiclopediya, Здание Национальной Энциклопедии, Müqəddəs Nikolay kilsəsi, развалины Собора Св. Николая Чудотворца). The Soviet-looking building of AMEA isn’t of much interest to us, but it stands on/or near the site where the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas was built between 1850-1857. Until 1818 Baku had no permanent church, except for one mobile military parish, called the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Miro-Lycian, and housed on the site of mosque in the so-called “dark ranks” in the fortress. In January 1831 the Orthodox population of the city petitioned for the construction in Baku of the new stone church of St. Nicholas and two decades later, on March 18, 1950 a ceremonial laying of the temple finally took place. Constructed and completed in 1858 by the Tbilisi architect Belov the St. Nicholas church was made of surface-tooled stone in an Eastern architectural style. The cathedral was about 45m high, built in the shape of a four-armed cross in the Georgian-Byzantine style and had an altar to the north and two thrones. The church had five bells on a three-tiered bell tower and was able to accommodate 500 prayers. Unfortunately, in 1930 the church was partially destroyed and only its lower part has survived.

And finally I got to the main attraction of the walled Icheri Sheher – the actual City Walls (Городские стены) and The Double Gates (Qosha Qala Gapisi, Shamakhy gates, Şamaxı qapıları, Шемахинские ворота) (p.10 and p.11 on the map). Of the 500-m section of Baku’s fortress walls (8-10m in height and 3-3.5m in width) which remains intact, the grandest and stateliest feature stands at the junction of Nizami Square and Youth Square. The very well-preserved  Double “Shamakhy” Gate connects two of the city’s most beautiful areas – ancient Baku and the “Outer City”. And even today, the sumptuous mansions built outside the city walls by Baku millionaires during the “oil boom”, compete for their wealth of appearance, the delicacy of their architecture and the beauty of their wall motifs with the houses inside Icheri Sheher. The fortress walls, which now separate medieval city from capitalist city, have a unique history. The most ancient part of these walls was erected in the 12th century, by order of Shirvanshah III Manuchehr (A.D. 1120-1160). This was discovered during restoration work when a three-line text was found on a stone of the wall. Written in Arabic script, it read: “The construction of this wall was ordered by the glorious, wise, just, victorious, ruling monarch… supporter of Islam and of Muslims, the great Shirvanshah Abdul Khoja Manujohr”.

So, the fortress wall encircled Baku three centuries before the famous Palace of the Shirvanshahs was built. And until the middle of the 19th century, the city was surrounded by a double fortress wall on land and a single earth barrier on the sea side. In addition, in the southern part of the earth barrier, there were two further walls, perpendicular to the barrier – bent towards the sea and extended into the Caspian, they created a very reliable sheltered harbour for ships. The outer part of the walls was surrounded by moats, and in case of an attack, the moats were filled with water through special canals. In addition, there was also a moat between the outer and inner fortress walls. The moat was filled with oil and set afire during enemy attacks. Thus, in order to try to capture the city, one had to go through fire and water. While the inner wall of the Baku fortress, the higher of the two, was built in 12th century, the lower outer barrier was erected in 1608-1609, during the reign of Shah Abbas, of the Safavid dynasty by the then ruler of the city, Zulfuqar khan. However, from 1826 Baku’s fortress was no longer used for its original purpose and the walls were “renovated” to facilitate the installation of artillery mountings (the current merlon crenellations were restored in the 1930s).

The “oil boom” of 1872 brought an influx of workers and migrants that the ancient Oriental fortress city could no longer accommodate, hence a question of the city’s extension emerged. At first it was planned to tackle the problem by means of an apparently simple expedient – demolishing Baku’s ancient fortress walls, to which his Majesty Tsar Aleksandr II responded “on 1 August of the same year, 1870, showed high courtesy and allowed: the filling of the ditch and demolition of the field fortification… in front of the Baku fortress; and to preserve the old walls as a monument of the ancient period”. Now, we can only imagine the external appearance of the Baku fortress walls, however, certain traces of them still remain. The Shah Abbas gate (the right-hand side of the present-day Double Gate) located right in front of the Shamakhy gate in the inner wall was the main gate in the outer wall. After instructions were received to demolish the outer wall, city craftsmen, in order to preserve the Shah Abbas gate, decided to move it to the inner wall of the Baku fortress. Nowadays, when you look closely at the fortress’s double gate, you can see that the color of the coating stone in the left-hand arch is lighter. This is the only sign that it was built later.

The craftsmen were able to preserve the bas-relief, Baku’s medieval symbol, on both gates. This symbol existed long before the development of industry in Baku and the flurry generated by oil extraction. Down to the present day, on both – the Shamakhy gate and the Shah Abbas gate – there is a stone “clew” with two small circles around it, made by a skillful artisan. This graphic and very interesting sample of medieval oriental heraldry contains many elements. When the German traveller and scientist Engelbert Kaempfer was in Baku in 1683, he tried to unravel the meaning of this ancient city coat of arms with the help of local experts. Kaempfer believed that the bull’s head depicted on the coat of arms is a symbol of the ancient city of Baku itself. Since the land was very dry here and it was often crossed by very strong winds, people living in the city were unable to grow crops and so they bred cattle instead. Many scientists believe that the bull and the cow were the most ancient totems of the Absheroni population. These images can be found in rock paintings, in places where people lived and, later, on money. Therefore, the image of a bull’s head on the ancient coat of arms is a local symbol. As for the lions, their depiction on Baku’s coat of arms is probably designed to maintain West Asia’s heraldic traditions and links to oriental culture. The unique feature of the lions on Baku’s coat of arms is that they have no swords in their hands. However, this does not detract from their grandeur at all. Along with the bull, the Sun and the Moon are also often depicted on ancient city heraldry. The Sun is a symbol of day and the Moon is a symbol of night, it could be that the small circles near the bulls’ head bear the same meaning. Hence, according to Kaempfer, the meaning of the coat of arms on the main entrance gate to the fortress is as follows: “The lions (meaning the fortress walls) guard the Bull (meaning the city) both at night (the Moon) and in the day (the Sun)”. Take a walk along those walls as they represent a living historical thread, linking ancient Baku with old and modern Baku.

If you are facing The Double Gate, you are probably standing in a wide open square known as Meydan. The Old Customs Building (Здание старой таможни) (p.9 on the map) was situated here, just to the left of the Gate. In the old days, in addition to customs procedures, travelers and animal caravans were allowed to enter the city through these gates only after going through the sanitary and hygienic procedure of washing: people were required to take a bath, while animal legs were treated with goudron (tar oil).

While leisurely walking and admiring the walls along the Kilchik Qala, pay attention to the water wells, dating back to 16th-17th centuries. They were discovered during the wall restoration in 2012-2013, proving that Icheri Sheher has its water supply system in the 9th-13th centuries that was later improved and enlarged. The wells turned out to be treasure troves for the archeologists as they contained lots of tangible items dated to the 11th-17th centuries – clay polychrome and monochrome plates, bowls, pans, as well as fragments of other dishes, etc. The walls, the wells, the tea-houses, the carpet and souvenir shops and art, all located on the same street, could definitely win your heart and make you come back again and again.

Once you reach a very attractive square, where well-manicured garden, jolly decorated with pieces of Modern Art, diversifies the landscape of round domes of mosques and The Flame Towers, it means you arrived to the second most important historical place in Icheri Sheher – Palace of the Shirvanshahs (Şirvanşahlar Sarayı, Дворец ширваншахов) (p.12 and 13 on the map). Entrance – 2 manat ($1.9)/6 manat ($5.7) with a private guide, allow at least 1 hour. This golden, hard to miss, limestone complex was the seat of northeastern Azerbaijan’s ruling dynasty during the Middle Ages. Mostly 15th century in essence, the Palace was painstakingly over-restored in 2003.

Palace of the Shirvanshahs was the last residence of the rulers of Shirvan State, a dynasty with a thousand year history. At medieval times Shirvan was the most powerful state, and while in the south of Azerbaijan old and new feudal states frequently replaced each other, in the north, the borders of Shirvan state continued to grow. History of Shirvanshahs’ state could be divided into four periods: the first Shirvanshahs, Mazyadids, Kesranids and Derbendis. There is very little know about the first Shirvanshah dynasty. Mazyadids dynasty, founded by Heysam ibn Khalid, in 861, was of Arabic origin but it quickly assimilated with local nobility and gradually turned into Kesranids dynasty known for its traditional way of life. Shirvanshahs of that dynasty – Manichohr, Akhsitan, Fariburz – were wise and well-educated rulers. The last ruler, Shirvanshah Hushenge ibn Kavus, left no heir after his death in 1382 and according to tradition, feudal lords of Shirvan elected his distinct relative Sheikh Ibrahim as the new Shirvanshah. This poor, but well-known feudal lord from Sheki founded the last Shirvanshahs dynasty of Derbendi. Sheikh Ibrahim ruled in very uneasy period linked with the wars of Timur with Tokhtamish for the seizure of Azerbaijan. Military campaigns passed through Shirvan and inflicted serious damages and losses to the country. However, a wise ruler and smart diplomat, Ibrahim I took the side of Timur, and was entrusted with the protection of the northern borders of the country. In 1405 after the death of Timur, Ibrahim I achieved the independence of Shirvan state and for thirty five years of his reign, not only did he manage to keep Shirvan independent, but also he expanded the territory of the country to the great extend.
The first capital of Shirvanshahs’ state was the city of Shamakhy. However, after the devastating earthquake of 1197, Shirvanshah moved the capital to Baku. The 12th and the first half of the 13th centuries saw the great economical, political and cultural development in Shirvan state. Baku also developed as a port city, while Sabayil castle, fortress walls, Shirvanshahs’ Palace were constructed. During the reign of Sheikh Ibrahim I (1382-1417), Khalilullah I (1417-1462), Farrukh Yasar (1462-1500) military fortifications of Derbend, Akhti, Tsakhur were restored, Farrukhiyye madrasa was built in the Mosque complex of Derbend. However, in 1538 Shirvan state was conquered by the Safavids.
The Complex of Shirvanshahs’ Palace, occupying 1 ha, was erected on one of the highest points of Icheri Sheher, in a densely populated area. The construction work was not confined to the single architectural plan. However, taking into consideration the purpose of each building of the Complex, the masters could place them in order of importance creating a beautiful scenery. If you look carefully, you can see that the buildings don’t contrast with each other, au contraire, they complete and complement each other. Because of rough topography of its area, the territory of the Complex was purposefully divided into three functioning courtyards with the level difference of 5-6m. So, lets go and explore the Complex.

1. Dwelling House
2. Divan Khana
3. Dervish Tomb
4. Foundation of Key-Gubad mosque
5. Eastern Portal
6. Palace Mosque
7. Shirvanshahs’ family tomb
8. Palace Bath-house
9. Shah’s Ovdan

The upper courtyard, where Dwelling house and Mausoleum of Farrukh Yassar or Divan Khana are located, is called ceremonial yard. My very young but talented female guide and I started our tour from the masterpiece of the Complex – Memorial Tomb (Mausoleum) of Farrukh Yassar or Divan Khana (Khan’s Court) (p.2) – reached via a small gateway on the left from the main courtyard. Until now, historians can’t decided whether this building was a court house (and a very small one), used to accept the visitors and delegations or it was a mausoleum of Farruck Yassar, the last Shirvanshas. It is located in a quadrangular yard enclosed by arched pillar gallery from three sides. In the center, comfortably elevated on the high stylobate there is an octangular rotunda, surrounded by the open arched arcade. Its main western entrance is emphasized with the magnificent richly ornamented portal, decorated with oriental carpets’ carved ornaments. The ribbed semi cupola of the portal is rested upon seven rows of stalactites adorned with a foliage motif. The portal is framed on both sides with the hexagonal medallions which look like simple geometrical decorations but in fact, are full of meaningful inscriptions. The left inscriptions, written in very ancient Kufic Arabic script, read: “There is no God but Allah”, “Prophet Mohammed is the messenger of Allah” and “Imam Ali is close to Allah”. The hexagonal medallion on the right, which contains twelve small rhombs, reads “Allah is single” and the name “Mohammed” 6 times each.

The portal leads to small quadrangular vestibule. In the corner of this vestibule there are two premises laid one on top of another with both halls delicately decorated with leaves of fig and grape, typical to the flora of Azerbaijan. There is another inscription written in Arabic, which is the dictum from Koran: “The highest and most honest God said – may He be praised – Allah calls people to the world of peace, to the paradise. He directs whoever he chooses to the blessed road. Those who do good will get the good, and neither dust nor infamy will not cover their faces. They will be rewarded with paradise, in which they will stay for ever”. This inscription referring to the life hereafter, forgiveness of sins, etc led the historians believe that Shirvanshah Farrukh Yassar got this building constructed as his own mausoleum. The architectural structure of the monument also supports this idea as it was built in a style similar to Timur’s own tomb. What is evident is that the last Shivanshas Farruck Yassir was not buried there as in 1500-1501 his army lost a battle with Savafids and captured Farruck was later burned with arms and legs tied.

The octangular hall is covered with a beautiful cupola of unusual outline. Originally all six doorways were decorated with stone lattices -“shebeke”. In winter they were covered with carpets, and in summer – with curtains. The outside frames of these doorways are also decorated with plant and geometrical ornaments. At the sharp point of arch of each door there is one hexagonal medallion with the name of Imam Ali repeated six times: three in raised form and three in sunk. However, if you pay attention to some capitals, basis of the columns and doorway frames, you notice that the carving work was left unfinished, probably due to the war of 1500-1501.

Two-storeyed Dwelling House (p.1) is the oldest building of the Complex, built in late 13th – early 14th century. In this two-storied palace of irregular form, floors are connected by three stone staircases built in the thickness of the walls. Originally the palace had 52 rooms; 27 of them were on the ground floor, 25 were on the second floor (presently, only 16 rooms on the second floor were reconstructed). The ground floor with narrow windows was intended for servants and as a storehouse. The Shirvanshah and his family lived in the rooms on the second floor with large windows decorated by “shebeke”. The main entrance into the Palace is emphasized with high pointed arch. Its high, modest portal is distinguished by the play of light and shade, caused by the masterful rotation of masonry rows which made stones acquire different tint. In comparison with the richly ornamented portal of Divan Khana, the simple portal of Dwelling house looks very sordid and signifies the inviolability of this Palace as a fortress.

The portal leads to the octangular entrance hall topped with a high cupola. This hall served as the reception room of Shirvanshahs. Narrow holes in the walls were intended for communication with the ground floor (and I was encouraged to shout something out in it). The main rooms of the Dwelling house are Throne hall and Banquet hall. Throne hall, located to the left of the reception room has an inscription from Zilzar sura of Koran over its entrance door: “People who do good things will get it back at the end”. The Throne Hall was the center of State representation. Badr Shirvani, the court poet who lived here in the 15th century wrote: “It is blue as the sky and golden as the sun here. When light passes through the windows to fall upon the ceiling full of decorative designs, the stars shine from within the blue glow of the dome”. Archeological finds made historians believe that the palace was covered with cupolas decorated with blue tiles. In the Banquet hall the windows covered with stone lattices “shebeke” overlook the beautiful panorama of the bay. Presently, both rooms display items discovered during the archeological work within the Palace and Icheri Sheher, such as musical instruments of the 15th century, various household items, coins of 12-15th centuries, copper utensils, weapons and ornaments of the 19th century. Also among the exhibits are female costumes and embroidery of the 19th century, Shamakhy carpets and carpet woven in the 17th century in Baku. Look for the “mustache keeper”, I bet you’ve never even imagined that thing existed!

Among all the buildings of the Complex, the Dwelling house suffered the most destruction. After the death of Shirvanshah Farrukh Yassar in 1501, the Palace was seized and looted by the troops of Safavids. Until now, it is not known who occupied the palace between 16th and the 18th century. In 1723 when the troops of Peter the Great bombarded the city from the sea, the upper part of Dwelling house was damaged and its cupolas were destroyed. After becoming a part of Russian Empire in 1828, the Complex was handed over to the Russian military department who transformed the palace into the storehouse for military equipment and ammunition. At that time when the repair-construction works were carried out in Dwelling house, its cupola decorated with glazed tiles of turquoise color, some walls, as well as the mosaic plaster of arches were completely demolished. In the late 19th century the Place was destroyed and derelict, until 2004 when it was re-constructed and rebuilt as close to its original plan as possible.

Dervish’s tomb, remains of Sabayil castle, foundation of Key-Gubad mosque are located at the middle courtyard. Eastern Portal (p.5) is the last construction of the Complex. Known as “Murad’s gate”, it was erected by the architect Amirshah Valiankuhi in the 16th century during the occupation of Baku by Ottoman Turks. The upper part of the Portal is decorated with the inscription written in Arabic: “Ulu Radgab baba Bakuvi ordered to build this noble building during the reign of fair and majestic Sultan Murad khan in 994 year of hijri history” or in 1585-86. Judging by the wording of the inscription (“building” and not the “gate”), the portal is likely to have been the entrance of the building which either didn’t survive, or was not built at all. The semi cupola with stalactites forms a deep hollow at the bottom of the portal.

Remains of Sabayil Castle. In the middle courtyard there is a great number of stone slabs with the inscriptions and images. They were discovered at the bottom of Baku bay and represent all that remains of Sabayil castle, one of the unique architectural monuments of medieval times hidden under the water for many centuries. Archaeological work carried out in 1946 and 1962 years, established the existence of a small island known as “Sabayil city” within 300 m of the coast. The oblong rectangular castle, resembling a Gulustan fortress, was erected on this island between 1234-1235 during the reign of the Shirvanshah Fariburz III. Castle was 175m long and 35m wide, with 1.8m thick walls connecting 3 circular and 12 semi-circular towers. Three towers in the corners served as entrances into the castle. However, in 1306, as a result of earthquake the level of the Caspian Sea rose, the island was flooded, and Sabayil castle collapsed and submerged under the water for more than 4 centuries. As the level of the Caspian Sea began to drop in 1722 till present time, stones and rocks emerged out of the sea. As a result of a 30 year long work, about 700 stone slabs were lifted from the bottom of the bay. All these slabs with inscriptions and images were in frieze which encircled the upper walls of the castle from outside. Even though the inscriptions written in Arabic, mostly in Persian were badly preserved, the researchers could read names of some cities – Baku, Shamakhy, titles – shah, sultan, names of Shirvanshahs ruled till that time – Muhammed ibn Yazid, Khalid, Ali, Manuchohr, Gushtasb, Fariburz and so on. The inscription carved on two stone slab reads: “That is the work of the master Zeinaddin ibn Abu Rashid Shirvani”. Besides the stone inscriptions, there are a lot of stones with images of animals, realistic and symbolic, human heads and pictures of fabulous creatures carved in bas-relief. Images of lion and bull carved on the stone slabs are the heraldic symbols of Shirvan state. Pictures of realistic animals depicted on the stones might be served as a calendar of that time – showing the years of reign of Shirvanshahs (it is known that at medieval times in Near East each year was named after a certain animal). Human heads carved on the stone slabs could be identified as the portraits of Shirvanshahs. The research of the castle also proved the fact that it was a defensive fortress with a fleet moored at its walls. During the archaeological excavation scientists also found here the remains of rooms, fire places, pottery and coins.

Dervish’s Tomb (p.3) is wrongly considered to be the mausoleum of a medieval scientist and philosopher Seyid Yahya Bakuvi. The dervish buried in this tomb lived and worked as a “muezzin” in the Palace of Shirvanshah Ibrahim I long before the arrival of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi to Baku. The octangular tomb is covered with 7.5m high pyramid-like cupola. The mausoleum consists of subterranean (the vault of the dervish) and upper parts, intended for religious ceremonies, and believed to be covered with grey plaster. On both sides of the mausoleum, there are three small windows carved in solid slabs of limestone, and, like in the old days, representing a cross-cutting stone lattice consisting of multi-rayed stars.

Foundation of Key-Gubad mosque (p.4) There was once a madrasa-mosque adjoining the dervish’s tomb. Named after Shirvanshah Key-Gubad, it was built in the 14th century and consisted of a rectangular prayer-hall with a small vestibule. In the center of the hall there were four columns on which the cupola was rested. The facade of the mosque was simple, strict without ornaments and inscriptions. Unfortunately, in 1918 Key-Gubad mosque burnt down, leaving only three bases of columns and a part of the wall to the roof untouched. In the 1920s, while examining the ruins of the old mosque, archeologist Pakhomov found that the pedestal of one of the column bases hid a narrow neatly plastered subterranean corridor leading to the mausoleum crypt. While the corridor contained several gravestones, an examination of the crypt revealed scattered bones of twenty human skeletons. It was concluded that a mosque was built on a site of a former cemetery and the digging of trenches for foundation disturbed a number of graves.

Shirvanshahs’ family tomb and Palace mosque are situated at the Lower court, called worship yard, while Palace bath-house and Ovdan are located in the lowest terrace of the Complex. The lower yard is separated from the other yards of the Complex by a blind wall with arched doorway.

Shirvanshahs’ family tomb (p.7) is a rectangular building topped with hexagonal cupola decorated with distinct polygonal stars. In the past, those star-shaped hollows were filled with light-blue glazed tiles. The entrance –  a richly ornamented portal adorned with leaves and petals of oleander – considered to be one of the most beautiful models in Azerbaijan architecture. The top of the portal contains two inscriptions written in nash script. The first, the 12th sura of Koran, reads: “Allah, the holiest and highest, said, on that day he will forgive you, because he is the most merciful”. The inscription below is a hadissa: “The Prophet said, may Allah be blessed and greeted, You will certainly see your Lord with your own eyes”. On the tympans of the portal there are two tear-drop shaped medallions, wrongly considered to have the name of the architect carved inside. In fact, the inscription written here says: “Thanks to the God for the gifts that he gives us”. The inscription over the entrance informs about the functional purpose of the building: “The Highest Sultan the Great Shirvanshah, the namesake of the Prophet, protection of Islam, Khalilullah I, may his reign and power be immortalized by Allah, ordered to build this sacred burial vault for his mother and son, may Allah bless them”, dating to 1435-36. According to the divan written by poet Badr Shirvany, the mausoleum also served as a final resting place to Khalilullah I himself, his mother Bika khanum, his sons – Farrukh Yamin, Sheykh Saleh, Emir Bahram, Ibrahim and Khalilullah’s cousin, Chief Commander of Shirvanshahs’ Army, Emir Tahmuras. Archeological excavation of 1946 revealed another 14 untouched burials within the tomb, tentatively of people related to Khalilillah. The Family mausoleum consists of the burial hall and two small rooms to the right and to the left, that were intended for mullah. In 1500-1501, when the troops of Safavids occupied Baku, Shah Ismail Khatai destroyed all the graves in the Shirvanshahs’ family tomb, however, as it became clear later, he only managed to destroy the tomb stones, leaving the graves untouched.

Palace Mosque (p.6), the second monument located at the lower courtyard, is covered with two sharp-pointed cupolas and is emphasized by well-proportioned 22m-high minaret raised in the north-eastern part of the building. The top of the minaret is adorned with a balcony-sherefe, intended for muezzin and supported by stalactites with an inscription written in Arabic: “This minaret was built by order of Sultan Khalilullah I, may Allah exalt the days of his government”. (1441-1442). According to the Shariat law, no one can enter the mosque without doing ablution and taking their shoes off, hence always look for a small pool or water fountain near the mosque. It has three entrances – the main northern entrance, decorated with a portal and niches for shoes, leads to the praying hall for men. From the middle-level yard, there is the eastern entrance intended for the Shirvanshah. The western, most simplest one, entrance leads to the women’s praying hall. There is a simply decorated mihrab on the southern wall of the praying hall for men while an ordinary niche serves as a mihrab for women. To enhance the acoustics, the big clay jugs were built into the upper corners of the men’s praying hall, with their small necks turned to the hall. Notice the wall niches, they served to store prayer-mats, beads, Koran books and lamps. At some point, chandeliers, hung from the cupola, used to illuminate the mosque.

The 15th century Palace bath-house (p.8) is located in the lowest courtyard of the Complex and has no less than 26 rooms. Like all oriental bath-houses, it was built with half of the construction located under the ground to maintaining temperature regime. After the Shirvanshahs dynasty collapse, the Palace hammam was out of use and was gradually buried under the soil where it stayed for many centuries. Rediscovered in 1939, it underwent a thorough restoration work in 1960s. Originally all rooms of the bath-house were covered with cupolas with slits for day-light and ventilation, typical for the hammams of Baku and Absheron. It had two types of rooms: “bayir” for undressing and “Icheri” for bathing. The reservoirs of cold and hot water, called “Khazna” were connected with the soap rooms. Water came from the “Shah Ovdan” (p.9) (water reservoir) located behind the Palace walls – 70 steps deep, it was one of the largest ovdans in Absheron and supplied with drinking water both the Palace and some residential blocks of the city. In order to supply hot water, the cold water from Shah ovdan went through ceramic pipe to the boiler-room and after being heated by white oil, it was distributed among soap rooms via stone wash-basins cut at the walls. While steam canals under the floor of soap rooms heated the Icheri rooms, bayir rooms were warmed by hot air coming from the washing rooms. Until today, you can see the stone benches, round pools and holes for shoes. In the past, both the exterior and interior of the bath-house were decorated with glazed tiles.

Once you leave the Palace of the Shirvanshas, turn left and walk along its walls. Shortly, on your right, you will see The Museum of Miniature Books (free admission), opened in 2002, it is the only privately owned museum of this kind in the world. Mrs. Zarifa Salahova, its founder, has collected more than 6,000 miniature book from 62 countries. She started with a purchase of a book, that is cited and re-cited on daily basis by everyone who speaks Russian – Fables by Ivan Krylov, published in 1835. However, the museum also exhibits the works of prominent Azeri classical poets – Nizami, Fizuli and Nasimi, Koran and other religious books as well as books by Jack London, Honore de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, etc.

Following the same street, you will come to a handkerchief of Vahid garden dominated by one of Baku’s most imaginative busts, that of a poet Aliagha Vahid incorporating characters from his work in the lines of his hair. The simple stone cube behind him is the 1375 Chin Mosque (Çin məscidi, Чин-мечеть) (p.14), now used as a tiny coin museum. The mosque is called “Chin” (True), due to the belief that all the wishes and desires of its attendees will become true. The mosque portal is considered to be the oldest in the city made in eastern style.

From the square, there are several ways to explore Icheri Sheher, you can either continue along the city walls and visit, or at least see from the outside, Baku’s historical hammams, or dive into one of the multiple crooked streets for more authentic experience. Since I’ve visited the old town on a few occasions, I’ve done both. So, at first, I walked along a very pretty Kichik Qala – a perfect place for street photography with its old Soviet Zaporozhets, playing children and both, ferrel and domesticated, cats.

To you left, there is an old Gileyli mosque (Gileyli məscidi, Гилек-мечеть) with two domes and carved bars on the windows, it is located at the top of the fortress. Built in two stages – in 1309 during the period of the Shirvanshahs, and in 1805 by Haji Shams al-Din Beg, the grandson of Salim Khan – it received its name from the word “Gilan” – silk merchants who were primary residents of the area. Just a few meters further, there is Agha Mikayil Hammam (Ağa Mİkayıl hamamı, Баня Ага Микаила), a bath-house opened by the resident of Shamakhy, Hadji Agha Mikayil, in the 18th century. The area is popularly known as a “settlement of bathhouse attendants” and even though it has several hammams, Agha Mikayil is indisputably everyone’s favorite – open on Mondays and Fridays for women and the rest of the week for men. Before reaching the end of the city wall, on the left side there is another bathhouse – Gasim-Bek Hammam (Qasım bəy hamamı, Баня Касум-бека), that was constructed in 17th century near the Salyan Gate. It is popularly known as “Shirin” (Sweet), because it was famous for its tea served with delicious sweets. It has traditional layout that consists of a vestibule, dressing and washing premises as well as the treasure and fire chambers. Water supply and the heating system were implemented through the angle pipelines inside the walls and under the floor. Both hammams are functioning bath-houses and the official monuments of national value of history and culture of Azerbaijan protected by state.

If you continue straight, you will exit in front of the Four Seasons hotel, but instead, lets turn left and dive into the small, curved like oriental dagger, streets. The oldest monument of Islamic period in Icheri Sheher is the Mohammad Mosque (p.15 on the map) (Məhəmməd məscidi, Мечеть Мухаммеда). According to an Arabic inscription, it was built in the 1078-1079 and acquired its second name Synyk Kala – “Broken Tower” in 1723, when military squadron of Russian Army, consisting of 15 warships approached the city from seaside and demanded its surrender during the Russo-Persian War (1722-1723). When the Khan of Baku declined, Russian warships began to bomb the city until one of shells hit the minaret of Mohammad Mosque and damaged it. As the legend goes, immediately, the stormy winds, interpreted by Bakuvians as a divine scourge sent to the occupants, blew the Russian ships further out to sea, allowing the residents to rebuild the city walls. They still lost the war but until the middle of the 19th century, the minaret of the mosque wasn’t reconstructed, remaining a symbol of the persistence and courage of the defendants of the tower. Artifacts found at the time of the restoration work on the Mohammad Mosque in 1980s revealed that the mosque was constructed on the site of a fire temple which functioned during the pre-Islamic period. Formidable and slightly thinning minaret adjoins new mosque, which was constructed on the basis of the older one’s plan. Coarse and flat stalactites of tabling retain sherefe – muezzin’s balcony enclosed by stone plates. Ligature with Koranic inscription was traced under the tabling with archaic kufi alphabet. However, the Mohammad Mosque brought entirely different associations for me as I recognized it as a place from a famous Soviet movie “Бриллиантовая Рука” (“The Brilliant Hand”). A Russian production of 1969, this comedy gained cult status and people like to insert whole passages of dialogues in conversations. It is a story of clumsy Semyon Gorbunkov, who accidentally gets involved in a diamond smuggling, while on a trip to Turkey. But director Leonid Gaidai resolved to shoot several scenes in Baku – one of them right here, in front of the Mohammed Mosque.

Continue towards the sea and you appear at one of the largest and busiest pedestrian streets of Icheri Sheher – Asaf Zeynalli. You are probably standing at the T-shaped intersection with a historical monument in each corner – Juma Mosque, Madrasa and Small Caravanserai. Immediately on the right corner is Madrasah (P.16) (Mədrəsə, Медресе́). Built in the 15th century in the courtyard of Juma Mosque for educational purpose, presently, it serves as one of the chapels and no longer functions as a religious school for mektebs. Juma Mosque (p.16) (Cümə məscidi, Джума мечеть), located just across the street, has been repeatedly and radically restored and rebuilt. It is believed that the mosque was constructed over a fire-worshiping temple and later restored in 1309-10. In the 1437-38, during the reign of Shirvanshah Khalilullah I the present minaret was built to function as balcony for summoning the believers, however the text engraved on the gravestone at the foundation of the minaret discovered during archaeological work make us believe that the minaret was built even before the completion of Juma Mosque. Due to natural causes, the building of the first mosque was completely destroyed and in its place, in the 17th century, during the reign of Shah Abbas I, the second building was built. The lower part of the minaret until now contains the inscription of 1614 with the decree of Shah Abbas I about collection of taxes.

According to its floor-plan, the mosque was an irregular hexagon with truncated southern and western corners. It had a small room with a domed hall, which was designed for men, and prayer rooms for women. A distinctive feature of the Jama mosque was a conical dome, decorated with glazed tiles and imported decorative materials, a rare example in the Azerbaijani architecture, which really stood on the monotonous background of medieval Baku. They say, the building and the second mosque were destroyed by fire. At the beginning of the 20th century, one of the rich Bakunians – Sheikhan Dadashov Haji – had the mosque rebuilt and its version you can now enjoy in Icheri Sheher. You can follow my steps and visit the female section of the mosque (behind the minaret), just don’t forget to cover your head and leave your shoes out.

Small Caravanserai (p.16) (Xan karvansarayı, Ханский караван-сарай). Also known as “Khan’s caravansaray”, it was constructed in the late 15th -early 16th centuries, however some sources date it to the 12th century. A square building, it has a large quadrangular yard with cut corners inside. The entire perimeter is covered with balconies behind which the residential premises were located. It has 3 entrances, however, the main one, located in the Middle Ages on the seaside, looks nothing less but a formidable two-storeyed bastion. Before becoming a caravanserai, this building probably served as another madrasa of the Juma Mosque, however, once it was converted into the guest house its outer walls turned into a shopping gallery for residents and visitors.

Ashur Mosque (p.17) (Ləzgi məscidi, Ашур или Лезги-мечеть) was constructed by master Najaf Ashur Ibrahim in 1169. It acquired its own second name “Lezghin” during the oil boom of late 19th, when workers from Dagestan came to Baku in order to earn money and the inhabitants of Icheri Sheher allow them to pray in this mosque. The mosque is a parallelepiped with two small windows on its southern facade. The small cross-shaped entrance in the northeast part of the mosque leads to the one-chamber praying hall. During the archaeological work and restoration process in 1970s, two semicircle arches and rooms belonging to the Sassanid’s period were discovered under the southern part of the building. As many other religious building in the city, it is also believed to be built on the site of an ancient fire-worshiping temple.

Completing the historical circle around Icheri Sheher is Two-Storeyed Caravanserai “Mugham Theater” (p.19) located on the right side of Asaf Zeynalli street, right next to the Maiden Tower. This 17th century “hotel” presently functions as a restaurant and theater where visitors can experience traditional Azerbaijani cuisine and folk songs. I, frankly, didn’t go in so I can’t vouch for the quality of performance. After visiting all the sites, you can either continue exploring less visited streets of Icheri Sheher, as they are definitely full of charm and Soviet nostalgia, or you can check out the busy main avenue running along the Caspian shore – Neftchilier Prospekt. Since it was still a day time, I decided to take some pictures of the city from above, so I headed towards the Funicular. I have to warn you, that once you are in the open space by the sea, it becomes clear that the country suffers from “Azeri Flag-Mania”. Not only Azerbaijan, until recently, had the world’s tallest, according to the Guinness Book of Records flagpole, but also did they make sure you will have at least two (or maybe three) National flags in your line of sight at all times. I can guarantee you that the colors of Azeri flag will forever cement into your memory.

Another thing worth mentioning is drivers’ lack of respect for pedestrians, so if you don’t see a traffic light, look for an underpass, but do not try to run across the street, even if there is a “zebra” painted over it, because the cars would not stop. Well, I guess it was a way to make us all check out one of the wonders of Baku – “the white underpass” – as I called it. I thought I was pretty accustomed to marble subway stations of Moscow and Minsk, or to superb cleanliness of public spaces everywhere in Japan, but I’ve never used an underground path that looked like the inlaid with precious stones tunnel leading to Taj Mahal. I know I looked silly while taking pictures there but frankly, it was one of the most unusual and impressive things I’ve seen. However, I do suspect that Four Seasons Hotel located at the corner of the same street has something to do with it – how more can you impress your customers but letting them pass to Bulvar (Caspian corniche) via such a magnificent route. That would definitely make you believe in the might of Azeri oil and gas.

Funicular Lower Station (open 10.00 – 22.00, “dinner break” from 12.00-14.00) is located 500 m to the south of Icheri Sheher and in less than 4 mins and free of cost, it will take you to the foot of the Dağüstü Park offering spectacular panoramic views of the city and Baku bay.

Once you get there, you can explore the park, visit the Martyrs’ Lane – cemetery and memorial dedicated to those who were killed during the Black January and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, enjoy the close proximity with the current symbol and the tallest buildings of Baku – The Flame Towers, or simply take a moment to savor the scenery. At night, you can visit a very popular Dagustu Park Kafe and indulge yourself in very strong and very good tea with preserves (yes, this is how they do it)! I’m pretty sure on the evening we were there (with an American, Russian and Ukrainian guys I met at the hotel), the president Ilham Aliyev was in attendance.

As soon as you descend from the hill and safely cross the street towards the Baku’s waterfront – called Bulvar (corrupted French “Boulevard”) – you are going to see a few interesting things. If you are facing the sea, to your very right is the lotus-like building of Caspian Waterfront mall, occupying its own peninsular, then, in a form of unfolding carpet – Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, followed by Mugham center and a very strange Venice-inspired amusement park with canals and gondolas, and to your very left is be National Flag Square with the world’s second largest Flagpole. If there is one thing to bring home from Azerbaijan, then it would be a carpet (or a few, in my case). In 2010 Azerbaijani carpets were proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO and they are definitely worth exploring and learning about. I couldn’t praise the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum more. Entry – 10 manat with audioguide, ($9.5), additional for picture permit, but you can take photos with a phone without a permit. You can easily spent 2-3 hours exploring the museum’s vast collections, reading detailed annotations, enjoying the wonderful space and leave heavily loaded with new knowledge. On the first floor, besides the regular museum shop, there is a carpet gallery where you can buy authentic Azerbaijani carpets, but keep in mind that you would need the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture permit to take the carpets outside the country (not so hard to get!)

And of course, over 100 years-old, 6 km long well-paved Bulvar (official name is Dənizkənarı Milli Park) is a place to see and be seen and no matter how many days you stay in Baku, the lively water promenade will draw you every evening like a drug. I, advantageously, happened to come to Azerbaijan during the last week of Ramadan (or Ramazan as it is known here) when the corniche would fill in with families and attractions at the sundown. I might be wrong, but Azeri didn’t strike me as very pious Muslims and I assume that 70 years as a Soviet Republic have something to do with it, however, I was sure it was busier than ever. Oil rigs and yacht clubs, flagmasts and shopping centers, big-wheel and 5-D cinemas, lavish cafes and simple food stands, hotels and business centers, rich and not-so-rich all melange in its own authentic but strange way on Bulvar. And if you want to see Baku from the water, you can even take a 45 mins pleasure-boat cruise (3 manat, $2.85), but make sure to stay away from the oil-filmed waters of Caspian sea. Everything comes with a price!

Since I was traveling alone, I didn’t get to eat in many restaurants but I definitely tried many street-served qutabs (gutab) – very thin round tortilla folded in two and filled either with ground lamb or with greens – and drunk plenty of tea served in small pear-shaped armudi stakan (“stakan” means “glass” in Russian). One night, American Andy, Ukrainian Volodymyr, Russian Igor and I went out for dinner at Firuze restaurant located right on the Fountain Square and I don’t think I’ve ever tried Azeri plov that was as tasty as theirs (we took 4 pictures and on all of them, Igor had food in his mouth, this is just how delicious it was!)

Qobustan (Gobustan). If you have a few days in Baku, a half-day trip to the Qobustan’s mud volcanoes and rock petroglyphs is a must, as you probably have never seen anything like it. I’ve heard it’s possible to get there by public bus and a taxi, however, when I asked the owner of my hotel about the trip, he offered to take me there for 80 manat ($76). Allow 6-7 hours.

Qobustan National Park (Qobustan Milli Parkı, Гобустанский государственный исто­ри­ко-ху­дожественный заповедник) is a hill and mountain site occupying the southeast end of the Greater Caucasus mountain ridge about 64 km south of Baku. Its entire territory is cut up with numerous, rather deep ravines, called “gobu” in Azerbaijani, which suggests the origin of the name. After the accidental discoveries of ancient rock petroglyphs and inhabited caves by miners in 1930, the area was declared a national historical landmark of Azerbaijan and in 2007, it was added to a UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

Throughout many centuries under impact of the sun, wind, seismic activity and various atmospheric precipitation, blocks of stones broke away from the edges of a vast limestone layer and rolled down the slopes, forming about 20 big and small caves and the canopies serving as a natural shelter for the inhabitants. In 1930 a group of miners went there to quarry gravel and noticed the elaborate carvings and man-made caves. Apparently, around 12,000 years ago, when the Caspian coast was a lush savannah and sea levels far higher, Stone Age hunter-gatherers settled in a series of caves that they etched with around 6,000 stone engravings. The site also features the remains of inhabited caves, settlements and around 40 kurgans (burials), all reflecting an intensive human use during the wet period between 10th millennium B.C. and the 5th-15th centuries. Now, high above the shore, the cave sites, which cover an area of 100 km², have crumbled into a craggy chaos of boulders but the ancient petroglyphs remain, protected as a part of the Qobustan Reserve.

When we arrived, firstly, I visited The Petroglyph Museum (entry – 1 manat), where an eager English-speaking guide took me around a very well-designed exhibit consisting of a dozen halls. Many walls were decorated with the photographs of the rock engravings found in the Reserve and information – from the general knowledge about prehistoric rock art to the “dissections” of particular Qobustan petroglyphs – was detailed, educational and far from boring. Derived from the Greek words “petros” (rock) and “glyphe” (carving), petroglyphs, in a wider sense, are images engraved or drawn on the rock. Scientists would use this word exclusively for denoting engravings in the rock, and not paintings or drawings. It is considered to be a very fragile form of art as it is located in the natural environment and exposed to the forces of nature. In addition, people intentionally or inadvertently damage the painted or engraved surfaces of the rocks, microorganisms and man-made pollution of the air and water wear the ancient art down too, so it does require protection. A few museum rooms were dedicated to the discovery and exploration of the site, while others explore in details recording, tracing, photographing, outlining, measuring and mapping petroglyphs. Most of the rock engravings in Qobustan depict primitive men, animals, battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, pictures of sun and stars. The petroglyphs are an exceptional testimony to a way of life that has disappeared, graphic representations of activities connected with hunting and fishing at a time when the climate and vegetation of the area were warmer and wetter than today, that is why they require deep analysis and interpretation. The museum guide pointed out a few places where rock engravings were easy to miss and sent me off.

If you need to use bathroom, do it in the museum, another opportunity (at the site) might not be too comfortable to even consider. After we left, we drove for another 10 minutes before we reached the so-called “Roman Graffiti” – a small plaque with inscription in Latin – surrounded by fence and a dozen of happy grazing bulls and cows of Qobustan. This petroglyphs is considered to be the easternmost Roman inscription ever discovered and it is believed to be chipped out by Julius Maximus, a centurion of the 12th Legion, probably on a reconnaissance mission from Roman Syria during the reign of Emperor Domitian (A.D. 51-96).

After 5 minutes of driving and we finally reached the main entrance to the Petroglyph Reserve. An outdoor cafe, a policeman, who also checked out tickets, and a paved path through the Reserve – everything was done to facilitate my pleasant time here – all I needed to do was to keep my eyes wide open. It is impossible to get lost, but very possible to miss the petroglyphs. Please allow 1-2 hours there and watch out for snakes.

Along the path, I’ve discovered at least 30-40 petroglyphs and a few caves, some of which were marked and some weren’t. I have to admit that every rock carving came to me as it was I who discovered it, that is just how excited I was to located them on the flat surfaces of the huge boulders. Some of them were very obvious and easily stood out on the yellow background of the stone, but many weren’t, so I had to twist my head left and right, up and down all the time. Well, at no moment was I disappointed!

As I pointed out earlier, it is not everything to find a rock carving, it is also important to “decipher” it in order to understand the people who carved it. Although it is very hard to interpret individual petroglyphs, there is good reason to assume that many of them had a complex spiritual meaning for their creators and played some role in the ritual behavior of prehistoric people. Religions in the modern sense of the word didn’t exist in the Stone Age but there are aspects of petroglyphs that can be interpreted as religious. Just like in contemporary traditional cultures, people of prehistoric societies probably believed that their environment was inhabited by different kinds of spirits. They were not the gods of later religions, nor were they humans. Some of the petroglyphs depict spirits in the shape of animal-like or human-like figures. Evidence indicates that several rocks near the Firuz settlement on Kichikdash Mountains served as place of worship. There is a large concentration of petroglyphs here, especially images of boats. Archeologists have discovered several solar images with remains of fire close to them which suggests it was a place for solar rituals; a hole in the rock nearby could have been used for sacrificed or other ritualistic purposes. Even though many of petroglyphs were found near the settlements, it is still impossible to tell whether all of theses images could be seen or worshipped by everybody or the sacred places and rituals were hidden from a large part of the community. Magic is one of the most ancient forms of religious belief – the possibility of influencing the worlds not directly, but by indirect and supernatural means – particular words, ritualistic behavior, objects and images like petroglyphs that are believed to possess supernatural power. It is possible that hunting magic was particularly “popular” among prehistoric people. Veneration of spirits and the placed they dwell often included sacrifices and other votive rituals. Evidence of these rituals can also be found in Qobustan. It is most likely that prehistoric humans considered the well-being and benevolence of local spirits to be crucial for their own survival. One of the most debated contemporary hypotheses on the meaning of petroglyphs is the so-called “shamanic theory”. According to it, petroglyphs depict the experiences of a shaman during the state of trance. Supporters of this hypothesis point to the similarities in prehistoric images around the world. For ex., spirals like the ones of Kichikdash Mountain can be found in many other petroglyph sites and might represent a place of passage between this and other worlds. Although prehistoric people perceived the whole universe as inhabited by spirits, there were some special places where the presence of the supernatural world could be especially vivid. It seems that Qobustan was and to a certain extent is still considered to be such a place.

I chose three Qobustan petroglyphs to show how they were interpreted by the archeologists and scientists. For example, there are 4 interpretations of a “Boat” petroglyph:

1. These are depictions of something like the technological achievements of the group. Since fishing was important for the survival of the inhabitants of Qobustan, knowledge of making boats was very important and was celebrate in the petroglyphs.
2. Boats are often appear in ancient myths as a vehicle for transporting the dead to the afterworld.
3. It is possible that these images represent some important ritual in the life of the prehistoric people of Qobustan. There may not be boats for everyday use, suggested by the symbol of the sun at one end of the boat.
4. The symbol of the sun also suggests as interpretation of the petroglyph having had a mythological and cosmological meaning. The everyday trip to the sun from the East to the West is represented by various cultures in many different ways, including as a journey in a boat.

Or 6 interpretations of “Aurochs” petroglyph:

1. Images of aurochs have been discovered in caves where prehistoric people actually lived, so it is possible that these petroglyphs were not meant for worship but rather represented the world prehistoric people were engaged with and the animals they were most familiar with and hunted.
2. Prehistoric people didn’t make petroglyphs of all animals they encountered, they concentrated on some particular animals they considered significant for some reason. It is possible they represented their totem. A totem isn’t something people worship, it is rather an animal or plant that the particular group of people identify themselves with. Usually, this totem is considered an ancestor in some sense. Therefor, it is possible people who lived in Qobustan considered themselves people of the auroch.
3. Aurochs or ancient oxen are often depicted together with female figures in the petroglyphs of Qobustan. It is possible that aurochs were associated with fertility, and their representation served some magic role in ensuring the fertility and well-being of the group.
4. Some scientists have suggested the possibility of images of animals having a magical function, in the sense that they were meant to foster the fertility and well-being of the animals that were important for the survival of the particular group of people. These petroglyphs were an attempt to ensure that the numbers of animals in the area wouldn’t decrease.
5. Many archeologists have considered images of animals to be part of hunting magic. Ancient hunters began their hunting expeditions with a ritual in front of the images of animals they were looking for. Some of the petroglyphs in Qobustan have little cuts in the rock which could have been created during such a ritual.
6. In Ancient religions the ox is associated with the sun and the supreme deity of the sky. In seems there was a cult of the ox in ancient Turkey, India, Egypt and Greece. It is possible the Stone Age petroglyphs of the oxen are evidence of the early development of mythological and religious beliefs about the ox.

And 4 interpretations for “hunters”:

1. The petroglyphs literally depicts their creators – ancient hunters. It is possible such images could have been created to commemorate important events in the life of the group, and the deeds of its leaders.
2. These images could depict the venerated ancestors of the group.
3. Maybe these are not images of humans at all, but rather spirits; for example, spirits looking after well-being of animals.
4. Contemporary scientists think than many of the petroglyphs were related to the myths and legends of the group and interpretation of these images is problematic simply because we don’t know the stories there images are based on.

Comparing all the Qobustani petroglyphs with similar ancient designs in Norway let controversial ethnologist Thur Heyerdahl to suggest that Scandinavians might have originated in what is now Azerbaijan. Interesting, huh? Anyway, even if you have no particular interest in ancient doodles, Qobustan’s eerie landscape displaying the fantastic scene of destruction, the huge blocks of stones and rocks chaotically pressed against each other, the hilltop views toward distant oil-wells and the prison of maximum security (at the bottom of the hill) are still fascinating. By the exit, there are a few muslim grave-stones sitting on top of the pavement, however, due to lack of information, I don’t know who they belonged to and why they were there.

Some 10 km south of Qobustan, the Caspian coast is home to nearly 400 “baby” mud volcanoes, (Palçıq vulkanları, Грязевой вулкан) more than half the total throughout the world. Mud volcano (or mud dome) refers to formations created by geo-exuded mud or slurries, water and gases. They may range in size from merely 1-2m high and 1-2 m wide, to 700m high and 10 km wide. However, mud volcanoes aren’t true volcanos as they don’t produce lava. The mud produced by these volcanoes is most typically formed when hot water, which has been heated deep below the earth’s surface, begins to mix and blend with subterranean mineral deposits, thus creating the mud slurry exudate. This material is then forced upwards through a geological fault or fissure due to local subterranean pressure imbalances, that is why mud volcanoes are highly associated with subduction zones. The temperature of any given active mud volcano generally remains fairly steady in a range from near 100 °C to occasionally 2 °C, some being used as popular “mud baths.”

In Azerbaijan, eruptions are driven from a deep mud reservoir which is connected to the surface even during dormant periods, when seeping water shows a deep origin. On the average, every twenty years or so, a mud volcano may explode with great force, shooting flames hundreds of meters into the sky, and depositing tonnes of mud on the surrounding area. In 2001, one mud volcano 15 km from Baku made world headlines when it started ejecting flames 15 m high. Historians and scientists connect the appearance of the Zoroastrian religion in Azerbaijan almost 2,000 years ago with these geological phenomena.

I consider any volcano to be a bit scary, but to see this geologically flatulent little conical mounds to gurgle, ooze, spit, bubble, and sometimes erupt with thick, cold, grey mud was pretty eerie.

While driving through Gobustan, I noticed black muddy pools everywhere as if it recently rained however, the rest of the desert remained dry. I asked my guide/hotel owner what it was and he told me that it was oil seeping from the ground. I honestly didn’t believe him because I thought it was already outrageous to have so much oil and gas underground and offshore, but it was true. He stopped the car so I can inspect a few “pools” myself. Petroleum seep is a place where natural liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons escape to the earth’s atmosphere and surface, normally under low pressure or flow. They generally occur above either terrestrial or offshore petroleum accumulation structures. Petroleum seeps are quite common in many areas of the world, and have been known to mankind since paleolithic times. In the 9th century, oil fields near Baku were already exploited and its existence was chronicled by the Arab geographer Abu al-Hasan ‘Alī al-Mas’ūdī in the 10th century, and by Marco Polo in the 13th century, who described the output of those wells as hundreds of shiploads. My guide told me that even during his grandparents’ time, people used to come and collect bitumen, pitch, asphalt and tar from the seeps into the buckets with bare hands. Well, I simply took a picture of it.

On the way back to Baku we passed the locals’ favorite Shikhov Beach (Şıxov çimərliyi, пляж Шиховa). It has been a traditional resort area for Bakuvians, though the polluted water and the view of large oil rigs both in the surrounding land area and offshore make it look very surreal. You have to be really brave to take a dip there. Then, we passed the Baku Shipyard, before stopping at Bibi-Heybat Mosque (Bibiheybət məscidi, Мечеть Биби-Эйбат), which was for centuries the region’s holiest mosque. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque built in the end of the 13th century over the tomb of Ukeyma Khanum – the daughter of the seventh Shiite Imam – Musa al-Kazim, who fled to Baku from persecution of caliphs, and today it is the spiritual center for the Muslims of the region and one of the major monuments of Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan. Famous French writer, Alexandre Dumas, who visited the mosque in the 1840s, in his book “Tales of the Caucasus” wrote: “The mosque of Fatima – a place of worship for infertile women, they come here on foot, worship, and within a year gain the ability to give birth.” The mosque was blown up in 1934 as result of the Soviet anti-religious campaign, however in 1994, after Azerbaijan gained independence, the Bibi-Heybat Mosque was re-constructed in the original plan and at the same place where it used to stand. In 2005 it was enlarged, new halls were added to insure the convenience of pilgrims.

The modern restored mosque is a classic example of the Shirvan architectural school. It has three domes, which have kept the traditional corrugated galvanised iron shape of the old mosque and two minarets. The domes are decorated with the green and turquoise mirrors, which are bordered with gilded inscriptions from Quran. The men’s praying room is located on the south side of the complex, while women – on the north side with mausoleum separating the rooms. Since I consider mosques to be the esthetically perfect architectural structures, I didn’t want to miss a chance to see its interior, so I removed my shoes, covered my head and went in. It was cool and peaceful inside, with half-dozen women quietly praying next to the tomb or in the corners of the room. Beautiful green-gold walls, decorated with calligraphic inscriptions looked all too new. Before leaving, a lady approached me in the mosque’s hall and gave me a handful of candies. I am not sure what it meant but it felt as sort of a blessing.

The Mosque’s square is a perfect place to explore the sea shore with its busy Caspian shipyard and oil wells, known as the James Bond Oil Field after it appeared in the opening scene of the movie “The World is not Enough”. The area has been considerably tidied up since then but there are still plenty of nodding-donkey oil pumps at work.

Unfortunately, the nearly perfect day-trip to Qobustan was offset by hours- long heated argument between me and my guide in regard to our different views of world politics, Muslim-Christian relationships and especially Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenians. You can’t win the argument with a man who thinks that he was made of special dough superior to women. Uh, Azeri men!

Absheron Peninsula (Abşeron yarımadası, Апшеронский полуостров), from Persian “place of salty water”, confounds easy definition. Former agricultural land is blanched by salt lakes, sodden with oil runoff and poisoned by pesticide abuse. Platoons of rusty oil derricks fill horizons with metallic carcasses, and everywhere you look, new gated compounds for ultra-rich are filling up the remaining areas of former sheep pasture. Still, despite all, Absheron peninsula remains Baku’s seaside playground and is still known for its flowers, horticulture, mulberries and figs. Several historic castle towers peep between the dachas (Russian for “country home”), fires that inspired Zoroastrian and Hindu pilgrims still burn, and beneath the cultural surface lie some of Azerbaijan’s oddest folk beliefs. It is a perversely fascinating place to spend a day or two.

On my last day in Baku I decided to visit a few sites on Absheron peninsula and more importantly, get into the waters of Caspian sea, as it was a part of my “Baku-Batumi” plan. After some research, I reached out to Yelchin from Gobustan Private Tours and I wish I have hired him earlier for the trip to Qobustan, as he was accommodating, friendly, humorous and very knowledgable. He also gave me by far the most compelling offer – 55 manat ($52). Yelchin frankly told me that due to lack of time we can’t visit all the places in Absheron. In addition, some of the local villages, like Nardaran, were very traditional, where even my long summer dress would be considered inappropriate; and natural-gas flames of Yanar Dag, mentioned by Marco Polo in the 13th century, according to Yalchin, were not worth visiting at all as they weren’t as impressive as they sounded. After all, I had just one day so we settled on Ateshgah Fire Temple, Qala and a visit to the beach.

Ateshgah Fire Temple (Atəşgah, Атешгях), located 26 km from Baku, is a unique part caravanserai, part fire-temple sacred to Zoroastrians and Hindus for centuries. The Persian toponym ateshgah literally means “home of fire”, referring to the fact that the site is situated atop a now-exhausted natural gas field, which once caused natural fires to spontaneously burn there as the gas emerged from seven natural surface vents. Until now, there is no consensus among the scientists and historians about the date and origin of the first temple. Fire is considered sacred in both Indo-Iranian branches of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism and there has been debate on whether the Ateshgah was originally a Hindu structure or a Zoroastrian one. Some say that Zoroastrians, who regarded the fire as holy attribute, built their temple at this place approximately in the 3rd century A.D. The inscription by high priest Kartir found at “Ka’ba ye Zartosht” in Iran asserts the spread of Zoroastrianism over the whole territory of Caucasian Albania (modern Azerbaijan) and resettlement of tribes of Persian-Zoroastrians here, for the reasons of strengthening of the new religion. In the 4th-5th centuries, when some Albanians became Christians, both Zoroastrianism and Christianity were simultaneously practiced. It all changed with the arrival of Islam when Zoroastrians who had not taken a new religion, were persecuted and had to leave the country. People gradually stopped visiting Zoroastrian temples which began to decline but the saddest fate fell on mobeds, the priest – keepers of the holy fire, who were obliged to protect and defend the fires by every possible mean, including the use of weapons. As Islam was conquering the country, many mobeds were killed while trying to shield the fires, and this was considered to be one of the main factors of the rapid decline of Zoroastrianism in Azerbaijan.

However, Sanskrit or Punjabi inscriptions found in Ateshgah, the bustling Indian community of Baku in the late Middle Ages, as well as conclusions by some world-renown academics make us believe that it was a Hindu temple whose Brahmins (priests) used to worship fire. Or, Ateshgah Fire Temple could be both. The temple’s current incarnation was built in the 17th century by Indian Shiva devotees around the time of the fall of the Shirvanshah dynasty and annexation by the Russian Empire. In the early 19th century the temple acquired not only its final appearance that has remained unchanged since but also a world-wide fame, when various famous writers, travelers, scientists and painters came to see the unique fire phenomenon of Ateshgah. French author Alexandre Dumas was one of them and he dutifully recorded his experience in one of his books. The religious community of the Ateshgah was struggling, as the trade with India had gone in decline and the temple lost its most important patrons. In 1886, the Ateshgah ceased to function as a temple but continued attract visitors – for ex., in 1888 it was visited by the family of Russian Tsar Alexander III. It was not all gone when in 1964, the Temple was taken under the protection by the state and given the status of a historical and architectural monument.

We parked our car, got the tickets (2 manat – $1.9) and went in. Ateshgah Fire Temple didn’t look a moment older than the 2009-built walls of Icheri Sheher, but according to my guide, it was as authentic as you could get. The temple is surrounded by a dented wall with an intake portal leading to the pentagonal courtyard. Part caravansearai, it had 26 wall-cells which served as the accommodations for arriving pilgrims and merchants, but now it hosts the museum of the temple, displaying everything from the origins of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism to the oil boom that depleted the underground gas that for centuries fed the temple’s eternal flames. In some rooms, a number of mannequins depicts extreme ascetic practices of the temple’s devotees, such as lying on hot coals and carrying unbearably heavy chains. However, the temple’s centerpiece is the flaming stone altar with four stone side flues spitting “dragon breath” (which is now provided via main gas line from Baku).

At the Ateshgah Fire Temple, I also met a wonderful group of six Oxford dons who travel twice a year to different places around the world. One of them, a professor of Muslim architecture at Oxford, allowed me to join their group and listen to his fascinating story of Zoroastrianism and other, similar fire temples he visited in Iran.

It took us 20 minutes to get from the Ateshgah temple to the center of historic little Qala village (İkinci Qala), that since 2008 has been dominated by an impressive Ethnographic Museum Complex, a brand new box of Qala Antiques Museum and recently restored medieval-style stone Fortress. Allow 2-3 hours, entrance is 6 manat ($5.7) for all three sites. This open-air historical and ethnographic park, founded at an archaeological site located in the same-name village, is dedicated to the history of the Absheron Peninsula. Here, you can see how the Azeris lived, what they ate and drank and how they managed a household over the period from the 16th-19th centuries. The territory of 1.2 ha hosts portable tents made of animal skins, subsequently replaced by stone and beaten cob works with cupolas, an ancient blacksmith shop, market, pottery, bakery, threshing mill and other interesting medieval buildings. Most of the monuments and exhibits were acquired in different corners of the Absheron. The scientists have found the evidence of the first settlements on the site of Gala village dating to at least 5,000 years ago. Rare exhibits of antiquity as well as cave paintings of primitive people with pictures of hunting and ritual sacrifice, also found their place in the museum exposition. Altogether there are 216 monuments in the territory of Qala Village; among them are 5 mosques, 3 baths, 4 ovdans (water reservoirs), dwelling houses, agricultural premises, burials, tombs, tumuli, fortress ruins, etc.

The foundations for the Medieval Dwelling houses evidently demonstrate the centuries-old town-planning traditions existing in the village. From structural standpoint, these fundaments are rectilinear and rectangular constructions. In the rooms, there are niches, in the living-room – a hearth (kursu), in the kitchen– a clay oven for baking bread (tandir); there is also a bathroom (suakhan). Each room had its own exit to the yard.

The systematic scientific study of the Eastern Absheron’s monuments started in the 1960s and resulted in the discovery of petroglyphs dating back to the Bronze and Iron Age. They reflect the ideology and world-view of ancient people, describe scenes of hunting, human sacrifice, sacred marriage, etc., while central place of some petroglyphs is occupied by the female deity depicted in detail. The paintings of dog, lion and other wild animals are similar to the traditions of the ancient art of the Near and Middle East. Among these petroglyphs are many geometric symbols and diamond-shaped signs.

One of the most attractive parts of the Museum Complex is the archaeological gallery, which contains examples of the household ceramics dating back to the 3rd-2nd millennia B.C., antiquity and the Middle Ages. Among other exhibits are a stone idol, grain threshers, woman’s ornaments (a copper bracelet, copper earrings, glass and clay beads), coins of the Azerbaijan khanates and fragments of books.

Discovered at the primitive nomadic campsite of Agdashduzu not far from Shuvelan Village, the dolmen dating back to the 3rd millennium B.C. is one of the constructions proving that building stone was the most widespread material on the Absheron since ancient times. In addition, there are the ancient stone quarries located in different parts of the Absheron.

Due to the climatic conditions of the Absheron as well as to the local traditions, the medieval dwelling houses in Qala Village were enclosed by high stone walls. However, the timber imported from the Transcaucasus and Russia in late 19th – early 20th century resulted in the formation of new architectural compositions – two-story dwelling houses. The first story of the so-called Merchant’s House dates back to 1810, while the second – to the end of the 19th century. There is a stone reservoir in the small yard. The first story was used for everyday needs of a family while rooms of the second floor – for guests and as a bedroom. In these rooms, there are a hearth (kursu), niches (takhcha) and shelves (lyama). Located in a yard, the detached kitchen had a tandir (a clay oven for baking bread) and a hearth for cooking.

In Azerbaijan, the temporary dwellings of the nomadic tribes engaged in stockbreeding had different shapes. Ethnographic researches reveal that the Azerbaijan nomads preferred a tent-shaped dwellings that were mostly placed in pastures and were easily assembled and disassembled. They had either an oblong or a round form; straw, reed, animal skins and any wood were used as a building material.

The architectural style of the Absheron ancient settlements features a round shape of buildings. One of those constructions is the ancient settlement of Zira. The settlement reinforced on the north side by big stone slabs has a hearth in its centre. There are small detached constructions located outside, near the walls. The inner side of the walls is traditionally covered with topical petroglyphs depicting various scenes of religious rituals of the Absheron ancient inhabitants. Additionally, there are depictions of people, animals and different geometric symbols. The eastern side of one of the walls bears a depiction of a deer and a man with a staff in his hands. It is believed that a deer with branched horns symbolizes the sun and a figure of a man with a staff in the religious pantheon – one of the gods. The settlement dates back to the late 3rd – early 2nd millennia B.C.

The territory of Azerbaijan has an abundance of copper deposits and a part of the museum demonstrates all kinds of copper utensils, which, besides being practical and useful, exhibit high level of artistic skill. Here, one can see artifacts dating back more than 300 years.

The tumulus located between Govsani and Tyurkan Villages was explored in 2005. Before being cleared, the mound, surrounded by stones, was 15 m in diameter and 1 m in height. Presently, it is a 9-m-diameter circle of stones with a chamber in its center. An anthropomorphous 245cm-high stele dating back to the early Bronze Age (3rd-2nd millennia BC) is one of the most interesting finds with no analogues in the world. On the stele, there is petroglyph of an upper part of a human body, decorated with perforations, and a small oblong hollow, made in the belly area. Among other artifacts found in the tumulus are human bone fragments and small-sized pale red crockery.

Numerous burials differ from each other in a geographic location, building materials, social status, ethnic origin and religious beliefs of the deceased. The gorgeous and exquisite ornaments of stone art were revealed both in civil and sacred architecture where the Absheron tombstones are notable for their original forms, imitating stone sarcophaguses decorated with geometric and floral ornaments stylistically similar to the architectural décor of the Shirvan architectural school.

The Absheron ancient settlements date back to the 3rd millennium B.C. It can be confirmed by the tumuli discovered during the archaeological excavations, the remains of hearths and burials. One of the dwelling types – Khaki-khana (“clay room”) is such a monument dating back to 2000-1000 B.C. Visually, it resembles a tent whose lower part is located below ground level while the upper one slightly towering above the ground consists of a mix of clay and straw.

The blacksmith’s work was one of the most popular crafts in many regions of Azerbaijan, including Baku and its production was subdivided into agricultural tools, household utensils and tools for using in other crafts. Traditionally, 3-4 men worked in the blacksmith’s shop: a master, journeyman or journeymen-in-training. Their products were sold in the town and country markets. Among the blacksmith’s shops, those specialized in making horse-shoes were widely spread; located along roadsides, they were engaged in horseshoeing and minor repairs.

The Ethnographic Museum Complex also contains a replica of Market place, Tumulus in Dubendi, grain threshing floor, menhir (stone idols), the two-domed classical one-story dwelling houses and plenty of pottery. But besides viewing the exhibits, you can also participate and interact with them – by weaving a carpet or feeding a camel.

The three glassy floors of the Antiques Museum, which opened in 2011, contain various decorative and applied art objects from the private collection of Shahid Habibullayev, “an engineer, restorer and philanthropist” (according to the museum description). Only 800 items from his collection are presented at the museum. The 1st and 2nd floors display various collectables created by the Azerbaijani people, while items gathered in various regions of the country but produced in USA, Germany, Austria, Russia, France, England, Belgium, Iran, Uzbekistan, Poland, Turkey are exhibited on the 3rd floor. Yelchin told me to go inside and check out the samovars, as indeed, the museum collection has over 150 different samovars of all forms, shapes and styles, manufactured between the 18th and 20th centuries.

The last place to visit was a small Fortress with a tower. Its well-restored halls contain a small exhibit of petroglyphs, pottery and household objects. Simple mihrab points that perhaps the fortress also served as a mosque however, lack of any information, allows me only guess. Spiral staircase took me all the way to the top of the tower and I was blown away, not by the views of a small sleeping, modern Qala village, but by the mighty winds blowing from all directions. As my visit to Absheron was coming to an end, I truly understood the meaning of “the land of fires” and “a city of winds”.

Despite the strong winds, Yelchin lived up to his promise to stop by the beach for a swim. We drove to a long stretch of sand near Bilgah town, where a few adventurous locals fearlessly fought the huge waves. I shortly followed suit.

The very next morning, the hotel owner drove me to Baku’s bus terminal where he negotiated with a taxi driver a ride for me to Sheki. It was 35 manat ($33) for 4,5 hours drive and I was the only passenger. A word of warning, if you are taking a taxi, try to come to the station with a local, as the moment we stepped out of the car, we got surrounded by a few dozen of drivers and some of them looked pretty shady. I was very thankful to my hotel owner for negotiating with the drivers for me. The driver got me to Sheki in under 4 hours, this is just how fast he drove, luckily, the road was good. On the way, we passed the old Shirvanshah’s capital of Shamakhy, town of Ismayilli, and a few dry riverbeds. Meadows and hills slowly replaced the monotonous landscape of the desert, I could tell that we were approaching the Greater Caucasus mountains.

History of Sheki. Snoozing amid green pillows of beautifully forested mountains 675 m above sea level, Sheki (also spelled Shaki, Şəki, Шеки) is Azerbaijan’s loveliest town, dappled with tiled-roof old houses and topped off with a glittering little khan’s palace. Rich in Islamic architecture, Silk Road history, good food, and friendly people, it is an example of a small Caucasian town at its finest. Historic Sheki was originally higher up the valley around the site now occupied by Kiş, where traces of large-scale settlements date back to more than 2700 years ago. The Sakas (which gave Sheki its name) were an Iranian people that wandered from the north side of the Black Sea and settled in Asia Minor in the 7th century B.C. They occupied a good deal of the fertile lands in South Caucasus in an area called Sakasena, part of which was the city of Sheki.

Sheki was one of the biggest cities and an important political and economic centers of the Albanian states in the 1st century. The main temple of the ancient Albanians was located there as well. However, as a result of the Arab invasion, Sheki was annexed to the third emirate. Before the Mongol invasion, the city was ruled by the Kingdom of Georgia, the Atabegs of Azerbaijan and the Khwarazmian Empire. After the collapse of the Mongolian yoke in the first half of the 14th century, for over 100 years, Sheki was able to rule independently, before being annexed to the Safavid Empire in 1551. Sheki Khanate was established in 1743, during the reign of a powerful khan of Sheki, Haji Chelebi, and it was one of the strongest feudal states among the Caucasian khanates. During existence of Shaki khanate, the local population of the city was engaged in silkworm breeding, craft and trade. Khan built a second fortress as Nukha as well as a famous Khansarai. As a result of a flood in the river Kiş in 1772, the city of Sheki was partially ruined and the population was resettled in Nukha, which became a new capital. Sheki’s independence did not last long, it was absorbed into Russian Empire in the early 19th century, however it continued to flourish as a silk-weaving town and was a trading junction between caravan routes to Baku, Tbilisi and Derbent (Dagestan) with five working caravanserais at its peak. In 1960s Nukha was renamed Sheki. Due to the town’s rather tumultuous political history, the majority of city’s preserved historic and architectural monuments date from only the 16th to 19th centuries, however, they are definitely worth exploring.

Well, I spent only 24 hours in Sheki but I chose the right place to stay – Sheki Caravanserai Hotel. Staying there is justification enough to visit Sheki. It is one of the two remaining Silk Road caravanserais that still exist in town, but the only one that is functioning as a hotel. You shouldn’t consider it if you can’t live without European comfort and American amenities, but it was definitely one of the most exciting places I’ve ever stayed. Beautifully restored and maintained, it is a tourist’s attraction on its own. Swift development of trade in the Middle Ages enhanced importance of guest-houses existing in the territory of Azerbaijan at that time and favored construction of new ones. Generally caravanserai were built in form of castles with one gate, closing of which made them impregnable. “Caravanserai historical complex” in Sheki consists of two magnificent caravanserais, built in the 18th century and traditionally named “Yukari” (“Upper) and “Ashagi” (“Lower”) caravanserai.

The hotel since 1988, Yukari caravanserai has a rectangular (55m by 85m) shape with a large inner yard and a pool. It has 242 rooms and its total area is 8000m² with four entries leading to the courtyard from the corners of the buildings. Earlier there were merchant stores and storage rooms in the coaching inn, the upper floor was intended for guests. Each room had a manhole, connected to the ground floor with a stepladder, and it was very comfortable for merchants who wanted to control the safety of their products, stored underneath their accommodations. Small, and certainly not luxurious rooms have wonderful brickwork ceilings and for a day or two, they would take you back in time, making a wealthy merchant out of you. There is a garden, a tea house and a restaurant of Azeri cuisine at the hotel – plenty to do while you wait for your internet to start working. Just down the road is the larger trapezium-shaped Ashagi caravanserai which is now under renovation.

I arrived to Sheki at 11 am and after lunch and a thorough tour around the Caravanserai, I went out to explore the Haji Chelebi Nukha Fortress, that was just 5-7 minutes walk up the hill. The Nukha Fortress, built by Haji Chelebi Khan in the middle of the 18th century, is located on the southern foothills of the Caucasus and in the highest part of modern Sheki town. The fortress walls are 1,200 m long and over 2 m thick. Protected by numerous bastions, you can enter the fortress via two main gates – from the north and south. At the height of the khanate, the fortress contained a gated palatial complex and public and commercial structures of the city, while the residential quarter was situated outside its walls. It was restored extensively between 1958 and 1963. For many years Nukha fortress safeguarded approaches to the city, and bravery of its defenders is immortalized in many historical books. Even Leo Tolstoy selected Nukha fortress as a place of events for his well-known Hadji Murat novel. Presently, the sturdy stone perimeter wall of the Fortress encloses an 18th century khan palace, tourist office, craft workshops, several museums and a decent cafe-restaurant, all set in patches of sheep-mown grass.

I first visited the tourist office located in one of the 3 storied warehouse-like buildings on the right. It is hard to find, so look out for the signs. There, I had a very pleasant conversation (in Russian) with an employee who provided me with a very detailed map of the city and a few recommendations. I skipped the Historical-Regional Ethnography Museum and approached an unusual looking cylindrical Russian church. It was built in late 19th century, on the site of a 6th century Caucasian Albanian church, which explains its unorthodox shape. Now, it hosts a Museum of Falk and Applied Arts but the building itself was more interesting to me than what was inside of it. I walked around the church, noticing a few grave stones with Georgian inscriptions, but mostly enjoying the views and a cool mid-summer air of the mountains.

Further up the road, about 5 mins walk, there is Khan Sarai (Şəki xan sarayı, Дворец шекинских ханов) – the Palace of Sheki’s Khans. Admission – 2 manat ($1.9), wait in the courtyard of the palace till your name is called, visits are guided and only in Azeri language; no pictures allowed inside. This small but vividly colored palace is Sheki’s foremost site and one of the South Caucasus’s most iconic buildings. When completed in 1762 (alternate date – 1797), it was used as the khan’s administrative building (or as a summer residency), just one of around 40 royal structures within the fortress, though none of the other survived. It is set in a walled rose garden behind two huge plane trees supposedly planted in 1530.

The Khan sarai features decorative tiles, fountains and several stained-glass –  shabaka – windows. The delicate facade combines silvered stalactite vaulting with strong geometric patterns in dark blue, turquoise and ochre tiles and the murals, colored with tempera and inspired by the works of Nizami Ganjavi. Note the lower floor panels with stylized images of once-sacred birds – peacocks, adorning the “tree of life”. Measuring 32 m by 8,5 m on the exterior, the Sarai is a two-story masonry structure covered with a wooden hipped roof with long eaves. The layout of both floors is identical; three rectangular rooms are placed in a row, separated by narrow, south-facing iwans that provide access to the rooms. The floors are accessed separately to accommodate their public and private functions. Entered from the south through the two iwans, the ground floor was used primarily by clerks and petitioners. Two stairways attached to the northern façade gave access to the top floor, which was reserved for the khan’s family and their guests.

The interior walls of the Khan Sarai are covered entirely with frescoes painted at different times during the 18th century. Remaining surfaces are decorated with floral tile panels and tile mosaics. It is believed that by using the rich interior decorations the architect was able to create the illusion of high spaces in relatively modestly – sized rooms. Most designs are floral but in the central upper chamber you’ll find heroic scenes of Haji Chelebi’s 1743 battle with Persian emperor Nader Shah complete with requisite swords, guns and severed heads.

*google images

After visiting the Khan Sarai, I wanted to learn more about the art of shabaka (Şəbəkə) made without any glue or nails, so I visited the Şəbəkə workshop. An apprentice came out to show me some of the examples of şəbəkə doors, windows and even table-tops. He explained to me how by slotting together hundreds of hand-carved wooden pieces, it is possible to create intricate wooden frames without metal fastening. Apparently, besides me and a few sleepy cats, no one else was interested in this laborious skill.

Well, it took me about 2 hours to see everything in Nukha Fortress, so I was ready to leave when I saw an old man carrying a stuffed wolf. The man was old and drunk, and the animal has also seen its best times perhaps a few decades ago. I stopped to have a chat with a man, but immediately a huge noisy crowd of Azeri tourists surrounded us, so I just handed a few manat to him hoping he would spend it on something worthy. He quietly thanked me in Russian. Azerbaijan’s oil has yet to reach the virgin corners of its land.

I returned to the hotel where friendly stuff explained to me what marshrutka I had to take for Teze Bazar located in the western part of the city. After a short tea break, I took a walk along Axundov pr, which was all prepped with halva and Azeri pottery shops. The stores closest to the Caravanserai and the Fortress were nicer and represented an eclectic mix of expensive Longines and Tossot boutiques and tourist-trinket merchant holes.

At one of the bus stops along the way, I boarded marshrutka #11 that took me to the Teze bazar. Looking at the modern Sheki through bus window, I realized that it looked just like any town of post Soviet republic – the same gray blocks of dilapidating high-rise buildings. Even though all I wanted to buy was saffron, I still took a walk around the bazar, checking out the stalls with fruits, vegetables, dry fruits (called “suhofrukty”), spices and asian sweets. I walked into a blacksmith’s shop and had a friendly conversation with the only blacksmith I’ve ever met in my life. I checked out a few carpet shops, but mostly enjoyed the ambience and nice little chats with vendors. For the very first time in my life, local people were very enthusiastic about my hometown – Minsk. It actually applies to both Azerbaijanis and Georgians in general because everywhere I went and mentioned that I was from Minsk, Belarus, no one felt indifferent about it. The older people either served in the Soviet army in BSSR or were engaged to Belarusian girls at some time in the past, and they always spoke Russian to me. The younger Azeris, spoke English, but didn’t regard me as an expansionist Russian, knowing that I came for a small but peaceful country with no oil. Young and old, all of them were blessed with a wonderful gift of Caucasian hospitality and generously shared it with me.

After I returned to the hotel, a manager helped me to arrange a taxi ride to Tbilisi (4-5 hours ride + time at the border) for 95 manat ($90). I was leaving early next morning, but I wished I could stay in Sheki for a few more days and hike one of its wonderful mountain trails, so famous in Azerbaijan. The night in Caravanserai was mystical, as my second-floor window was on the same level as a road, so I could hear all voices and noises that seemed to belong to the days of Khans and caravans.

My driver and I left Sheki at 7 in the morning the next day. The drive was easy and picturesque as we passed mountain rivers, beautiful Caucasian terrain and old churches perched on top of the hills. After town of Balakan we stopped for breakfast. I went to a small shop but couldn’t find there anything but chips and soda, so I asked the owner if he had something more breakfast appropriate. He invited me to his garden (on the private side of the house), where his wife served me a whole Azeri feast with freshly baked tendir chorek, home-made cheese, fried eggs and a pot of perfect freshly-brewed sweet Azeri tea. I knew that the driver and I were in a rush to cross the border with Georgia, but I couldn’t be rude and leave right after finishing my food, so I stayed for about an hour. When I finally got up to leave and asked the owner about how much I owed him, he simply but with great pride replied: “You are my guest from Belarus, may your route to Georgia be safe. Please come again.” I might visit many countries and encounter many kind people but nowhere in the world will I be greeted with such generosity and warmth as in the Caucasus.

At the Azerbaijani border, according to their procedure –  I got out of the car, took my luggage and walked with it through the customs, meanwhile my driver took the car to a vehicle lane. Luckily, there were only a few people ahead of me so after my passport was stamped, I was free to go. Driver and I agreed to meet at the beginning of the bride separating Azerbaijan and Georgia, and the moment I stepped on the bridge, my driver pulled in too. The Georgian rules didn’t require from passengers to leave the car and walk, so the custom officer came over, inspected our car and the carpet that I bought in Sheki, asked if I acquired any gold or jewelry in Azerbaijan (which I thought was odd) and waved us in. Goodbye Azerbaijan and welcome to Georgia!

I would like to end my blog with a paragraph from Kurbain Said novel “Ali and Nino”. “We were a very mixed lot, we forty schoolboys who were having a Geography lesson one hot afternoon in the Imperial Russian Humanistic High School of Baku, Transcaucasia: thirty Mohammedans, four Armenians, two Poles, three Sectarians, and one Russian.

So far we had not given much thought to the extraordinary geographical position of our town, but now Professor Sanin was telling us in his flat and uninspired way:”The natural borders of Europe consist in the north of the North Polar Sea, in the west of the Atlantic Ocean, and in the south of the Mediterranean. The eastern border of Europe goes through the Russian Empire, along the Ural mountains, through the Caspian Sea, and through Transcaucasia. Some scholars look on the area south of the Caucasian mountains as belonging to Asia, while others, in view of Transcaucasia’s cultural evolution, believe that this country should be considered part of Europe. It can therefore be said, my children, that it is partly your responsibility as to whether our town should belong to progressive Europe or to reactionary Asia.””

Pictures of Azerbaijan.

Pictures of Sheki.

The post Azerbaijan. July 2015 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

Sunil and I left Mandawa in the morning, shortly after the breakfast. After 16 days in Rajasthan and 35 days in India, it was my final road trip before reaching Delhi. Despite all the extremes that happened to me in Rajasthan, I made a right decision to come there and see with my own eyes this beautiful land of incredible scenery and rich history, learn about half-dozen of ancient kingdoms still co-existing within the Union of India, visit extravagant palaces and hear the secrets of zenana, witness the sunrises in Thar desert and spend a night on camel safari. At times, I felt exhausted to constantly look over my shoulder and try to remain safe and sane, but mostly, I enjoyed my experience. Waiving goodbyes to Rajasthan, I was finally driving back to where I started – New Delhi, to the comfortable home of Varun and familiar faces of my Oxonian friends.

The trip was uneventful, after 3-4 hours we reached Delhi and Sunil took me to the Kalka Travel‘s office to finally meet the owner of the agency and to pay my balance. After all formalities were done, Sunil drove me to Safdarjung Enclave where I was staying at my friend’s family home. It was an evening full of lengthy travel stories on my behalf and lots of listening on Varun’s. I finally felt safe and I looked forward to spending 5 more days in Delhi before taking off to New York.

January 20, 2014

For the history of Delhi, please refer to this link – my first post about Delhi. For many people, Delhi is the first stop in India and they rush to leave it for Agra or Varanasi, however, Delhi is a remarkabe megapolis with 7 distinctive threads of history woven in the fabric of the city. After reading the history of Delhi and especially book by William Dalrymple “City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi”, I realized that it would be a great opportunity to stay there for more than a few days and explore every nook and cranny of it. I compiled a list of 14 “must see” things and while spicing them up with some unexpected stops and diversions, embarked on my quest of Delhi.

Varun’s mom, lovely Seema, allowed me to borrow their car with a driver for a day, so I could get acquainted with the city in comfort. First, I headed to Old town to pay my respect to the person whose name just as tightly associated with India as India’s with his – Mahatma Gandhi. I drove to Raj Ghat. Located just south of the Red Fort, originally it was a name of a historic ghat of Shahjahanabad on the bank of Yamuna river, next to where the Raj Ghat Gate of the walled city used to stand. Entrance was free and in order to enter I had to remove my shoes.  An attendant tried to scam me by demanding money for shoe storage, however, I just placed them on a rack on the opposite side from him and entered the site accompanied by his angry screams.

Manicured lawns and well maintained stone paths covered with green carpets made this place look serene and I guess, this is what the architects of the memorial hoped for – to put the father of the nation in tranquil and beautiful place in the heart of Delhi. A black marble platform with an eternal fire marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated a day after his assassination on 31 January 1948. It is inscribed with what are said to have been Gandhi’s final words “Hai Ram” (“Oh, God”). Gladly, there weren’t a lot of visitors, so I enjoyed the memorial in peace. On the way back, I was afraid not to find my shoes, but they were exactly where I left them.

Then, despite Seema’s advice not to visit the market today, we drove to Chandni Chowk where the driver dropped me off. If I were to see the largest and most famous market in India, I had to go for the full-on Indian experience on the busiest day of the week – Monday. Chandni Chowk, or the Moonlight Square, was designed and established by Princess Jahanara, Shah Jahan’s favorite daughter, in 1650 B.C. and was once the grandest of the markets in India (in fact, the Mughal imperial processions used to pass through it). The bazaar, shaped as a square, was given further elegance by the presence of a pool in the centre of the complex, which didn’t survive to present times. The pool shimmered in the moonlight hence the name “Moonlight square” (another theory – the bazaar was famous for its silver merchants and was referred to as Chandi in Hindu). The shops of the complex were originally built in a half-moon shaped pattern, which is lost today too.

Today, Chandni Chowk is Delhi’s main thoroughfare – chaotic, dirty, non-disciplined, packed with small shops and stalls, crowded with sellers, lookers and hawkers. Sarees, jewelry, wedding gowns, ice-cream, shoes, fabrics etc. The market lives and spreads through the network of twisting alleys but unfortunately, it doesn’t offer the medieval bazaar experience of the time of Shah Jahan.

Somewhere in the middle of Chandni Chowk I saw a beautiful building of the Sikh Temple – Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. It is one of the nine historical gurdwaras in Delhi, established in 1783 by Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur who was beheaded there on the orders of Aurangzeb on 11 November 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam.  Before Guru Tegh’s body could be quartered and exposed to public view, one of his disciples, Lakhi Shah Vanjara, stole it and burnt his house to cremate the Guru’s body (this place is Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib). The severed head (“sis” in Punjabi) of Guru was brought to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab by another disciple, Bhai Jaita where it was cremated by the Guru’s son, Gobind Rai.

Story goes that on 11 March 1783, Sikh military leader Baghel Singh marched into Delhi along with his army. He occupied the Diwan-i-Am and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II agreed to allow Baghel Singh to raise gurdwaras on Sikh historical sites in the city and receive six annas in a rupee (37.5%) of all the octroi duties in the capital. Sis Ganj was one of shrines built by him, within the space of eight months, from April to November 1783. However, due to volatile political climate in the 19th century, the site alternated between being a mosque and a gurdwara which caused dispute between two communities. Eventually, the Privy Council during British Raj ruled in the favor of the Sikh and the present structure was added in 1930, gold guild of the domes was added in the coming years. The trunk of the tree under which the Guru was beheaded is also preserved here along with the well from which he took bath while in prison. Also, adjoined to gurdwara is the Kotwali (police station), where Guru was imprisoned and tortured. Now Katwali serves as Langar (free kitchen) and Sarai (accommodation for pilgrims).

I removed and deposited my shoes (free) before entering the Temple. Visitors were washing their hands and feet and water was running down the road in all directions, so I had to walk barefoot through the puddle of water for about 20 meters. Inside the Gurdwara I covered my head and shoulders and stepped into a different world. The prayer’s hall was phenomenal, covered with white marble, crystal chandeliers, carpets and red flowers. It was quiet with not lots of visitors, so I sat in the corner and let my eyes explore this beautiful place.

I am not familiar with Sikh traditions but it looked like I entered in the middle of a ceremony conducted by a man sitting next to a covered throne, right in front of a poshly decorated tomb or mausoleum. People kept getting up and coming to this man while he continued to sing or recite something in a melodic manner. It was quiet and relaxed, nobody paid any attention to me. I discreetly took a few pictures and ascended to the second level which provided me with even better views of the temple. I wish I could stay there longer but I had more things to explore.

After leaving the Temple, I unsuccessfully tried to reach my driver to come and pick me up, so I simply took a tuk-tuk (I became more familiar and comfortable negotiating the prices with drivers of “never-in-order meters”). Since I still had a full day, I asked him to take me to Lakshmi Narayan Temple also known as Birla Mandir.

It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Laxminarayan (usually refers to Vishnu Preserver when he is with his consort Lakshmi). Its construction started in 1933 by industrialist and philanthropist Baldeo Das Birla and his son Jugal Kishore Birla and the foundation stone was laid by Maharaj Udaybhanu Singh. The temple was built in the northern Nagara style under the supervision of famous Acharya Vishvanath Shastri who brought with him more than hundred skilled artisans from Varanasi. In 1939, the completed temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi who requested it to be open not only to the Hindus but to people of every cast, hence the sign on the gate says “Everyone is Welcome”. 

The temple faces the East and is situated on a high plinth. It spreads over 7.5 acred and is adorned with many shrines, fountains, large garden and cascading waterfalls. The entire temple is decorated with Jaipur marble carvings depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology and the highest shikhara above the sanctum sanctorum rises 160 feet high. The main temple houses statues of Lord Narayan and goddess Lakshmi, while the side shrines are dedicated to Shiva, Krishna, Ganesha, Hanuman and Lord Buddha. The left temple’s shikhar houses Devi Durga, the Hindu goddess of Shakti, the power.

Even though it is a large temple surrounded by many little temples, it took me only 30 minutes to see everything (maybe because they didn’t allow any pictures inside – backpacks and shoes must be deposited in a special room for free). I don’t think it is the most beautiful Hindu temple I’ve ever seen but it was the most organized one, they even had signs in English, explaining one or another Hindu deity.

From there, I walked to another Sikh place -a beautiful wedding cake-like Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. I had a list of places to see, but without planning, I ended up visiting lots of Sikh’s places in one day. Gurdwara was originally a bungalow belonging to Raja Jai Singh, a ruler of Amber, and was known as Jaisinghpura Palace. The eight Sikh Guru, Har Krishan Dev, resided there in 1664. During that time, there was a smallpox and cholera epidemic, so a 6 y.o. Guru, despite his tender years, tended to victims by giving aid and fresh water from the well at the house. Soon he too contracted the disease and eventually died on 30 March 1664. Raja Jai Singh constructed a small pond “Sarovar” over the well and now its water “Amrita” is revered to have healing properties. The temple itself, along with 8 others, was first built by the the General Sardar Bhagel Singh in 1783 with an agreement of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. Currently, the Gurdwara is a place of great reverence and pilgrimage for Sikhs who flock here at all hours.

Shoeless (free to deposit) and with a mandatory covered head, I entered the beautiful Gurdwara. The premises include the temple, a kitchen, Sarovar (holy pond), a school and an art gallery. Every Sikh Gurdwara practices the concept of langar – all people regardless of race or religion are invited to dine in the Gurdwara kitchens (langar halls) for free.The food is prepared by gursikhs who work there but also by volunteers. I was offered to join langar several times while I was inside, but because I was very cautions in regards to food, I declined the invitation and never got to experience the langar.

I didn’t go inside the temple but instead slowly walked around Sarovar, repeating the rituals that sikhs performed – washing my hands in the water, circumambulating the pond and enjoying this beautiful site. I am not sure if the water was clean but it was definitely full of fish.

I spent about an hour in Durgwara and could possibly spend a whole day, it is just a wonderful, peaceful, stunning place to be at.

After leaving the Gurdwara, I leisurely strolled (1 km) towards Janta Mantar (literally meaning “abracadabra” in Hindi). It was another popular place in Delhi that I wanted to visit. Jantar Mantar in Delhi is one of five observatories in west-central India built by the Rajput king of Amber & Jaipur, but also scientist and astronomer, Jai Singh II. Other four are in Mathura, Varanasi, Ujjain and Jaipur (click here to read my review of Jantar Mantar in Jaipur). Its construction started in 1724 and presently it consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments that were built by an order of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shad to revise the calendar and astronomical tables, to be able to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.

The four main yantras (Samrat, Jai Prakash, Ram and Misra) are housed in six structures. The Mistra yantra believed to have been constructed after Jai Singh II death by his son, Maharaja Madho Singh (1751-1768). They say that by 1867, most structures considerably decayed but were beautifully repaired and restored back to life. Unlike the Janta Mantar of Jaipur, which is still in working condition and frequently utilized by scientists, the Delhi’s one is just another touristic site to see and explore.

After paying Rs.100, I walked into the observatory. Jantar Mantar in Delhi occupies much larger space than the one in Jaipur, that is why, no matter how many people are inside, it still feels spacious and pretty empty. In addition, I guess Monday isn’t their busiest day (I suspect everyone was shopping at the Chandni Chowk), there were no more than 10 tourists and about 30 Indian visitors inside.

The first astronomy instrument located to the right from the entrance is Misra Yantra or “composite yantra” consisting of five different instruments – Dakshinottara Bhitti, Samrat (in two halves), Niyat Chakra, Karka Rasivalaya and the Western Quadrant. Misra Yantra was designed as a tool to determine the shortest and longest days of the year. Quite remarkable, it could also indicate the exact moment of moon in various cities and locations regardless of their distance from Delhi. In a sense, it is a unique instrument, since it was the only one not invented by Jai Singh II.

The Dakshinottara Bhitti (also built in 4 other observatories) was a modified version of the portable meridian dial present in Greek, Arabic, Hindu and European systems of astronomy. It is a graduated semicircle structure located on the easter wall and its purpose is to measure the meridian altitude of a celestial object, particularly altitude of the sun.

The Niyat Chakra or “Fixed Arc” is in the center of Misra Yantra and consists of four semicircular scales on either side of a central gnomon. The scales are inclined to the meridian place at different degrees and serve to measure the declination of an object at intervals of a few hours as the object moves from east to west in the sky during the period of the day. The Niyats are meant to duplicate the readings for the meridian arcs at four different locations on the globe: Notkey in Japan, Serichew in Pic Islands, Zurich in Switzerland and Greenwich in England.

The Karka Rasivalaya or “Circle of the Sight of Cancer” consists of large graduate semicircle marked on the northern wall of the Misra Yantra. This wall is inclined to the vertical at angle of about 5° and is parallel to the plane of the tropic of cancer. On 21 June, when the sun is at the tropic of cancer, its rays graze the instrument at noon. Its purpose is to measure (to the nearest minute of an arc) the longitude of a celestial object, such as the moon at the moment when the first point of the sign of cancer is on the meridian.

The Samrat Yantra of Misra Yantra is constructed in two halves so it could be used before and after the noon hour. Its function is to determine the local time.

The taller Western Quadrant was sometimes identified as an Agra or amplitude instrument to measure the latitude and longitude of a celestial object every 24 hours.

Next was Samrat Yantra or “Supreme Instrument” – a giant triangle that is basically an equal hour sundial. It is 20.73 m high, 38.10 m long at the base and 3 m thick. It has a 39 m hypotenuse that is parallel to the Earth’s axis and points toward the North pole making an angle of 28°37′ with the horizon, equal to the latitude of Delhi. On either side of the triangle is a quadrant representing the plane of the equator with graduation indicating hours, minutes and seconds. The time at a given moment is read by the shadow of the inclined wall (gnomon) on the quadrants.  At the time of the Samrat Yantra’s construction, sundials already existed, but the Supreme Instrument turned the basic sundials into a precision tool for measuring declination and other related coordinates of various celestial bodies. The chamber in its Eastern quadrant contains another instrument – the Shasthamsa Yantra.

The Shasthamsa or “Sextant Instrument” is unique to the Delhi and Jaipur observatories and is regarded to be the Jai Singh II’s high precision instrument which measures the declination, zenith distance and the diameter of the sun. This Yantra consists of a large graduated 60° arc built in the plane of a meridian within a dark chamber hight above the arc. A pinhole near the top of the chamber is left open to read the declination of the sun when it passes through the meridian and shines on the arc through the pinhole.

Another interesting instrument, named after Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, used to measure the coordinates (azimuth and altitude) of the celestial objects, local time and other zodiac observations is Jai Prakash Yantra or “Light of Jai”. It consists of two hollowed out hemispheres, 6.33 m long, built into the ground and represents a complete hemisphere. The hemisphere has various scales marked on the concave surfaces, including  the circles of the signs of the Zodiac. The areas between alternate hour circle in the two hemispheres were replaced by steps in order to read the scale markings. The position of the sun was indicated by the shadow of the cross wires that were stretched across the yantra from North-South and East-West.

Ram Yantra, named after Raja Ram Singh, was Jai Singh II’s invention and is known to have no duplicates in the world. The hight of the walls and the pillar is equal to the internal radius of the building – 7.51 m. The floor is divided into 30 sectors raised on 0.91 m high supports which help observation. The sectors and their intervening open spaces measure 6° degrees each, thus making a full circle of 360°. Its function was to measure the horizontal (azimuth) and vertical (altitude) angles of celestial bodies, such as the sun and the moon.

It is a cylindrical instrument, consisting of the two large building open to the sky. The building are complementary to each other and each represents a circular wall surrounding a central pillar. The walls, floor and pillar have scales marked on them. The wall sections correspond to the floor markings and contain notches to place sighting bars. The horizontal sectors are used to measure the angle of azimuth for objects with zenith distance less than 45° and the scales on the walls are used for objects with zenith distance greater than 45°.

Jantar Mantar is an interesting place to discover, especially if you have a guide or know what you are looking at. Otherwise, it resembles an enormous park filled with the gigantic abstract sculptures belonging more to a Museum of Modern Art then to science. I spent about an hour there, walking around but mostly interacting with a gang of homeless children who came to beg but then got carried away by the stuff I pulled out of my backpack – little trinkets, chocolate and beautiful hair ribbons for the smallest and only girl in the group. We developed some sort of communication, without speaking a word in each other’s language and I felt sad to leave, and so did they, I think.

At the exit, I saw a hundred missed calls from my driver. Apparently, he was in a basement with his friends when I tried to reach him from Chandni Chowk, but when Seema and Varun called him later to check on me, he didn’t know where I was. When I reached him, he told me to wait at Jantar Mantar till he comes to pick me up. I was actually going to see the last place of the day – Agrasen ki Baoli, which was about 5 minutes walk from the observatory. I should have done it because the driver arrived 45 minutes later and then got lost looking for the baoli. By the time we arrive, the baoli was about to close but I asked an attendant to let me in for 5 minutes.

Agrasen ki Baoli (also known as Ugrasen ki Baoli) is a protected monument by the Archeological Survey of India. A stepwell (baoli) is an underground structure for the water storage mainly constructed to cope with seasonal fluctuations in water availability. Although there are no known historical records to prove who built Agrasen ki Baoli, it is believed that it was originally built by the legendary king Agrasen during the Mahabharat epic era and rebuilt in the 14th century by the Agrawal community which traces its origin to Maharaja Agrasen. The architectural features of this Baoli resemble those of the late Tughlaq or Lodi period.

It is 60 m long and 15 m wide and is among a few of its kind in Delhi. Built with rubble and dressed stones, the main feature of the structure is the long flight of steps leading down to the steep well situated in the north. Some parts of the well, with 103 steps, are permanently immersed in water. The visible parts of this historical stepwell consist of three levels. Each level is lined with arched niches on both sides. Regarding the name Agrasen Ki Baoli it should be stated that in 1132 AD an Agrawal poet named Vibudh Shridhar mentions, in his work Pasanahacariu, a wealthy and influential Agrawal merchant of Dhilli named Nattal Sahu who was also a minister in the court of King Anang Pal III. Rebuilding the old Agrasen Ki Baoli would have been within the means of a well established and wealthy Agrawal community during the 14th century.

On the west is a small mosque with three openings. Raised on a solid platform with underground dalans on the sides, it has a “whaleback” roof and pillared columns of red sandstone carved with “Chaitya motifs and stucco medallions” in spandrels, which makes it a distinct structure.

I truly wish I had more time to spend in this atmospheric place and hang out on the steps with a bunch of other young couples, but it was closing at 6 pm.

It was getting dark, so the driver took me back home to Safdarjung Enclave via the eastern end of Rajpath and by 42 m-high India Gate. In a few days (26 January) India was getting ready to celebrate its Independence Day, so the roads were closed for public and traffic was horrendous.

Wow, what a great but tiring day I had! There was nothing better than to spent the evening at home, in a lovely company of Seema and Varun.

January 21, 2014

Unlike the day prior, Tuesday turned out to be foggy, cold and wet. Luckily, it wasn’t raining, but equipped with an umbrella, I was ready to embark on yet another journey around Delhi. Varun, on his way to work, kindly dropped me off at my first pit-stop – Safdarjung’s Tomb. Unexpectedly, on my trip to India I’ve seen more tombs then ever in my entire life.

This magnificent marble mausoleum, built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style, holds a body not of an Emperor but a very rich and powerful Vizier. The story goes that Mirza Muqim Abul Mansur Khan, who was popularly known as Safdarjung, was a ruler of Awadh as viceroy of Muhammad Shah. After the death of Emperor, he moved to Delhi and upon Ahmed Shah Bahadur ascendance to the throne in 1748, Safdarjung was made the Chief Minister (Vizier) of the empire with the title of Wazir ul-Mamalk-i-Hindustan.

Since the Emperor was just a figurehead, who enjoyed wine, women and opium more than running a state, Vizier had taken all powers under his control. Unavoidably, his abuse of power provoked the Emperor’s family to call their Hindu Maratha confederacy for help to get rid of Vizier. A civil strife ensued and eventually in 1753 Safdarjung was driven out of Delhi. After his death, just a year later, his son Nawab Shujaud Daula pleaded with the Mughal Emperor to permit him to erect a tomb for his father in Delhi. He then built the mausoleum, designed by an Abyssinian architect, that became both, a site of ridicule and a site of praise. In my opinion, lack of proportions and use of poor material (sandstone in comparison to marble) couldn’t take neither significance nor grandeur away from this structure. As one of the last projects completed during the Mughal rule, Safdarjung’s Tomb is often described as “the last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture“.

After paying Rs.100, I was allowed to enter the premises of the mausoleum. As every other Mughal tomb in India, whether it is small or large (except for the tomb of Aurangzeb in Aurangabad), it is never about the actual tomb, which, on most occasions, is located underground and invisible to visitors. It is about the lushness of gardens, the superiority of architecture, the splendor of fountains, the presence of supporting buildings such as palaces, mosques, libraries and so on. Taj Mahal might have set a very high bar, but there are so many wonderfully designed and executed buildings of Mughal period in India. The Safdarjung’s Tomb is no exception. The tomb has four key features – the garden with the mausoleum at the center, a ninefold floor plan, five part façade and a large podium with a hidden stairway.

The main (eastern) entry gate to the tomb is a two storied building with a very elaborate purple façade decorated with the ornaments over plastered surfaces. There is an inscription in Arabic that translates “When the hero of plain bravery departs from the transitory, may he become a resident of god’s paradise”. The rear side of the eastern gate, which is seen after entering through the gate, hosts many rooms and the library. To the right of the gate is a three-domed mosque marked with stripes.

After passing through the main gate of the complex, I entered the charbagh-styled garden which occupies 274.2 m² and has a lay out in the form of four subdivided squares with wide foot paths and water tanks.  One channel leads to the entrance gate and the others lead to the three pavilions – western Jangli Mahal (Palace in the forest), northern Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace) and southern Badshah Pasand (King’s favorite). Nawab’s family used to reside in these pavilions.

Entering through the main gate gives a perfect view of the mausoleum which was built on the podium 50 m long on each side. Red and buff stones were used to build the main mausoleum and its dome which is 28 m². The central chamber, square in shape, has eight partitions with a cenotaph in the middle. The interior of the tomb is covered with a decorated  rococo plaster.  Four polygonal towers with marble panels and decorated arches surround the main tomb at the corners.  Underneath the cenotaph is an underground chamber which houses the actual graves of Safdrjung and his wife.

Interestingly, to the south of this tomb is the historic site of the battle that was fought in 1386 between Timur of Mangol and Mohammed Tughlaq when the latter was defeated.

I spent over an hour at the Safdarjung’s Tomb and it was well worth it; my next pit-stop was only a few minutes walk from the Tomb – Lodi Gardens.

Spread over 360,000 m², this park in the heart of New Delhi is a place of stroll, meditation, yoga, picnics, power-talks, making-up, everything that can happen in a busy city’s quiet garden. In addition, Lodi Gardens is also a place of Delhi’s oldest architectural heritage. It witnessed the rise and fall of three different dynasties – Sayyid, Lodi and Mughal, contains architectural works of the 15th century such as Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad and serves as the last resting place to two leaders –  Mohammed Shah and Sikandar Lodi. As there is little architecture from these periods remains in India, it was the best place for me to explore.

I entered the Lodi Gardens from Lodi Road and appeared right next to the oldest and most remarkable monuments of the park – The Mohammed Shah Tomb.

The Tomb is visible from the road and is the earliest structure in the gardens built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Alam Shah as a tribute to the Sayyid dynasty ruler Mohammed Shah who ruled from 1434-1444. Sayyid dynasty reined for a short period of time (from 1414-1451) over much shrunken territories. Therefore, they had neither the time nor the money to build grand cities or palaces. The Tomb of Mohammed Shah has some distinctive features of its time – an octagonal plan, corner buttresses, decorative plaster finish, corbeled doorways and chhatris (pavilions) on the roof. The central chamber, which is 15 m in diameter, contains several graves, of which the central one is believed to be that of Mohammed Shah and the others belong to members of his family.

Following the park’s map, I proceeded to the Lodi period Mosque which stands in a masonry enclosure, most portions of which have now disappeared. The mosque consists of rectangular chamber with vaulted roof and three-arched entrances on the eastern side. The west wall hosts three recessed arches. The interior is decorated with ornamental moulding while the exterior is highlighted by the floral ornament with moulding at the cornice level and the inverted lotus on top of the fluted dome. The Mosque is constructed of stone masonry and rendered with very fine red colored plaster in traditional fresco technique. Even though the building yet remains, its initial purpose and some of its dignity was stripped away by time and garden visitors (workers, likely) who use the mosque to park/store their bikes.

One of the most memorable and imposing constructions is Bara Gumbad (Big Dome), located in the middle of the gardens. During the Lodi Period (1451-1526), tombs were raised in two styles – square and octagonal. Bara Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad are examples of the former, though many archeologists believe that neither of the Lodi Gardens’ Gumbads were actually tombs. Bara Gumbad, a rubble-constructed dome (19m x 19m x 27m high), is one of the biggest and finest examples of the Lodi period monuments in Delhi, built in 1494 during the reign of Sikandar Lodi. Some say that it is a gateway to an attached three-domed masjid (mosque), but some claim that the mosque was no doubt erected as an adjunct to the tomb, and not the other way around.

Both, Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad has a semblance of being double-storied. It combines spans of both arches, brackets and lintel beams. The main material is grey quartzite with some other stones used for decorative touches – red sandstone on the doorways and a combination of red, grey and black stone on the facade. The interior is very plain and the stone finish is un-plastered and mostly un-carved.

The name of the person who was buried here, but whose grave no longer exists, is unknown, but he must have occupied an important position during Sikandar Lodi’s reign.

The Bara Gumbad’s mosque (25 m x 6.5 m), built at the same time with the Big Dome, is a five-arched hall with a frontage of bracket-and-chajja cornice. It is a fine example of the decorative technique of incised and painted limestone plaster used during the Lodi period. The tapering minarets at the rear are in Tughlaq style but seem to anticipate the octagonal towers of early Mughal and Sur periods of oriel windows on the north and south. Other distinctive elements are the jharokhas (cantilevered, enclosed openings).

The Interior of the mosque is extremely rich in arabesque stucco decoration and paintings, consisting of floral and geometrical designs and Quranic inscriptions (an inscription over the southern mihrab – the arch on the western wall which indicates the direction of prayers- dates it to 1494). Partaking both the Tughlaq and Mughal features, it occupies an important place in the development of the Mughal Mosque.

The long hall in front of the mosque is mihman-khana or guesthouse for pilgrims, there are also the remains of a water tank and a mound of rubble which was probably a grave platform.

Opposite to Bara Gumbad is the Sheesh Gumbad (Glass Dome) named for the glazed tiles used in its construction. Also built during the reign of Sikandar Lodi, the building is somewhat different in ornamentation. With its facade divided horizontally by a string -course and with series of sunk niches running above and below it, it has an external resemblance of being double-storied. Its western wall has a built-in mihrab (arch) which served as a mosque, while the other sides have a central entrance set in a projecting frame. The niches are spanned by arches, the central openings are by bracket-and-lintel beams, combining thus features of both Hindu and Islamic architecture. It was originally faced with friezes of blue enameled tiles, which survived now only in traced, and which gave it its name. It is likely that originally the top half of the exterior was almost entirely covered with tiles.

Inside, Sheesh Gumbad’s high ceiling is decorated with stucco and painted plaster containing floral and Quranic patterns. The chamber of the tomb (10 m²)  contains a number of graves but the names of the persons buried here are not known. Some historians suggest that this is the tomb of the first Lodi Sultan Bahlul Lodi who died in 1489.

After Gumbads, following the well-maintained paths and the remains of a watercourse which connects the Yamuna river to Sikander Lodi’s tomb, I headed to the other side to the gardens to see the last site. Sikandar Lodi was the second ruler of the Lodi dynasty and ruled from 1489 to 1517. His tomb, resembling the one of Mohammed Shah, is set in a garden surrounded by an elaborate enclosure, about 76 m², with 3.5 m high walls. It was built by Sikaner’s son, and the last of Sultans of Delhi from Lodi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi in 1517.

Tomb is a simple rectangular structure on a high platform approached by a flight of steps. The two chhatries (pavilions) on the square platform in front have remains of blue tiles. Inside the enclosure, the middle part of the western wall has been built so as to function as a wall mosque, with the qibla (direction of prayer) indicated through arches and a paved area in front.

In the center of enclosure is the octagonal tomb, its interior decorated with extensive and fairly well preserved tile work and a painted and incised plaster ceiling. The Tomb was renovated by the British and an inscription mentioning Ibrahim Lodi’s defeat at the hands of Babur was included in 1866.

Before leaving the Lodi Gardens, I passed by the Athpula Bridge (Eight Piered), the last of the buildings in Delhi, build during the reign on Mughal Emperor Akbar. This bridge was constructed to span a stream which went through this area and probably joined the Barahpula nala further south which fed into Yamuna River. The bridge is placed diagonally across the stream bed and has a beautiful curving shape. It contains seven arches, amongst which the central one being the largest. No one knows which road went over this bridge but the presence of a Mughal garden nearby suggests that this was an important resting place.

I spent over 3 hours in the gardens and If I lived in Delhi, it would have been be one of my favorite places to visit. I only regret that there were no guides to explain and elaborate on the magnificent structures the gardens host.

After the Lodi Gardens, still following my graveyard tour of Delhi, I took a tuk-tuk to the Humayun’s Tomb. The Humayun’s Tomb is one of the city’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (along with Red Fort and Qutb Minar) and is considered to be the most perfectly proportioned and captivating Delhi’s mausoleums. As most Mughal tombs, it is located in a large, immaculately maintained garden in the Persian Char Bagh (four corners) style that were thoroughly renovated in 2003, which makes it more pleasant to walk around but more boring too. Rs.250 will get you in.

Frankly, there were less visitors at the site than people buried in The Humayun’s Tomb. The garden hosts at least 6 other tombs – of Haji Begum (Humayun’s senior wife), Afsarwala Tomb, Iza Khan Tomb, Bu-Halima enclosure, a tomb of the emperor’s favorite barber and Khan-i-Khanan’s tomb.

Right as you walk in, the first major structure on the right is the bulbous Tomb of Isa Khan built in 1547. Isa Khan Niyazi was a noble in the court of Sher Shah Suri. The enclosure includes his tomb and a mosque, both built during his own life. The octagonal tomb, predating Humayun’s Tomb by 20 yeas, has striking ornamentation in the form of canopies, glazed tiles and a lattice screens. Along the western side of the enclosure, the three-bay-wide mosque has a grand red sandstone central bay and striking mihrabs. Until the early 20th century, an entire village lived in the enclosure.

A bit further on the left, there is an unidentified Tomb with neither visitors nor signs describing what it was and who was buried there.

Aligned in axes with the western gate of Humayun’s Tomb enclosure and Subz Burj, the 16th century gateway to Bu Halima Garden Tomb (of whom not much is known) stands on the eastern side of the enclosure. The upper arched opening has sandstone jharokha with beautiful lattice parapet which is supported on decorative sandstone brackets. Ornate domed canopies surmount the two northern bastions of the garden wall. Remains of the original tile-work decoration are still visible and conservation work was in full process.

Following the Bu Halima Garden Tomb gate was the Arab-Ki-Sarai gateway – the 14 m high passage that served as the southern entrance of Arab Serai, a housing site accommodating the Persian craftsmen involved in building of Humayun’s Tomb. Red sandstone and white marble inlay work add a striking touch to the gateway, mostly built of Delhi quartzite stone. The projecting jharokhas still display remnants of the glazed ceramic tiles.

I passed through Arab-Ki-Sarai gateway and appeared in a totally different world of rubbish and destruction. While the gateways and main tombs were finely restored and decorated, many other buildings, hidden from visitors’ eyes remain in pitiful state. For me, they were the most interesting one to explore, until I realized that they also host many unattended seclusion-seeking creeping single men. I have had my share of experience with Indian men, so I rushed to get out to the public area.

Following the Arab-Ki-Sarai gateway was the whole complex of Afsarwala Tomb and mosque dated to 1566. Folklore attributes this tomb and mosque to “Afsarwala”, meaning “officer”, but nothing more is known. The octagonal tomb is covered with red sandstone with sparing use of white and black marble inlay work. Over the central lofty arch of the three-bay-wide mosque is a niche that could have once held an inscription. The guard at the site was very annoying and clingy, so I sped my pace up.

From there, I entered the West gate (16 m high) – the main doorway to the Tomb-Garden of Emperor Humayun. Rooms on each side flank the central passage and the upper floors has small courtyards. Six-sided stars, used by the Mughals as an ornamental cosmic symbol, adorn the structure.

The centerpiece of the site is the eponymous Tomb of  Emperor Humayun, who was the second Mughal emperor. Built between 1565-1572 by Hamida Banu Begum, his Persian-born senior wife, the tomb brings together Persian and Mughal elements, creating a true predecessor or prototype of Agra‘s Taj Mahal. The structures are indeed stylistically similar (by now, every tomb looks like the previous one to me), although Humayun’s Tomb is built from red sandstone, not white marble, and was built by a wife grieving for her husband, not the other way around.  The Tomb stands on a platform of 12,000 m² and reaches the height of 47 m (the brass finial over the white marble dome is itself 6 m high). Built of rubble masonry, the structure follows strict rules of Islamic geometry, with an emphasis on the number “eight” and is the first to use red sandstone and white marble in such great quantities. The small canopies on the terrace were originally covered in glazed blue tiles.

After climbing to the second level, on the south side I found an entrance into the main crypt which contains the solitary tomb of an emperor, but the structure itself has within it over 100 graves, earning the name “Dormitory of the Mughals”. It was almost 5 pm and guards rushed the visitors out long ago, so I was left on my own. It felt adventurous and a bit freighting to be alone in the mausoleum at night. Interesting fact is that the tomb was the place of refuge taken by the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, before being captured and exiled by the British in 1857.

Soon, the guards came for me and after leaving the Tomb’s site I understood how much scarier it was outside with alive people than inside with dead. Apparently, the entire area around the Tomb is a big resting place for at least a hundred of people. I ended up stepping over sleeping people and their belongings, playing children, cooking women with their utensils and it all was happening in darkness. Since I didn’t know the area well, I rushed to the main road and called Varun, though he was pretty far away to pick me up. I tried to get a taxi but it is almost impossible to get one on the road in Delhi. A few cars stopped by and their impudent and shameless owners, sizing me up, offered to give a lift. Dah… No way! Luckily, there was a police station across the street so I asked the officer to fetch me a tuk-tuk.

I was all wired and tired by the time I got home but I was eager to see my Oxonian friend Priyanka, who invited me to come to an American Comedy club night. It was a very nice place with mediocre but acceptable Italian food, filled mostly with either expats or Indians who hangs out with expats. I haven’t been to many comedy clubs so I am not a judge, but I found the jokes entertaining and the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. Priyanka opened a totally new side of Delhi to me and I am forever thankful for that.

 January 22, 2014

Weather was not cooperating with me, but it is normal. I can choose to come to India in summer and suffocate from smoke, heat and smell, or in winter, when it is rainy, cold-ish and super foggy. For the last few days it has been raining, but usually by noon the weather would improve. Today, rain didn’t stop for a minute and after spending all morning and early afternoon at home, I decided to take my chances and go out. Mostly all places I wanted to see were outdoors, so if I wanted to visit everything that I planned, I had to get wet and dirty.

I took an Uber car to the first place – Baha’i Lotus Temple. Because it is a temple, there was no entrance fee, pictures were allowed in the garden, but not inside the temple. Just as its names says, Lotus Temple does look like a bud of a Lotus flower with 27 petals arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. Designed by Iranian-Canadian architect Fariborz Sahba, it was completed in 1986 and is surely one of the most magnificent monuments ever made from concrete (the surface of the temple is made of white marble from Penteli mountain in Greece). Some of its elements are specified by Baha’i scripture. Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, stipulated that an essential architectural character of a House of Worship is a nine-sided circular shape. While all current Bahá’í Houses of Worship have a dome, this is not regarded to be an essential part of their architecture.  The Lotus Temple located in a beautifully manicured garden (comprising 10.5 ha) with multiple walking paths and nine ponds to enjoy the scenery, but I was in a rush.

Somewhere in the middle of the main path, no less than 70 meters before the temple itself, there was a shoes deposit center. It was about 10-12 C outside with unstoppable rain, but I had to remove my shoes and walk barefoot in pools of water till I finally reach the building itself. Cascading waterfalls on each side (remarkably blue), made it look as if the Lotus bud was floating in the water (as I was definitely already floating). The whole construction and its setting made a breathtaking scene.

What I, unfortunately, can’t say about the internal decoration of the Temple. Bahá’í scripture states that no pictures, statues or images be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars be incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lecture stands). The 9 doors of the temple open into a central hall that is slightly more than 40 m tall and capable of accommodating up to 2,500 people. All visitors were divided into guided groups and each group is given an instructions to pack cameras and phones and to be silent for the entire time while inside.

Like all other Bahá’í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as told in Bahá’í texts. A stone tablet in front of the temple says “This House of Worship is a place for prayer and meditation for the peoples of all religion and races. From within it portals the voice of mankind will ever be raised in praise and glorification of the creator of Universe.” The Bahá’í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá’í laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside. Furthermore no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.

So, when “my” group entered, there was nothing but silence in the Temple. Just as impressive as the temple looked from the outside, as empty and barren it looked from the inside – empty of worshipers, of sounds, of decor or any other religious attributes. I stayed inside for 5 minutes and went out together with my group; apparently, we all were there to see, but not to pray. Before leaving the Temple, I picked up a few brochures about Bahá’í Faith in order to research more at the later time. Luckily, I also had a few spare pairs of socks, because after 30 minutes barefoot under the rain, I sought warmth and dryness of my Merrell shoes.

My second stop of the day was Purana Qila – the oldest fort among all forts in the city and, the oldest known structure of any type in Delhi. It’s located at the site of the legendary city of Indraprastha, that was founded by Pandavas on the banks of Yamuna, which is revered by Hindus since ages. This points to the possibility of this site’s history dating back to nearly more than 5000 years old. A Kunti Temple inside the Qila also exists, which is believed to be the place where Kunti, the mother of Pandavas lived. Consequently the fort is considered by some, to be ‘the first city of Delhi’. Researchers now confirm that up till 1913, a village called Indrapat existed within the fort walls. Excavations carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have unearthed Painted Grey Ware dating 1000 B.C., and with a continuous cultural sequence from Mauryan to Mughal through Sunga, Kushan, Gupta, Rajput and Sultanate periods, confirming the antiquity of the fort.

Fort was called as the inner pitamdel of the city of Dina-panah during Humayun’s rule who renovated it in 1533 and completed five years later.  Purana Qila and its environs flourished as the “sixth city of Delhi”  (read about the history of Delhi in my previous blog). The founder of the Suri Dynasty, Sher Shah Suri, defeated Humayun in 1540, naming the fort Shergarh; he raised the citadel of Purana-Qila with an extensive city-area sprawling around it and it seems that the fort was still unfinished at Sher Shah’s death in 1545, but was completed either by his son Islam Shah or Humayun.

Subsequently Islam Shah took over the reins of North India from this fort, but shifted his capital to Gwalior, a safer capital in that period, leaving the charge of Delhi and Punjab to his Hindu Governor and military General Hemu. After Islam Shah’s death in 1553, Adil Shah Suri took charge of North India and appointed Hemu as the Prime Minister-cum-Chief of Army and himself retired in Chunar fort. According to a vizier-turn-historian Abul Fazal, Hemu became a virtual king and had all authority of appointments and other decisions making. Hemu was busy in quelling rebellion in east India so the fort remained neglected. Humayun, who was based in Kabul at this time, seized the opportunity to re-capture the citadel and the seat of Delhi in 1555, fifteen years after abandoning it following his defeats at the hands of the Suri Dynasty in the Battles of Chausa and Kannauj. Humayun’s reign proved brief thereafter; he died following an accidental fall within the fort complex at Sher Mandal only a year later, in January 1556.

Hearing about re-capture of Delhi by Humayun, Hemu rushed towards Delhi from Bengal, where he had just defeated and killed Muhammad Adil Shah, the ruler of Bengal. After winning 22 battles spanning entire north India, Hemu met and defeated the forces of Akbar, which were led by Tardi Beg Khan, in the Battle for Delhi, which took place in the Tuglaqabad area in October 1556. Hemu had his Rajyabhishek (coronation) at Purana Qila on 7 October 1556, declaring ‘Hindu Raj’ in North India, and was bestowed the title of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya. Just a month later, Hemu lost his life at the Second battle of Panipat and subsequently had his torso hung outside this fort to create terror among Hindus.

As history shows, Purana Qila brought bad luck for rulers who occupied it; Humayun, Sher Shah Suri, and Hemu all had but relatively brief tenures ensconced there. Humayun’s son Akbar did not rule from here and Shah Jahan built a new fort in Delhi known as Lal Qila (“Red Fort”).

The walls of the Fort (20 m high and 4 m thick), traverse about 1.9 km, and have three arched gateways: the Bada Darwaza (Big Gate) facing west, which is still in use today; the south gate, also popularly known as the ‘Humayun Gate’ (probably so known because it was constructed by Humayun, or perhaps because Humayun’s Tomb is visible from there); and lastly, the ‘Talaaqi Gate’, often known as the “forbidden gate”.  The eastern side was originally bounded by Yamuna river which since has long changed its course eastward. All the gates are double-storied sandstone structures flanked by two huge semi-circular bastion towers, decorated with white and colored-marble inlays and blue tiles. They are replete with detailing, including ornate overhanging balconies, or jharokhas, and are topped by pillared pavilions (chhatris), all features that are reminiscent of Rajasthani architecture as seen in the North and South Gates, and which were amply repeated in future Mughal architecture. Despite the grandeurs of the exterior, few of interior structures have survived and the ambiguous historical record makes it difficult to say for sure which of the remaining structures of the fort were built by Humayun and which were commissioned by Sher Shar or his son Islam Shah. Nevertheless, this site that conjures up the images of conquest and combat was one of the most desirable for me to visit and after paying Rs.100, I was in.

Like everyone else, I entered Purana Qila via Bada Darwasa (Big Gate), the western entrance (20 m high) to the fortress which most probably was built under Humayun, as it is a part of the main fortification. On either side of it are bastions which, along with the curtain wall beyond, have arrow/gun slits. Kungaras (merlons) would originally have run along the top of the entire length of the wall, but have now completely disappeared except at the top of one of the bastions. The surface ornamentation of the gate consists of inlay patterns in sandstone and marble, some stone carvings and tile work. Jharokhas (cantilevered enclosed openings) and chhatris (pavilions) also serve decorative purpose.

I decided to walk clockwise along the fort’s massive wall in order to enjoy this magnificent structure. It was nice to see that some steps were made to preserve this incredible “sixth city”, as construction workers and their tools were seen everywhere. Walking along the wall, I noticed that some parts of the fort, especially those closer to Bada Darwasa were better preserved than those in the northern or southern parts. I hope the reconstructions will eventually touch all parts equally, because some ruins looked not better than jungle. I also noticed that even though some parts of the wall were left to deteriorate, the others were rebuilt and used as offices or perhaps storage facilities.

Talaaqi Darwasa on the north side is a tall and imposing structure, with the central archway itself measuring 17 m in height. It has entrance ways on two levels, the lower originally being at the level of water. The upper entrance way seems to have been the main way in, as it is more ornamented. If so, a drawbridge or causeway must have connected it to the land on the other side of the moat that encircled the fort. Decorative features include sandstone and marble inlay, carving, tile work, jharokhas and chhatris. There is no credible explanation for the origins of the name of the gate, which literally means “forbidden gate”.

I continued clockwise toward the Mosque located on the eastern side of the compound; I found myself surrounded by more abandoned ruins and weeds than tourists, however, isolation didn’t keep small groups of suspiciously looking weirdoes away, on the opposite. Luckily, there were guards everywhere, so I felt more or less safe. The coolest part was to climb the thick walls of the fort and look outside or around. It was truly an interesting angle.

Single-domed Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque (literally means “the mosque of the old fort”) built by Sher Shah in 1541 is an excellent example of a pre-Mughal design, and an early example of the extensive use of the pointed arch in the region as seen in its five doorways with the ‘true’ horseshoe-shaped arches. The octagonal turrets at the corners of the back wall are distinctive features of the Mughal style. It was designed as a Jami Mosque, or Friday mosque for the Sultan and his courtiers. At one time, the courtyard had a shallow tank, with a fountain.

The prayer hall inside, the single-aisled mosque, measures 51 m by 15 m and has five elegant arched prayer niches or mihrabs set in its western wall. Marble in shades of red, white and slate is used for the calligraphic inscriptions on the central iwan, marks a transition from Lodi to Mughal architecture.

A second floor, accessed through staircases from the prayer hall, with a narrow passage running along the rectangular hall, provided space for female courtiers to pray, while the arched doorway on the left wall, framed by ornate jharokas, was reserved for members of the royal family. On a marble slab within the mosque an inscription reads: “As long as there are people on the earth, may this edifice be frequented and people be happy and cheerful in it”. Today, it is the best preserved building in Purana Qila.

It was distressing and saddening to observe Indian visitors (Hindus and mostly young couples) touching everything and taking pictures of a girl, leaning on the monument, and a guy, groping her. This mosque wasn’t an exception and when I finally got fed up and schooled one couple, they just pack their stuff and left without paying the mosque another glance. Sad.

From the mosque, I proceeded to Sher Mandal that was named so after (Sher Shah) who had tried to finish what was ordered by Babur but had died during the initial phase and so construction was halted until the arrival of Humayun in 1451.

This double-storied octagonal tower of red sandstone with steep stairs leading up to the roof was intended to be higher than its existing height. Its original builder, Babur, ordered the construction to be used as a personal observatory and library for his son Humayun. It is also one of the first observatories of Delhi, the first being in Pir Gharib at Hindu Rao at Ridge built in the 14th century by Feroz Shah Tughlaq. The external diameter of the structure is 16 m, and the height from the base of the plinth to the top of the parapet is 13.5 m. The lower floor is mostly solid, with stairs leading to the upper floor. At the center of the upper level is a small chamber. The tower is topped by an octagonal chhatri supported by eight pillars and decorated with white marble in typical Mughal style.

Inside there are remnants of the decorative plaster-work and traces of stone-shelving where, presumably, the emperor’s books were placed.

This was also the spot where a tragic event took place on 20 (24 or 27) January 1556. Humayun, with his arms full of books, was descending the staircase from his library when the muezzin announced the Adhan (the call to prayer). It was his habit, wherever he heard the summons, to bow his knee in holy reverence. Kneeling, he caught his foot in his robe, but some say that he was pushed while he was trying to do that, tumbled down several steps and hit his temple on a rugged stone edge. He died three days later. They say “he tumbled in life and finally tumbled out of it too.” Entry inside the library is now prohibited.

Next to Sher Mandal is a ruined brick structure – all that stands of a hammam (bath house). The remains of terracotta pipes and a ribbed water chute can still be seen around a room measuring some 32 m². Such hammams, with provision for hot and cold water and even steam rooms, were an important part of Mughal culture. In the years after the abandonment of the fort as a capital of the empire, this structure was forgotten and built over. It was revealed when the clearance of the village of Indarpat and conservation of the site was undertaken in 1913-1914.

And I completed my circled next to the last, southern gate of the Purana Qila – Humayun Darwasa. Though, it is called after Humayun, it is partly attributed to Sher Shah on the basis of fading inscription in ink that was found in one of the rooms on the upper floor. There are two entrances, one on the top of the other. The lower one opened at the level of water in the moat, while the upper would have been approached by a drawbridge or causeway across the moat. Decorations include inlay work and carvings in sandstone, marble and tile work. This gate is the only one to preserve the decorative merlons on top which originally existed over the other gates of the fort too.

I guess most visitors (mostly Indians) weren’t very excited to see yet another replica of the gate they’ve just see on the other side of the fort, that it why this gate was absolutely and utterly empty. There is more for me.

Before it got too dark, I harried to visit another interesting historic place dated 200 years earlier than Purana Qila – Feroz Shah Kotla (entrance fee Rs.100). Since there wasn’t a lot of information about this fort and it was getting to the closing time, I decided to hire a local guide (Rs.200) only to find out a few moments later that he was drunk as a skunk. Nevertheless, since there were no other visitors, his company was better than none at all, so I proceeded anyway.

Ferozabad, the fifth city of Delhi (read about it in my previous blog), was built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388) in 1354 as a replacement for Tughlaqabad. Feroz Shah Kotla was the citadel built along the banks of Yamuna inside Ferozabad. The fortress contained palaces, pillared halls, mosques, a pigeon-tower and a baoli (step-well). While the gateway from the southern enclosure has been later closed, there are also the remains of a gateway from the northern enclosure. Several flights of steps on the east lead down to the old river bank. Feroz Shah was a renown builder whose reign is credited with the construction of several mosques, hunting lodges, reservoirs for irrigation, embarkments and colleges. However, there isn’t a lot remains from his citadel since most of the building material from it was robbed to build Shahjahanabad (1638-1648).

However, ringed by crumbling fortifications, this meticulously maintained fort, still hosts a huge mosque, a baoli (step-well) and a pyramid-like Hawa Mahal topped by a pillar. We first visited the baoli, but it was already closed. I asked the guide to find a keeper with the keys to open it (since they closed it before the due time, simply out of laziness), but he just rolled his drunk eyes on me.

Then we went to see the place of a particular interest to me as it contains a relic of Ashoka The Great, the first Indian emperor dating back to the 3 century B.C – a column, also called obelisk or Lat is one of Ashoka Pillars. The 13.1 m high column, made of polished sandstone and dating from the 3rd Century BC, was brought from Pong Ghati Ambala, Punjab in 14th century A.D. under orders of Feroz Shah. It was installed on a three-tiered arcaded pavilion near the congregational mosque, inside the Sultanate’s fort. In centuries that followed, much of the structure and buildings near it were destroyed as subsequent rulers dismantled them and reused the spolia as building materials, however, Ashoka Pillar remained untouched.

The guide showed me the very steep steps up to the upper pavilion, so I could see the Ashoka Pillar from close distance. The upper lever was a square platform no more than 15 m x 15 m with no railings, so when I asked my guide to take a picture of me and he started to back off all the way to the corner, I got a bit scared for him. He was drunk enough to fall off this 6-7 meter structure.

The Sultanate had wanted to break and reuse the Ashoka pillar for a minaret, however, Feroz Shah decided to erect it near a mosque instead. At the time of re-installation of the obelisk in Delhi, in 1356, no one knew the meaning of the script engraved in the stone (it was written primarily in Brahmi language, with some Pali and Sanskrit added later).

About five hundred years later, the script was deciphered by James Prinsep in 1837 with help from scripts discovered on other pillars and tablets in South Asia. The Ashoka Pillar contains the decrees of Ashoka with the following texts: “Among high roads, I have caused fig trees to be planted that they may be for shade to animals and men…” or “..And let these and others the most skillful in the sacred offices discreetly and respectfully use their most persuasive efforts, acting on the heart and eyes of the children, for the purposes of imparting enthusiasm and instruction in dharma (religion), etc.

It is hard to describe the feelings when you are so close to something that is so ancient. From the upper pavilion, there was a beautiful view of the Jami Mosjid. Only the remains of the congregational mosque of the citadel stand today belying the fact that it was quite spectacular in its own time. Built in 1354, it was the largest of the seven mosques built in Delhi during Tughlaq’s reign. The main entrance to the mosque is to the north on account of the proximity of the Yamuna to its eastern wall. It rests on a series of cells on the ground floor. The cloisters on the sides of its courtyard and its prayer hall have disappeared with only a rear wall standing on the western side. The doorway was decorated with carved stones, which have since been plundered. In the middle of courtyard was an octagonal domed structure on which was inscribed, the “Futuhat-e-Feroz-Shahi”, listing the great works and achievements of the emperor.

Timur, visiting the mosque in the end of 1398, was so impressed by it, that he is said to have had a similar mosque built in his capital Samarkand, using craftsmen taken from India. They also say that in the mosque or in an adjoining building, Emperor Alamgir II was murdered in 1759.  An interesting feature is the chambers at the lower level. There is an otherworldly atmosphere in the ruins which are still an active place of worship – on Thursday afternoons, crowds gather to light candles and incense and leave bowls of milk to appease Delhi djinns.

The walls of the citadel are 15 m hight and have a slights slope on the outside. The top parapets or merlons have now disappeared but the arrow slits can still be seen.

The rest of the ruins represented the remains of the Palatial structures. The buildings inside are too ruined to be identified individually, but historians from the time of Feroz Shah listed many structures of the fortress. There was “The Palace of the Clayey Court”, which was meant for the emperor’s court attended by nobles, officials and distinguished literary men. “The Palace of a Wooden Gallery/Overhang” was for the officers of the emperor and the “Central Quadrangle” or the “Palace of the Public Court”, was where the emperor held court for the general public. The more private areas meant for the residence of the emperor and his family, have not been mentioned, but must also have existed. It is likely that the surfaces were at one time covered by a fine limestone plaster which was decorated by carvings and paintings in various colors.

It got dark and rain started to pick up, so without proper goodbye, I left Feroz Shah Kotla with hope to visit it once again. By the time I reach Varun’s house, I was exhausted and cold. I spent a nice and cozy evening at his beautiful home with his family.

January 23, 2014

Weather wasn’t cooperating, but I still moved forward with my plans. I hired an Uber Delhi for a few hours and my first stop, despite many warnings that it wasn’t worth a trip, was Tughlaqabad Fort (entry- Rs.100). I admit that Mehrauli and Tughlaqabad were two extremely underrated sites. Yes, they were rustic, in progress and, sometimes dangerous, but authentic, adventurous and inspiring, being there brought me back in time to the seven ancient cities of Delhi.

Tughlaqabad Qila is a ruined fort in central Delhi, stretching over 6 km, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of Tughlaq dynasty, of the Delhi Sultanate of India in 1321-1325, where he established the third historic city of Delhi, which was abandoned already by 1327. Story goes that Ghazi Malik was a feudatory of the Khalji rulers of Delhi and once while promenading with his Khalji master, Ghazi Malik suggested to build a fort on a hill in the southern portion of Delhi. The king jokingly told Ghazi Malik to build the fort himself when he would become a king.

In 1321 AD, Ghazi Malik drove away the Khaljis and assumed the title of Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq. He immediately started the construction of his fabled city, which he dreamt of as an impregnable, yet beautiful fort to keep away the Mongol invaders. However, destiny had other plans for him. Usually perceived as a liberal ruler, Ghias-ud-din was so passionate about his dream fort that he issued a dictate that all laborers in Delhi must work on his fort. Saint Nizamuddin Auliya, a Sufi mystic, got very upset about the edict as the work on his baoli (well) was stopped to supply people for the construction of the fort. The confrontation between the Sufi saint and the royal emperor has escalated and become a legend in India. The saint uttered a curse which was to resonate throughout history right until today: “Ya rahey ujjar, ya basey gurjar” which can roughly be translated to “the fort either remain inhabited or would be occupied by gurjars (shepherds)”. At that time in 1324, the Emperor was engrossed in a successful campaign in Bengal and was on his way to Delhi, when his son, Muhammad bin Tughlaq, met him at Kara in Uttar Pradesh. Allegedly at the prince’s orders, a Shamiana (tent) fell on the Emperor crushing him to death. Another of the Saint Nizamuddin’s curses was “Hunuz Dilli dur ast” meaning “Delhi is still far away”. The Emperor never reached Delhi and never saw the completion of his fort. After the fall of sultanate, Gurjars of the area captured the Qila and situated in it. Thus, both curses of the Sufi saint came true.

Tughlaqabad still consists of remarkable, massive stone fortifications that surround the irregular ground plan of the city. The sloping rubble-filled city walls, a typical feature of monuments of the Tughluq dynasty, are between 10 and 15 meters high, topped by battlemented parapets and strengthened by circular bastions of up to two stories height. The city is supposed to once have had as many as 52 gates of which only 13 remain today. The vast size, the great strength and visible solidity of the gigantic in proportion walls, give it an air of stern and massive grandeur.

The moment I entered the fort, I knew that it would be safer if I hire a guide-guard to take me around. There weren’t lots of visitors and definitely no foreign tourists as I could see, however, there were plenty of single men, alone and in groups, and thousands of placed to hide, which made me worry. The guide-guard and I agreed on Rs. 200 and it was perhaps the best safety investment I made in India. In addition, while most of the fort is inaccessible due to dense thorny vegetation, an ever increasing part of the fort area is occupied by modern settlement, my guide-guard made sure I didn’t get lost and didn’t intrude/walk-in into somebody’s backyard. His English and knowledge of the fort were more than acceptable, while his skills as a body-guard were tried on multiple occasions since here and there a man or group of men would pop up out of the ruins and storm towards me until they saw a guard. Till now I am not sure what their intentions were, since they still did follow us though never came close. Despite this little inconvenience and constant safety alert, I really enjoyed checking out every crevasse of the fort, I breathed the air of history.

Tughlaqabad is divided into three parts:

• the wider northern area was designed as a city area with houses built along a rectangular grid between its gates;
• the citadel with a tower at its highest point (known as Bijai-Mandal) and the remains of several halls and a long underground passage are located in the eastern part of the fort;
• the adjacent palace area containing the royal residences and still existing long underground passage below the tower are in the western part.

The fortified city contained seven rainwater tanks, and I was happy to climb down into one of them.

South of Tughlaqabad is an elevated causeway that connects Fort with the fortified outpost of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq’s Tomb. Initially, it was built with large size stone boulders, supported by the 27 arches over a large lake, now, lake is gone, and the causeway crosses a busy highway.

Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq’s self-built tomb with a mausoleum enclosed within high battered pentagonal stone walls, strengthened with bastions and surmounted by cupolas, looks like a small fortress itself. Originally it stood within an artificial lake fed by the overflowing of the Hauz-i-Shamsi, and by some natural drainage channels.

The entrance to the tomb enclosure is through a high and massive gateway of red sandstone, approached by a flight of steps. The mausoleum (8 m²) with sloping walls of red sandstone crowned with battlements is surmounted by a white marble dome raised on an octagonal drum, inscribed panels, arched boarders and perforated screens in tympana, all in marble together with its “lotus-bud” fringes, break the monotony of the red sandstone and give it a decorative effect.

There are three graves inside, the central one is of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq’s and the other two believed to be those of his wife and his son and successor Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351).

Against the enclosure-walls are cells or pillared corridors with bracket-and-lintel openings. In the north-western bastion there is an octagonal tomb with an inscribed slab over its southern door according to which Zafar Khan lies buried in it. It seems that this tomb was the first to be raised here and while engaged in its construction, Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq had an idea of putting up an enclosure and placing his own tomb also inside it. The place is referred to as Darul-Amam (“Abode of Peace”) in the contemporary records of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq. Zafar Khan was the general of the Delhi Sultanate who conquered vast territories and died in the battle. His tomb is an integral part of the enclose wall, where an arched opening gives access to the tomb. Walls are surmounted with a domical roof and clad with white marble.

Sadly, little is know about Tughlaqabad fort, but it was by far, one of the most exciting and under-investigated places I visited in Delhi. If you decided to check it out, please allow at least 1.5- 2 hours and keep your car/ride handy.

When I finally left the fort, I found my Uber Mercedes on the parking lot surrounded by a dozen of “homeless” children (not sure they were homeless but they definitely looked like they had no home). I knew they were waiting for me, because a few hours earlier they saw me getting off by the fort’s entrance. It is always hard to resist those children in India, because I felt both – pity and annoyance, but more pity, compassion and helplessness that no matter what I give them, would either end up in adult’s hands or won’t bring them a long term benefit.

After a fantastic exploratory tour of Tughlaqabad fort, I asked the driver to drop me off by one of the most famous landmarks of India, a UNESCO World Heritage Site –  the Qutb (Qutub) Complex. When most people visit this site on their first day in Delhi, I left it for the end of my trip. Like every other “popular” and touristic sites, the Qutb Complex was very organized, preserved, clean, busy and provided plenty of information about sites. Entry is Rs.250 and don’t forget to pick up an audio guide (Rs.100), which was, perhaps, one of the best historical audio-narrations I’ve ever heard. The authors put a lot of effort and imagination, as well as research in compiling the audio recording which consists of not only the historical background of the site and its monuments but impersonalization of the sultans, kings, commoners and even the first empress of India who participated in its construction, all taken from the historical records. It was a fantastic tool to guide me through the Complex.

In overview, the Qutb Complex consists of multiple monuments built by the first sultans of Mehrauli and subsequent rulers who expanded on their work, hiring the best craftsmen and artisans to create masterpieces in stone. The complex is studded with ruin tombs, pillars and other historical sites, which would take you at least 2-3 hours to visit.

In 1192, Muhammed Ghori managed to defeat Prithviraj Chauhan in battle and after leaving his slave and general Qutub-ud-din Aibak as his viceroy in Delhi, returned to Afghanistan.  Aibak, in turn, captured the city the subsequent year. After Ghori’s death in 1206, Aibak proclaimed himself the first Sultan of Delhi and founded Mamluk (Slave) dynasty, the first dynasty of Muslim sultans to rule over northern India. Aibak built Mehrauli (one of the seven ancient cities of Delhi) and started his most prominent contribution – construction of Qutb Minar, a recognizable symbol of Delhi, to commemorate his victory, but died before its completion. In the Qutb complex he also constructed the Quwwat-al-Islam mosque (Might of Islam), which is the earliest extant mosque in India. He was said to have destroyed twenty-seven Jain temples initially housed in the Qutb complex and pillaged exquisitely carved pillars and building material from their debris for this mosque, many of which can still be seen. A Slave dynasty ruled until 1290, and among the rulers was Razia Sultan, who ruled for just 3 years, but became a historic figure for being the first empress in India.  After the end of the Slave dynasty, the complex was added to by many subsequent rulers, including Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Ala ud din Khilji as well as the British. The structures in the complex are the Qutb Minar, the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque, the Alai Gate, the Alai Minar, the Iron pillar, and the tombs of Iltutmish, Alauddin Khilji and Imam Zamin, surrounded by Jain temple ruins.

Right as you walk into the Complex, there is a small Mughal Mosque which comprises of a prayer hall with three compartments, each covered by a bulbous dome. Architecturally it is assigned to the late Mughal period and was in a dilapidated condition in the early 1990’s but was conserved by Mr. Page, the then British Archeological Superintendent of the Qutb Complex.  The Mosque is located in a beautiful garden laid according to the Charbagh pattern. It is square on plan and is further sub-divided into four quarters with paved walkways (Khiyaban).

The very first landmark is the Qutb Minar. You can’t miss it as it is visible from way beyond the Complex’ grounds. The Qutb Minar is the second tallest minar in India (and the tallest brick minaret in the world). Inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, it is an important example of early Afghan architecture, which later evolved into Indo-Islamic Architecture. The Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, has five distinct stories, each marked by a projecting balcony carried on muqarnas corbel and tapers from a diameter 14.3 m at the base to 2.7 m at the top, which is 379 steps away (entry inside is banned).

Built as a Victory Tower, to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Ghori over the Rajput king, Prithviraj Chauhan, in 1192 AD, by his then viceroy, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, later the first Sultan of Mamluk dynasty. Its construction also marked the beginning of Muslim rule in India. Even today the Qutb remains one of the most important “Towers of Victory” in the Islamic world. Aibak however, could only build the first story, for this reason the lower story is replete with eulogies to Mohammed Ghori. The next three floors were added by his son-in-law and successor, Iltutmish. The minar was first struck by lightning in 1368 AD, which knocked off its top story, after that it was replaced by the existing two floors by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, a later Sultan of Delhi 1351 to 1388, and faced with white marble and sandstone enhancing the distinctive variegated look of the minar, as seen in lower three stories. Thus the structure displays a marked variation in architectural styles from Aibak to that of Tughlaq dynasty.

The minar made with numerous superimposed flanged and cylindrical shafts in the interior, and fluted columns on the exterior, which have a 40 cm thick veneer of red and buff colored sandstone; all surrounded by bands of intricate carving in Kufic style of Islamic calligraphy, giving the minar the appearance of bundled reeds. Also marking a progression in era, is the appearance of inscriptions in a bold and cursive Thuluth script of calligraphy on the Qutb Minar, distinguished by strokes that thicken on the top, as compared to Kufic in earlier part of the construction.

Inscriptions also indicate further repairs by Sultan Sikander Lodi in 1503, when it was struck by lightning once again. In 1802, the cupola on the top was thrown down and the whole pillar was damaged by an earthquake. It was repaired by Major R. Smith of the Royal Engineers who restored the Qutb Minar in 1823 replacing the cupola with a Bengali-style chhatri which was later removed by Governor General, Lord Hardinge in 1848, as it looked out of place, and now stands in the outer lawns of the complex, popularly known as Smith’s Folly.

The Qutb Minar is am awe-inspiring monument, it might look like a simple bricked pillar from afar, but the moment you come close and circumambulate it a few times, it will take your breath away by its solid brick mighty but delicate carvings and design.

At the foot of the Qutb Minar stands the first mosque to be built in India known as Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (Might of Islam). It was also built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and represents the oldest surviving example of Ghurids architecture in Indian subcontinent. The construction of this Jami Masjid (Friday Mosque), started in 1193 simultaneously with the Qutb Minar. And even though the Qutb minar appears to be a stand-alone structure, it was built as the ‘Minar of Jami Masjid’, for the muezzin to perform adhan, call for prayer, and also as a qutub, an Axis or Pole of Islam. It is reminiscent in style and design of the Adhai-din-ka Jhonpra or Ajmer mosque at Ajmer, Rajasthan, also built by Aibak during the same time and also constructed by demolishing earlier temples and a Sanskrit school, at the site.

 On the picture – Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Qutb Minar and Iron Pillar

According to a Persian inscription still on the inner eastern gateway, the mosque was built from the parts taken by destruction of twenty-seven Hindu and Jain temples built previously during Tomars and Prithvi Raj Chauhan, and leaving certain parts of the temple outside the mosque proper. Historical records compiled by Muslim historian Maulana Hakim Saiyid Abdul Hai attest to the iconoclasm of Qutb-ud-din Aibak. This pattern of iconoclasm was common during his reign, although an argument goes that such iconoclasm was motivated more by politics than by religion.

The mosque is built on a raised and paved courtyard, measuring 43 m by 32 m, surrounded by pillared cloisters added by Iltutmish between 1210 and 1220 AD. The stone screen between prayer hall and the courtyard, stood 16 m at its highest and was added in 1196; the corbeled arches had Arabic inscriptions and motifs. Entrances to the courtyard, also uses ornate mandap dome from temples, whose pillars are used extensively throughout the edifice, and in the sanctuary beyond the tall arched screens. What survives today of the sanctuary on the western side are the arched screens in between, which once led to a series of aisles with low-domed ceilings for worshippers. Expansion of the mosque continued after the death of Aibak. His successor, Iltutmish, extended the original prayer hall screen by three more arches. By the time of Iltutmish, the Mamluk empire had stabilized enough that the Sultan could replace most of his conscripted Hindu masons with Muslims. This explains why the arches added under Iltutmish are stylistically more Islamic than the ones erected under Aibak’s rule, also because the material used wasn’t from demolished temples. Some additions to the mosque were also done by Alauddin Khilji, including the Alai Darwaza.

The mosque is in ruins today but indigenous corbeled arches, floral motifs, and geometric patterns can be seen among the Islamic architectural structures. In the center of the mosque, there is an Iron Pillar – one of the world’s foremost metallurgical curiosities. The pillar, 7.21-m high and weighing more than six tonnes, was originally erected by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375–414 AD) in front of a Vishnu Temple complex at Udayagiri around 402 AD, and later (in 10th century) shifted by Anangpal from Udayagiri to its present location. Anangpal built a Vishnu Temple here and wanted this pillar to be a part of that temple.

The estimated weight of the decorative bell of the pillar is 646 kg while the main body weighs 5,865 kg thereby amounting to 6,511 kg. The pillar bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script dating 4th century AD, which indicates that the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja, standard of god, on the hill known as Vishnupada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra (believed to be Chandragupta II). What the inscription doesn’t tell is how the pillar was made – scientists have never discovered how the iron, which has not rusted after 1,600 years, could be cast using the technology of that time. A deep socket on the top of this ornate capital suggests that probably an image of Garuda was fixed into it, as common in such flagpoles.

I exited Mosque from the north and proceeded to what looked like a mud-hill but turned out to be Alai Minar.  Story goes that after doubling the size of Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, Ala-ud-din Khilji (1296-1316) started building the Alai Minar, which he conceived to be two times higher than Qutb Minar in proportion with the enlarged mosque. The construction was however abandoned, just after the completion of the 24.5-m high first-story core, soon after Ala-ud-din died in 1316, and never taken up by his successors of Khilji dynasty. The first story of the Alai Minar, a giant rubble masonry core, still stands today, which was evidently intended to be covered with dressed stone later on.

To the west of the Alai Minar are a Muslim graveyard requiring restoration but importantly, a noticeable tomb of Iltutmish which was built by the monarch in 1235. The tomb of Iltutmish (the second Sultan of Delhi who ruled from 1211-1236), was built as a part of the Qutb minarat Mehrauli. The central chamber is 9 m² and has squinches, suggesting the existence of a dome, which has since collapsed. The main cenotaph, in white marble, is placed on a raised platform in the centre of the chamber. The facade is known for its ornate carving, both at the entrance and the interior walls. The interior west wall has a prayer niche (mihrab) decorated with marble, and a rich amalgamation of Hindu motives into Islamic architecture, such as bell-and-chain, tassel, lotus, diamond emblems. 

At the back of the complex, southwest of the mosque, stands an L-shaped construction, consisting of Ala-ud-din Khilji’s tomb dating 1316, and a madarsa, an Islamic seminary built by him. Khilji was the second Sultan of Delhi from Khilji dynasty, who ruled from 1296 to 1316 AD.

The central room of the building, which has his tomb, has now lost its dome, though many rooms of the seminary or college are intact, and since been restored. There were two small chambers connected to the tomb by passages on either side. Fergusson in his book suggested the existence, to the west of the tomb, of seven rooms, two of which had domes and windows. The remains of the tomb building suggest that there was an open courtyard on the south and west sides of the tomb building, and that one room in the north served as an entrance.

It was the first example in India, of a tomb standing alongside a madarsa. The tomb is in a very dilapidated condition. It is believed that Ala-ud-din’s body was brought to the complex from Siri and buried in front of the mosque, which formed part of the madrasa adjoining the tomb. Firoz Shah Tughluq, who undertook repairs of the tomb complex, mentioned a mosque within the madrasa, though it is no where to be found today.

On the southern part of the Complex, there is Alai Darwaza  – the main gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. It was also built by Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1311 AD, who added a pillared court to the eastern side. The domed gateway is decorated with red sandstone and inlaid with white marble decorations, inscriptions in Naskh script, latticed stone screens that showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkic artisans who worked on it. This is the first building in India to employ Islamic architecture principles and characteristics in its construction and ornamentation. Important among those characteristics are the pointed horse-shoe shaped arches, squinches and Lotus-bud fringes of the arches. These Seljuquian influences (Seljuq period: 1038-1157) came to India due to the exodus of artists and artisans who were fleeing to India from the Mongol attacks on central and western Asia.

The Mamluk dynasty did not employ true Islamic architecture styles and used false domes and false arches. This makes the Alai Darwaza, the earliest example of first true arches and true domes in India. It is considered to be one of the most important buildings built in the Delhi sultanate period.

To the right of the Alai Darwaza is the Tomb of Imam Zamin. Saint Imam Muhammad Ali, better known as Imam Zamin, was a native of Turkestan who came to India during the reign of Sikander Lodi (1488-1517). Apparently, he performed some important duties in connection with the Quwwar-ul-Islam mosque. He built his tomb according to an inscription in 1538 and died a year later.

The tomb was built during the reign of the Mughal emperor Humayun. Although this building was constructed in the early Mughal period, it exhibits all the typical characteristics of the Lodhi style of construction. It is surmounted by a dome rising from an octagonal drum. The drum is decorated with a double row of Kanguras and marble panelling can be noticed above chhajja. Twelve square pilasters support the structures and spaces between them are filled up with perforated screens of red sandstone. However, the west contains a Mihrab and the south – an entrance doorway. An inscription above the doorway is written in Naskh characters and provides the story of the Tomb.

One of the interesting features worth observing is the marble radiating ribs in the sandstone dome. The entire structure was originally covered with a finely polished stucco, of which considerable portion is still  present.

In the eastern corner of the Complex, there is a Sanderson’s Sundial, which was erected in memory of Sanderson who was one of the Superintendents of the Archeological Department. He conducted extensive excavation at the Qutb Complex and was involved in its repair and conservation. An inspiring verse inscribed on the sundial in Latin  – transit umbra; lux permanent – meaning “the shadow passes; the light remains”. Next to the sundial is a Smith’s Folly.

By the end of the tour (3 hours later), equipped with an incomparable knowledge from the audio-guide, I confidently headed towards the exit, but decided to make a stop at the lady’s room. As much as Qutb Complex is taken care by the Archeological Society of India, as little you want to visit their bathrooms. I generally prefer not to use public restrooms but when I travel, I can’t avoid it. In Ajmer, after paying a fee to use the bathroom, I literally walked into a wooden shack that was suspended above the river, so the waste would go just down …. into abyss. At the Complex, it wasn’t as bad, but when I went to wash my hands the water just poured down on my shoes. That was actually quite hilarious.

I briefly mentioned earlier that Qutb Complex is part of Mehrauli -a neighborhood in the South West district of Delhi, which is also one of the seven ancient cities of Delhi. From what I read about it, the entire area was a huge archeological park, only without tourists, archeologists or any work in progress (at least at the moment). Still, I wanted to poke around and see what other fantastic monuments of the past I can visit. So, when I exited the Complex, I negotiated with a tuk-tuk driver to take me on a 2-3 hour ride around Mehrauli (Rs.400). I made sure he actually knew what I wanted to see, as drivers tend to take you to shops and residential areas which I wasn’t interested in seeing. I specifically told him that I want to visit the ruins of old tombs, baolis, palaces and such. Luckily, he was the best person for this task, as he knew a bunch of places, he was acquainted with guards/caretakers at those places and he never left my side, which was very important since our trip wasn’t as smooth as I thought it would be. Even though Mehrauli is a part of Delhi, most of the monuments were located in the middle if the jungle or forest and as I have experienced before, those places where occupied by some shady characters, so man’s presence, especially a local man, was re-assuring in my case.

Mehrauli, earlier known as Mihirawali (which means Home of Mihir) was founded by King Mihir Bhoja of the Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty. In 731 AD, the Gurjar Tanwar chief Anangpal I constructed the Lal Kot fort, which in 11 century was expanded by Anangpal II, when he shifted his capital to Lal Kot from Kannauj. The Gurjjar Tanwars were defeated by the Chauhans in the 12th century. Prithviraj Chauhan further expanded the fort and called it Qila Rai Pithora. He was defeated and killed in 1192 by Mohammed Ghori, who was, in turn, succeeded by his general Qutb-ud-din Aybak and Mehrauli remained the capital of the Mamluk dynasty until 1290. During the Khilji dynasty, the capital shifted to Siri. Even though the capital was moved, many other dynasties contributed significantly to Mehrauli’s architecture.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park is an archaeological area spread over 200 acre, adjacent to the Qutb complex, and it consists of over 100 historically significant monuments. It is the only area in Delhi known for 1,000 years of continuous years of occupation, and includes the ruins of Lal Kot, the oldest extant fort of Delhi, and architectural relics of subsequent period – Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, Lodhi dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, and the British Raj.

In reality, scattered around a forest park that spills into chaotic bustee (slum) are the ruins of dozens of tombs and palace buildings and several colonial follies. A short distance west of the enclosure, in Mehrauli village, is the Tomb of Adham Khan (built in 1561) who, according to legend drove the beautiful Hindu singer Roopmati to suicide following the capture of Mandu in Madhya Pradesh. Adham Khan, son of Maham Anga, a wet nurse of Akbar, was a nobleman and general in Akbar’s army. In 1561, he fell out with Ataga Khan, Akbar’s Prime Minister and favorite general, and killed him, whereupon he was thrown down from the ramparts of Agra Fort twice, by the orders of the emperor Akbar and died.

His mother after fortieth day of mourning also died out of grief, and both were buried in this tomb, believed to be commissioned by Akbar, in a conspicuous octagonal design, not seen in any Mughal building of that era. It was common design features visible in the tombs of the previous Sur Dynasty, and also the Lodhi dynasty, which the Mughals considered traitors. It lies on the walls of Lal Kot and rising from a terrace enclosed by an octagonal wall provided with low towers at the corners. It consists of a domed octagonal chamber and has a verandah on each side pierced by three openings. It is known popularly as Bul-bulaiyan (a Labyrinth or Maze), for a visitor often loses his way amidst the several passages in the thickness of its walls.

In 1830s, a British officer named Blake of Bengal Civil Service, converted this tomb into his residential apartment and removed the graves to make way for his dining hall. Though the officer died soon, it continued to be used as a rest house for many years by the British, and at one point even as a police station and a post office. The tomb was vacated and later restored by the orders of Lord Curzon, and the grave of Adham Khan has since been returned to the site, and lies right below the central dome, though that of his mother Maham Anga is forever gone.

The Tomb was restored but the feeling of a public house didn’t vanish, perhaps due to the dozens of people casually sitting on the Tomb’s steps. Close to Adham Khan’s tomb, lies that of another Mughal General, Muhammad Quli Khan, later it served as the residence of Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Governor-General’s Agent at the Mughal court. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to visit that tomb, or simply wasn’t able to find it.

After visiting the Tomb, I boarded tuk-tuk and we went to see Gandhak ki Baoli, situated just approximately 100 m from the Tomb of Adham Khan. It is supposed to be the largest step-well ever built in Delhi, constructed during the rule of Emperor Iltutmish (ruled 1211-1236). The name, ‘Gandhak’ means sulphur as the water of the well smelled like it and ‘Baoli’ means ‘a well with steps’. Iltutmish had built Gandhak Ki Baoli for Khwaja Sayed Muhammad Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki, who was a well renowned Sufi Saint during his reign and who greatly inspired the Sultan through his Islamic teachings.

Gandhak Ki Baoli is seen in the shape of a huge five tiered structure which included a circular shaped well on its southern side. This well was once famous amongst the local inhabitants who used it as a sports venue for diving and swimming, but unfortunately, this historical and ancient monument is in a neglected state and has dried up throughout the years. Despite this fact, the Baoli is still the largest well ever seen in Delhi and the absence of water allows all tourists to view and admire the architecture and intricate design of the Baoli to the fullest.

After one Baoli, the driver took me to see another – Rajon ki Baoli -constructed in 1506 during Sikandar Lodhi‘s reign. It was used to store water, though it is now completely dried and is now known as Sukhi Baoli (dry well).  Rajon ki Baoli (‘rajon’, in this instance means ‘masons’) consists of three long flights of broad steps leading down to the water. This is unquestionably one of Delhi’s more beautiful baolis, with some exquisite plasterwork—very distinctive of the Lodhi period—along the arcade at the top.

The majestic Rajon ki Baoli was meant to be both – a source of water, and a place of rest for thirsty travelers. That is why, besides the small cells (used as rooms) which line the walls, there is a small and pretty mosque here, decorated with more of the finely incised plasterwork. In addition, there’s a small tomb, in the form of a chhatri (a domed pavilion). This, according to an inscription, was built possibly by someone named Daulat Khan, for a certain Khwaja Mohammad, in 1506.

When we arrived, there were another young Indian couple and a caretaker-guard with a weapon. They recommended me to climb up and explore the mosque and a tomb. And when I was on the upper level, I heard a bone-chilling scream either of a human or an animal, i couldn’t tell. Since everything around was covered in trees and bushes, I couldn’t really see what was happening below the site, but i definitely heard the struggle of what seemed to be a murder. I still hope that the victim was a pig and not a human. Everyone at the baoli heard the scream, as it first pierced the air and then went on for at least 10 minutes. I immediately asked my driver to call the police but he didn’t react, then i told the guard to go and see what was happening but he didn’t move either. Everyone behaved as nothing was going on. Then I, myself, rushed out of the compound and headed to the bushes where i’ve heard the noise but both, my driver and the guard stopped me and told me not to get involved. I think i repeated 50 times that we had to call the police but nobody reacted and my driver tried to shove me back to tuk-tuk to get me out of there. Until now, i don’t know what happened there and whose life was lost.

My driver tried to convinced me that nothing out of the extraordinary happened, but I could see he was irritated and on the edge, both – because of what happened and my reaction to act and not to hide. He quickly drove me to another site – Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb.  It comprises of two monuments adjacent to each other; one is the mosque and the other is the tomb of two persons with the names Jamali and Kamali.  “Jamali” (beauty) was the alias given to Shaikh Fazlu’llah, also known as Shaikh Jamali Kamboh (or Jalal Khan), a renowned and greatly regarded Sufi saint and poet.  He belonged to a Sunni merchant family and was indoctrinated to Sufism by Sheik Samauddin. Jamali was a popular poet who traveled widely through Asia and Middle East. He became a court poet during the Lodhi Dynasty rule and continued to enjoy the patronage of the Mughal rulers, Babur and his son Humayun; it is said that his tomb was completed during Humayun’s rule. His poetry mirrored Persian mysticism of the times and his two most popular works are “The Sun and Moon” and “The Spiritual Journey of the Mystics”. Kamali was an unknown person but associated with Jamali. Their names are tagged together as “Jamali Kamali” for the mosque as well as the tomb since they are buried adjacent to each other. The mosque and the tomb were constructed in 1528-1529, and Jamali was buried in the tomb after his death in 1535.

The Jamali Kamali mosque, positioned in an enclosed garden area, built first during the years 1528-29, has a southern entry. Constructed in red sandstone with marble embellishments, it is claimed to be a forerunner in the design of Mughal mosque architecture in India. The prayer hall, fronted by a large courtyard, has five arches with the central arch only having a dome. The size of arches increases towards the central arch, which is the largest of the five arches embellished with beautiful ornamentation. The spandrels of the arch are decorated with medallions and ornamentation. Fluted pilasters exquisitely decorate the central arch. The prayer wall on the west has niches with mihrab. The niches and walls are decorated with a few Koranic inscriptions. A porch around the mosque provides access to the two storied mosque and the four corners are adorned by octagonal towers. The rear end of the mosque has been provided with oriel windows, apart from a small window on the central arch.

After exploring the Mosque (shoes must be removed outside the fence), a guard fetched the keys and let us enter the enclosure on the right side of the mosque. There were a small Mughal cemetery with a dozen of graves and the Tomb of Jamali Kamali. The tomb is a decorated 7.6 m² structure with a flat roof, located adjacent to the mosque on its northern side. Inside the chamber, the flat ceiling is plastered and ornately decorated. It is painted in red and blue with some Koranic inscriptions, and the walls are adorned with inlaid colored tiles inscribed with Jamali’s poems. The decorations in the tomb have been described as giving the impression of “stepping into a jewel box” and it indeed felt this way. The tomb chamber has two marble graves: one of Jamali, the saint poet and the other of an unknown Kamali.

Across the path from the Mosque, there was a definite section of ruins which contained the Tomb of Balban. For over a century, this area was covered with dense vegetation with only glimpses of archeological structures visible. In 2001-2002, a major conservation initiative in this area led to a careful consolidation and conservation project which affected numerous ruins. This was obviously the site of a flourishing settlement in the 16th-17th centuries with a large public courtyard and residential units looking into it.

After about 5-7 minutes walk, we came across the open space with well-preserved (perhaps, restored) walls. That was the Tomb of Ghiyas ud din Balban.  Built in 1287, in rubble masonry, the tomb is a building of historical importance in the development of Indo-Islamic architecture, as it was here that first true arch made its appearance in India, and according to many first true dome as well, which however hasn’t survived, making Alai Darwaza built in 1311 CE, in the nearby Qutb complex, the earliest surviving true dome in India. Ghiyas ud din Balban (1200–1287) was a Turkic ruler of the Delhi Sultanate during the rule of Mamluk dynasty of Delhi from 1266 to 1287. The tomb of Balban was discovered only in the mid-twentieth century.

It is an imposing stone and masonry building, though lacking the splendid ornamentation to be seen in the tomb of his master, Iltutmish. The tomb is surrounded by the ruins of an extensive late-medieval settlement and it offers, from certain angles, a remarkable view of the Qutb Minar.

The more time I spent in the ruins, the more anxious my driver became. I guess he wasn’t expecting from me to actually get off the tuk-tuk and walk all the way to the forest to see the tombs, but he was wrong. When we reached the Tomb of Balban, we could see it from above, and I suggested to come down and explore the structure from the ground level. The driver said it was not possible and he wasn’t going, however, I already saw the path down and proceeded with my plan. In the back of my mind, I understood his concerns – it was getting dark and we were browsing in the ruins in the middle of the forest. Here and there, we would see some random men hiding (?) in bushes, but I wouldn’t exclude an idea of some people still living in the ruins, as it is a case in Tughlaqabad fort. I am sure the driver was concern for my well-being as he was very cautious and followed me everywhere. So, when I went down to the tomb, he went after me and I promised him to take just a few pictures and leave as soon as I was ready.

To the east of Balban’s tomb, lies a ruined rectangular structure said to be the grave of Khan Shahid, Balban’s son, whose original name was Muhammad, who died, before he could be crown, fighting against the Mongols near Multan in 1285, but because we were in a rush to leave, I never saw (found) it.

By the path, where we left the tuk-tuk, was a sign-post with different sites to see, but my driver was in a hurry to leave, so I followed him as he took me to the last place to visit – Azim Khan’s Tomb.

The tomb of Azim Khan (also known as Akbar Khan) is located on a small hillock and dates back to the days of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. Although a prominent landmark of South Delhi, the tomb has been an example of utter neglect and not much is known about neither its historical background nor about its occupant. There are no proper historic records about Azim Khan but according to some, Azim Khan was a general in Akbar’s army and was awarded  the title “Akbar” (meaning magnificent) by Akbar himself.

It was probably the horrors of war that converted Azim Khan into a pious and religious man. Azim Khan become a follower of the famous Sufi saint Hazarat Nizamuddin, who is said to appear in his dream and advise him to give up the path of war and violence. Azim Khan adopted the path of spirituality and soon his spiritual advices were much in demand. This attracted a large number of people, from far and wide, flocking to him.

In search of isolation, Azim Khan built himself a tomb on a hillock located on the barren lands south of Delhi. The hillock had vertical walls preventing access to the residence of Azim Khan. It was built somewhere in the 17th century, but historians are still in the dark about the exact date of construction.

Centuries later, during the British rule, several of the monuments of Mehrauli were converted into outhouses of British officers. Azim Khan’s tomb was no exception and it was converted into a late night partying house! The British soldiers tested their physical strength and their climbing skills by scaling the near vertical walls of the hillock for the late night parties.

After independence, the tomb of Azim Khan was left in neglect. It was only during the Commonwealth Games (Delhi 2010) beautification drive, the neglected tomb finally got its much needed attention. During the process of restoration, the Archaeological Survey of India decided to build a staircase leading up to the tomb, thus making the century old inaccessible tomb accessible.

Despite all the efforts, it is still, like most of Mehrauli, hardly visited by people and the approach road is extremely difficult to spot.

The steps didn’t look steep but I got dizzy by the time I reached the top. The newly restored square domed tomb has a few graves in front of it, entrances on three sides and the dome is crowned with inverted lotus finial. The tomb, with its plastered walls, has no ornamentation on the outer walls. All three entrances were sealed, making entry inside the tomb impossible, however, I could see the interior of the Tomb from a barred entrance. The graves were simple with many grave stones long gone, but the walls were coated with plaster and decorated with some  incised ornamentation of lotus motif, calligraphy and features like finials on the domes and Kangura patterns at the parapet level.

The greatest part of the Azim Khan’s Tomb is its commendably view of the Mehrauli region, stretching all the way beyond the Qutb Minar.

A guard, who displayed a whole lot of affection towards me, offered to take a walk around the Tomb, which meant – balance on a 30 cm wide parapet along the Tomb’s walls suspended 100 m above ground. Uhhhh, no, thank you.

Wow, I got to admit that despite all the dangers and drawbacks, Mehrauli was my most favorite place. Every site I’ve visited, felt as if I were walking alone in a jungle and randomly discovered the ruins of a long lost city. I will definitely get back there since I failed to see many more places: Quli Khan’s Tomb, Hauz-i-Shamsi, Jahaz Mahal, Zafar Mahal, remains of Lal Kot Fort, Madhi Majid, the dargah shrine of Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki etc.

As a part of a deal, the driver dropped me by the tourist’s shopping center (so he could get a free gas coupon from the owner). I wasn’t planning to buy anything, so I was in and out in about 15 minutes. He was still waiting for me, so I asked him to drop me off by my last site of the day – Nizam-ud-din Dargah. It is the dargah (and mausoleum) of one of the world’s most famous Sufi saints, Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 – 1325). Located across the street from Humayun’s Tomb, the dargah is visited by thousands of Muslims every week, and sees a fair share of Hindus, Christians and people from other religions too. I have heard and read so much about Nizamuddin Auliya and this dargah, that I wasn’t leaving India without visiting it.

Hidden away in a labyrinth of bazaars, selling everything from food, to rose petals and holy offerings, the marble shrine was easy to find because of the flow of people that was continuously pouring through the long marble corridors into the complex. It isn’t just a tomb of an ascetic Sufi saint who died in 1325 at the ripe age of 92, but a true pilgrimage site and a window through the centuries.

I couldn’t have said better than Yousuf Saeed in his article “Walking the Mystic Alleys”.

“You can easily miss this little mohalla if you are new to Delhi, even though it’s in the heart of the city. The Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin, as it’s known today, was the quaint village called Ghayaspur when young Muhammad Nizamuddin migrated to Delhi from Badayun (in UP) in the early thirteenth century. It has survived the ravages of time to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Delhi even if its neighbors – a flyover, a five-star hotel, a police station, and residential bungalows -obscure it today.

One enters the dargah Nizamuddin area from New Delhi’s Mathura Road and finds a distinctly medieval ambience: labyrinthine alleys, crowds of beggars and street vendors, bazaars with cheap eateries, hawking kababs and other delicacies, people selling caps, rosaries, religious posters, and so on. One of the lanes on the left leads to the well-known Mughlai restaurant Dastarkhwan-e-Kareem. Further ahead is the modern building of the Ghalib Academy, established to honor the 19th century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. It has a well-stocked library and museum, and an adjoining compound where Ghalib is buried.

As the road narrows, you meet flower-sellers who lovingly pester you to buy a tray of flowers, sweets, or a chadur (cloth) to offer at the dargahs of Nizamuddin Aulia and Amir Khusrau. Before entering the dargah premises, you have to remove your shoes and preferably cover your head. A medieval archway leads to a verandah that faces the tomb of Amir Khusrau, customarily visited first. Here you will find many claiming to be the Sajjadah-nashins (keepers) of the mausoleum, requesting money for their blessings. The maintenance and upkeep of the dargah, including a daily langar (community meal) for the poor is run with the help of alms and offerings here.

Much of the architecture here dates to the later medieval period. Amir Khusrau’s domed marble tomb was constructed in 1605. Intricate filigreed screens (jali) wall the small room that has a tall tombstone constructed in 1496 by Mehdi Khwaja, a courtier of Emperor Babur. Originally in red sandstone, the jali is now covered with years and years of paint and whitewash. In the early twentieth century, Hasan Nizami, a keeper of the dargah, accidentally scratched the paint in one portion and discovered versified dates in Persian etched on the sandstone. An effort by the government to clean the jali at that time was curtailed by strong objections from the community. Devotees now tie colorful threads to this jali. Men and women can always be seen sitting around the jali either reading the Quran, or simply praying in silence.

Opposite the opening of Amir Khusrau’s tomb there is a heavy wooden door leading to the Hujra-e-Qadeem (literally, the ancient room). Usually locked, except for the exclusive sama’ (qawwali) gatherings of the Sufis, this room is claimed to have been constructed in the thirteenth/fourteenth century. A wall outside this room has a calligraphed poem in praise of Nizamuddin Auliya composed by the Urdu poet Allama Iqbal. Saqqe, or water-sellers, with their leather mashaqs (water bags) pester you to pay for the drinking water offered to devotees.

From here, Nizamuddin Aulia’s grave is about ten yards to the north. Between the two tombs are situated a few more graves. Jehanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan, and Emperor Mohammad Shah lie buried here. Nizamuddin Aulia’s tomb is followed by a courtyard — the arena for the qawwali performances, and is always full of devotees. Towards the west is the high sandstone wall of the Jamaat-Khana (prayer hall), supposedly constructed by Feroz Shah Tughlaq a few years after Nizamuddin Auliya’s death.

Incidentally, the place where Nizamuddin Auliya’s tomb is located is not where he established his khaneqah, or monastery. When he came to Delhi with his mother and sister, he had aspirations to become a qazi (judge) in the town. However, the spiritual world of Sufis, especially the Chishtia order, attracted him, and soon he joined Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar’s monastery in Ajodhan, Punjab (now in Pakistan). After spending a few years with Baba Farid, he was appointed his spiritual emissary for Delhi. Nizamuddin settled near the Yamuna, about a kilometer east of the present-day dargah, immediately behind Humayun’s tomb. This is where he prayed, meditated, and met hundreds of people attracted to his spiritual message. More than seven hundred years later, that attraction still continues.”

It was Thursday, a special night to come here, sit on the marble floor, admire the tomb, enjoy the ambience and listen to Sufis singing rousing qawwali (devotional hymns) from 6.30 pm till 9.30 pm.

Women aren’t allowed inside but many of them devotedly prayed by the back wall behind the jalis, which also allowed a great view of the inner room with a tomb. There are perhaps over a few dozens of tombs in Dargah and it is hard to get around with so many people, and especially children, but it was all peaceful, graceful and respectful.

After 2 hours at the Nizam-ud-din Dargah, I headed out. My friend from Oxford, Priyanka, was planning a night out and I promised to join her, so I wanted to make sure to get home on time to get ready.  If I have a chance to go back to Delhi, I will definitely visit this place again. It felt truly spiritual and unique.

Priyanka definitely knows how to party, whether it is a Thursday or a Saturday night. We had such an amazing time with her friends at a bar in the area of Delhi I didn’t know. Historic Delhi is fascinating, but so is modern Delhi.

January 24, 2014

My last day in India. Many people skip Delhi all together and head to Agra and Rajasthan, but for me, Delhi was like a treasure box, full of wonderful surprises and stunning sites. I was also staying with Varun and his family, which made a difference since they have been kind and very hospitable to me, and I couldn’t have asked for a better arrangement.  Varun’s mom, Seema, was an amazing host, she listened to my daily adventures and gave her advices on places to visit in Delhi or shared her experiences about traveling in India.

Obviously, in 5 days, I couldn’t possibly see everything, but I hope I dug a bit deeper than most travelers do. On my last day, before going shopping, I decided to check out one more site – Hauz Khas Complex – located in South Delhi. Delhi’s artiest enclave is home to trendy boutiques, hip bars and restaurants; in New York city terms, it is a mixture of Greenwich Village and SoHo. But unlike in Delhi, we don’t have 13th and 14th centuries madrasas and Tombs of Sultans in New York. From Safdarjung Enclave it took me 10 minutes to get to the Hauz Khas but because it was only 9 am, many shops were still closed, so I proceeded straight to the historical complex (in the end of the road). Free entry, open from 10 am till 6 pm.

Hauz Khas Complex houses a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, domed tombs of Muslim royalty from the 14th to 16th centuries, and pavilions built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi Sultanate reign. It was part of Siri, the second medieval city of India of the Delhi Sultanate of Allauddin Khilji Dynasty (1296–1316). The etymology of the name Hauz Khas in Farsi (or Urdu) is derived from the words ‘Hauz’: “water tank” (or lake) and ‘Khas’:'”royal”- the “Royal tank”. The large water tank or reservoir was first built by Khilji to meet the water supply needs of the newly built fort at Siri and was originally known as Hauz-i-Alai.  But Feruz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388) of the Tughlaq dynasty re–excavated the silted tank and cleared the clogged inlet channels. The tank was originally of about 50 ha area with dimensions of 600 m width and 700 m length with 4 m depth of water. When built, its storage capacity at the end of each monsoon season was reported to be 0.8 Mcum.

Even though, the size of the royal tank was substantially reduced due to encroachment and siltation, recent renovations and attempts to restore both, the ruins and the water quality in the lake, made Hauz Khas Complex a very popular hang out place in Delhi. Even at 9 am, it was packed with students and young couples. It is a perfect place to explore for people who are interested in history but don’t want to be overwhelmed by the size of the site. It is quite compact, with great signage, many interesting things to see and safe.

The very first thing you see when you come in is Madrasa. Established in 1352, it was one of three main Madrasas in Delhi and the leading institution of Islamic learning in the Delhi Sultanate endowed by the Emperor himself. It was also considered the largest and best equipped Islamic seminary anywhere in the world.  After the sacking of Baghdad, Delhi became the most important place in the world for Islamic education. The village surrounding the Madarsa was also called Tarababad (city of joy) in view of its affluent and culturally rich status, which provided the needed supporting sustenance supply system to the Madrasa. Its reputation as a premier center of learning was enhanced because it employed teachers who were scholars of note. It also attracted students from far and wide, who were given generous stipends for the time they were in the college.

The madrasa structure has an innovative design. It was built in L-Shape as one contiguous structure on the south and east edges of the reservoir complex. One arm of the L-shape structure runs in the North–South direction measuring 76 m and the other arm runs in the East–West direction measuring 138 m. At the northern end there is a small mosque. Between the mosque and the tomb two storied pavilions exist now on the northern side and similar pavilions on the eastern side, overlooking the lake, which were used as madrasa. The two arms are interconnected through small domed gateways passing through the tomb at the center.

The Northern wing of the college building has pillared rooms on the top floor and arcaded rooms below. The rooms overlook the tank and would have provided a beautiful view. On the other side, the top floor rooms overlooked the garden, which was planted with blooming trees and bushes. The buildings of Madrasa are built of rubble masonry combined with blocks of neatly cut quartzite. Much of the exterior was originally covered in white plaster, decorated with golden domes and painted in bright colors. The ornamentation that can still be seen consists of primary of some incised plasterwork and simple carving.

The North–South arm with balconies overlooking the reservoir is a two storied building with three towers of varying sizes. Also in the lower story one can see small dark cells which were probably meant for student accommodation. Inside, there are narrow openings for light and air and small storage niches. In front of these cells where were arcaded rooms which have now fallen down. Ornamental brackets cover the upper storied balconies while the lower stories have corbeled support. Roof overhangs or eaves (chajjas) are seen now only in the upper stories though it is said that they existed on both stories when it was built. The area in front of this building was originally a courtyard with two buildings that face each other and flank the large domed building.

From each floor of the Madrasa, staircases are provided to go down to the lake. Many cenotaphs, in the form of octagonal and square chhatris are also seen, which are reported to be possibly tombs of teachers of the Madrasa.

It is recorded that the first Director of the Madrasa was

“one Jalal al-Din Rumi who knew fourteen sciences, could recite the Quran according to the seven known methods of recitation and had complete mastery over the five standard collections of the Traditions of the Prophet“

The madrasa was well tended with liberal donations from the Royalty. Timur, the Mongol ruler, who invaded Delhi, defeated Mohammed Shah Tughlaq in 1398 and plundered Delhi, had camped at this venue. Expressed in his own words, his impressions of the tank and buildings around Hauz Khas were vividly described as:

“When I reached [the city’s] gates, I carefully reconnoitered its towers and walls, and then returned to the side of the Hauz Khas. This is a reservoir, which was constructed by Sultan Feruz Shah, and is faced all round with stone and stucco. Each side of the reservoir is more than a bows–shot long, and there are buildings placed around it. This tank is filled by rains in the rainy season, and it supports the people of the city with water throughout the year. The tomb of Sultan Feruz Shah stands on its bank”

While his description of the place is correct but his ascribing construction of the tank to Feruz Shah was a misconception.

The North-South and East- West arms are pivoted at the large Tomb of Feruz Shah. Feruz Shah, who established the tomb, ascended the throne in 1351 (inherited from his cousin Muhammad) when he was middle aged, as the third ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled till 1388. He was considered a well–liked enlightened ruler. He was known for “his keen sense of historical precedent, statements of dynastic legitimacy and the power of monumental architecture”. He renovated/restored old monuments such as the Qutb Minar, Sultan Ghari and Suraj Kund, and also erecting two inscribed Ashokan Pillars, which he had transported from Ambala and Meerut in Delhi. At Hauz Khas, he raised several monuments on the southern and eastern banks of the reservoir. Feruz died at the age of ninety due to infirmities caused by three years of illness between 1385 and 1388. During his enlightened rule Feroz abolished many vexatious taxes, brought in changes in the laws on capital punishment, introduced regulations in administration and discouraged lavish living styles. But the most important credit that is bestowed on him is for the large number of public works executed during his reign namely, 50 dams for irrigation across rivers, 40 mosques, 30 colleges, 100 caravanserais, 100 hospitals, 100 public baths, 150 bridges, apart from many other monuments of aesthetic beauty and entertainment.

Among the notable buildings of historical importance that he built within Hauz Khas precincts is the domed tomb for himself. Entry to the tomb is through a passage in the south leading to the doorway. The passage wall is raised on a plinth which depicts the shape of a fourteen-faced polyhedron built in stones. Three horizontal units laid over eight vertical posts that are chamfered constitute the plinth. Squinches and muqarnas are seen in the solid interior walls of the tomb and these provide the basic support to the octagonal spherical dome of the tomb. The dome with a square plan – 14.8 m in length and height – has a diameter of 8.8 m. The maximum height of the tomb is on its face overlooking the reservoir. The domed gateway on the north has an opening which has height equal to two–thirds the height of the tomb. The width of the gate is equal to one-third of tombs’ width. The entrance hall has fifteen bays and terminates in another doorway which is identical to the gateway at the entrance. This second doorway leads to the tomb chamber and cenotaph, which are accessed from the gateway through the L–shaped corridor. Similar arrangement is replicated on the western doorway of the tomb leading to the open pavilion on the west. The ceiling in the dome depicts a circular gold medallion with Quranic inscriptions in Naksh characters. Foliated crenellations are seen on the outer faces of the base of the tomb. Interesting features seen on the northern and southern sides of the tomb, considered typical of the Tuglaq period layout, are the ceremonial steps provided at the ground level that connect to the larger steps leading into the reservoir.

The tomb, a square chamber, is made of local quartzite rubble with a surface plaster finish that sparkled in white color when completed. The door, pillars and lintels were made of grey quartzite while red sandstone was used for carvings of the battlements. The door way depicts a blend of Indian and Islamic architecture. Another new feature not seen at any other monument in Delhi, built at the entrance to the tomb from the south, is the stone railings (see picture above). There are four graves inside the tomb, one is of Feruz Shah and two others are of his son and grand son.

The tomb was repaired during the reign of Sikandar Lodhi in 1507 AD, as is evidenced from an inscription on the entrance. The main impression is one of solidity and lack of decoration (typical of Tughlaq style).

The garden across the Feruz Shah Tomb and madrasa houses six impressive pavilions. The pavilions with domes are of a similar ornamentation though in different shapes and sizes (rectangular, octagonal and hexagonal) and on the basis of inscriptions are inferred to be graves of the teachers of the madrasa.  Each pavilion is raised on a plinth of about 0.8 m and is supported by square shaped wide columns with entablature which have decorative capitals that support beams with projecting canopies. Some of them have a shallowly marked grave in the center. It it possible that the tombs were designed so that students can sit there and study in the shadow of their departed teachers.

The two smallest pavilions have very heavy projecting stone beams just under the dome and it is possible that they were part of a large structure. Another striking structure in the garden, opposite to the Feruz Shah’s tomb on the southern side, is a small eight pillared Chatri seen in the garden which has large cantilevered beams that supported flat eaves all round the small dome.

The L-shaped madrasa has a long colonnaded hall measuring 24.7 m by 6.7 m, with an 8 m projection from the center to the west. It is not known for sure what this building’s function was. While some say it was a tomb with many graves inside, there are no traces of graves now in it. From its size and shape it seems that it was a meeting place or assembly room, designed to hold a bigger group than would normally gather for classes. A cluster of three hemispherical domes, a large one of 5.5 m diameter and two smaller ones of 4.5 m diameter, portray exquisite architectural features of foliated motifs on the drums with kalasa motifs on top of the domes.

The northern end of the madrasa is secured to a small mosque – a place of worship for those who lived and worked in the madrasa. The central courtyard is 13 m by 12 m, and is surrounded by ruined colonnades on the north, south and west. The qibla of the Mosque projects towards the reservoir by about 9.5 m. A domed gateway from the south east provides entry into three rooms of size 5.3 m x 2.4 m, whose utility is not traced. A “C”-shaped layout of a double row of pillars on a raised podium forms the prayer hall, which is open to the sky. The western wall, which indicated the directions of Mecca, is of an unusual pattern. Unlike most of the mosques, where the western wall is closed, the qibla wall has five mihrabs which alternate with decorative jharokhas (cantilevered, enclosed openings) that overlook the tank.  Stairs lead down to the water from the central window and from the south of the mosque.

Even though the Hauz Khas Complex is quite small, I spent 2 hours there and wish I had more time to explore the Deer Park and Green Park with its numerous Lodi-era tombs scattered around. However, I wanted to devote a bit of time to shopping, so I took a tuk-tuk to Dilli Haat – Delhi’s famous food and craft bazaar (Rs.20 entry). It is a great place to pick up high quality souvenirs, from carpets to little trinkets, from teas to cutlery etc. I settled on two cashmere scarfs for myself and a small Ganesha present for Seema.

I also wanted to check out Connaught Place with its shopping galleria and State Emporiums, which apparently is a big mall representing each Indian state and their merchandise. Since I’ve never taken a metro in Delhi, I decided to give it a try, especially because it was very easy and straightforward to get from Dilli Haat to Connaught Place. The subway was clean and very convenient however, it served as another evidence of division between men and women as well as a confirmation that there are plenty of men on the streets, but very few women, even in Delhi. And I am referring to a line through a metal detector (yes, you need to pass a metal detector in order to enter the subway – I have seen the same practice in China too), where in a women’s line, I was in and out, but the line for men was at least 150 m long, going all the way to the subway’s exit. (Note, police stopped me and asked to delete the pictures of men in the subway, as if i could use them to sabotage anybody).

On the Connaught Place, I fell into a very typical touristic trap. When I exited a subway, I started to look for the streets’ names trying to match them with the google map on my phone. I knew where the State Emporiums where located, since I had their address, and I knew what their building looked like. While I was orienteering myself, a tall good-looking Indian guy approached me asking, in very fluent English, whether I was looking for the State Emporiums shopping mall, which I confirmed. Then he suggested taking a special Emporium tuk-tuk, which miraculously appeared before us, for Rs.40. I knew that the mall was within a walking distance from the Connaught Place, but I agree to take a tuk-tuk. Well, I can’t say I was surprised when 10 minutes later, driving in the opposite direction from the mall’s location shown on my google map, we still haven’t reached the State Emporiums. Eventually we did, and you guessed it right, it was a dilapidating shack with “Real State Emporiums” written on it, looking nothing like the one I saw on the picture and located nowhere near it was supposed to be. I asked the driver where he took me and he, playing an idiot, replied that if I wanted to go to State Emporiums, here it was. In return, I lied to him and said that I was at the mall a few days ago, so the place he took me wasn’t the right one. I also accused him of fraud and tout and told him to take me back to Connaught Place immediately, if he didn’t want to have problems with the police. Luckily, the trick with the police worked, he angrily drove me back to the Place and didn’t ask for money.

This small incident killed my desire to go anywhere, so I browsed around the Connaught Place (which consists of two – inner and outer – circles of shops), did some shopping at the Oxford bookshop and took a tuk-tuk back home.

My flight was just after midnight, so in the evening, Priyanka and Varun took me out to a restaurant for dinner and drinks.

It was a great conclusion to a very interesting, educational, historical, adventurous and definitely memorable trip to India. With ups and downs, awe-inspiring moments and rape attempt, mighty forts of Rajasthan and quiet settlements of Tibetans, richness of long gone Empires and poverty of present day India. It was an Experience.

January 25, 2014

Varun dropped me off at the airport shortly after midnight. The smog was so heavy that we even missed our exit on the highway. At the airport I found out that my Aeroflot flight was delayed by 8 hours, so I booked a room at the Eaton Smart hotel at the airport and took a well-deserved nap. Naturally, we missed the NYC connection at Sheremetyevo, so I had to spend a night at Sheraton in Moscow. I took a bath and ate delicious Russian food, so no, I didn’t regret in missing my flight.

Pictures. 

The post Delhi, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

Pictures of Mandawa

Before an incident in Jodhpur, I planned to leave Bikaner for Amritsar, but after spending a month in India and witnessing first handedly the attitude of Indian men and dangers that traveling alone presented, I decided not to part with Sunil and my car and have him drive me back to Delhi, where I could spend the rest of my trip in the company of my Oxonian friends.

After I finished a delicious breakfast at Hotel Harasar Haveli and said sad goodbyes to my travel partner Shu and the owner of the Haveli Mr. Bubbles (Mr. Vishwajit Singh Harasar) Sunil and I left for yet another leg of our journey. Sunil told me that his wife was very sick but he couldn’t drive all the way to Delhi on the same day so when we left Bikaner around noon, we proceeded to Mandawa village, located half way between Bikaner and Delhi. Somebody call it “the diamond in the dust”, some “town of living art” and perhaps it is indeed so, however, by the time we got there, I had very little time to explore its famous frescoed havelis.

A remote principality in the center of Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, Mandawa was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped there on the way from China to the Middle East. The origin of the city goes back to the time of Mandu Jat, who founded Mandawa village by establishing a dhani (hamlet) and digging a well.  The city was made a thikana in the mid of 18th century by the Bhojraj Ji Ka Subsub clan of Shekhawat Rajput. Thakur Nawal Singh, the Rajput ruler of Nawalgarh and Mandawa, built a fort in 1755 to protect this outpost. The township that grew around the fort soon attracted a large community of traders, who settled there permanently. Wealthy merchants built beautiful havelis for themselves and their families which are considered to be the most elaborate and beautifully decorated havelis in India.

Presently, a small village of 20,000 people is a popular stop for many Rajasthan-bound tours, however, I haven’t seen a single tourist during my 5 hour exploration around Mandawa. After checking into Hotel Shekhawati, I was offered to take a guided tour around the town for Rs.200. It was already late afternoon and I figured it would be wise to be accompanied by somebody who could not only be my guard but also a story-teller. A young well-dressed man, whose name sadly escaped me, escorted me to the streets of Mandawa.

He briefly told me about the history of the town and then led me to a large elevated site with a water well and some religious constructions. My guide explained the purpose of each well and how they used to serve the citizen of Mandawa. Obviously, they are no longer in use, however, they proudly stand and wait for their time to be in use again.

From the well platform, I could see the beautiful havelis and houses resembling old palaces with people going about their lives. Across from the well, a lavish palace that once, perhaps, was the jewel of Mandawa appeared to be in a pitiful state, dilapidating and crumbling before my eyes. Nevertheless, it was still a palace and people still lived inside. Sadly, many houses and old havelis in Mandawa were in terrible state of preservation, but maybe it added charm to this small village.

Even though, I am very curious and like to look into every nook and cranny, the evening was setting in and we had to rush to see at least one haveli in details. We stopped by a few houses on the way and my guide pointed at the few interesting details of one or another house, and in a few minutes, we arrived to Mohan Lal Sarraf Haveli.

After paying Rs.100 entry fee, my guide invited me in. Obligatory, the entrance was a doubled door, serving both as an elephant gate and a people’s entrance door. However, both doors were open for us. The outer courtyard was a man’s domain where the men of the family met and entertained their guests, did business transactions and slept. For those reasons, it was the most lavishly decorated part of the haveli with incredible carved arches and delicate paintings of elephants, dancing women, galloping horses etc. Guards, occupying one of the former sleeping loggias of the merchant didn’t pay any attention to us and continued to play cards.

The smaller entrance to the heart of the haveli – its women quarter – was inevitably decorated with a string of green peppers and lime, to protect from evil spirits. It felt odd since no one lived in the haveli for a very long time. The inner part of the haveli represented a large courtyard and staircase leading to the second floor living quarters and a rooftop. The floor was almost non existing, some wall parts were replaced and patched up, however, the paintings did remain just as vivid and colorful as they were in mid 18th century. Some rooms were women’s bedrooms with wonderful walk-in closets and built-in wall-shelves, some served as cooking and storing rooms. Balconies were decorated with stunning latticework and the rooftop presented an amazing views of the sun setting over the village.

Indeed, the haveli required some work to make it livable again but according to my guide, it was up for grabs for only $40,000.

It was getting dark and cold very fast, I wish we had time to see more of Mandawa but my guide decided to make a stop at his “friend” art shop where they tried to sell me Indian miniatures. The paintings were indeed beautiful and skillfully painted, but I neither had spare money nor expertise to make an educated purchase. After telling me 1001 stories about everything, including how in 1979 he got a iron from USSR which worked till present day, the owner of the shop let us go.

By the time we got back to the hotel, my dinner was already served. I can’t be sure whether I was the only guest at the hotel but I was definitely the only person in the restaurant. I ordered a typical Rajasthani dinner with soup, gatta vegetables, dal, rice, chapati and papad, all for Rs.225. Despite cold, my guide didn’t put anything on and stayed in his sweater. Later, talking to him I found out that he just got married and his wife and a newly born son (which he was very proud of) are staying in another state with his parents, while he is working in Mandawa. Simply, he didn’t have a jacket because he sent all the money to his family and didn’t have another set of presentable clothes to work with tourists. Sad, because his friend art-dealer was trying to sell me a painting for $180 while my guide was penny pinching so he could send all the money to his father so that his father could take care of his young wife. The deal was Rs.5000 a month, otherwise, she must go. This is Indian life. In the end, I invited him for dinner, paid his fees and tipped him well.

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Pictures from Bikaner

Having been told a day prior that Bikaner, a city about 330 kms away from Jaisalmer, was having a yearly Bikaner Camel Festival, Shu and I decided to drive there as soon as possible. Against Sunil’s pleas to leave at the later hour, we embarked on the trip at 6.30 am and witnessed another beautiful sunrise in Thar desert. Along the way we stopped at the restaurant/gift-shop road-stop so that I could in n-th time be ripped off. My advice – never stop at the road stop even if it is recommended by your driver. I ended up buying a box of cookies that turned out to be half eaten.

We reached Bikaner around noon and went straight to the hotel Sunil recommended – Hotel Harasar Haveli. It might not be the best hotel in the area but it is definitely the most authentic one with an incredible stuff and a very charismatic owner, Mr. Bubbles. I would consider an encounter with Mr. Bubbles to be a blessing of traveling in India, he was very knowledgeable, entertaining, kind, generous and very funny. Mr. Bubbles owns a horse ranch not far from Bikaner that is why most of the walls in the Haveli are decorated with the pictures of beautiful horses. He inherited a haveli from his father who, according to Mr. Bubbles, was very disappointed with his son’s weak school performance and desire to have a fun life. However, Mr. Bubbles had an entrepreneurial gene in him and after restoring an old haveli, he started to rent rooms to tourists until he had enough money to convert the entire haveli into a hotel. Presently, Haveli had two adjacent buildings and from what I learnt from Mr. Bubbles, he was about to open another hotel very soon.

We were shown a few rooms and after settling in one and Shu in another, and running a few bureaucratic formalities related to the criminal charges I filed in Jodhpur, we went to the rooftop restaurant to have breakfast/lunch. The restaurant and the hotel were full of people from all over the world who came to see the Camel Safari. Haveli is located outside the old city, next to the Dr. Karni Singh Stadium and this is where the main events of the day took place, so we just needed to cross the street to be in the center of action. Bilal, Haveli’s manager, was kind enough to provide us with the schedule of the Festival. We added +2-3 hours to the posted times, knowing that nothing starts in India on time, and followed the schedule.

A three day Bikaner Camel Festival usually takes place in January during the full moon but please don’t confuse it with the Pushkar Camel Fair which is a real trade fair of Rajasthan, while Bikaner Camel Festival is an opportunity to present the “ships of the desert” at their best. Besides an incredible camel race, it also hosts multiple competitions e.g. Camel Milking Competition, Camel Fur Cutting Competition, Camel Dance Competition etc. and attracts not only foreigners but a large number of locals from the Bikaner District.

Before mid 15th century, the region that we were now visiting was a barren wilderness called Jangladesh. In 1488 Rao Bika, second son of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur, established the city of Bikaner. According to James Tod, the place which Bika selected as his capital was the birthright of a Nehra Jat, who agreed to have a city built only under the condition that their name would be linked with it perpetually. By adding Naira, or Nera to his own name, Rao Bika named his new capital, and the region Bikaner. Though it was in the Thar desert, Bikaner was considered an oasis on the trade route between Central Asia and the Gujarat coast as it had plenty of spring water to sustain the entire city. Bika built a fort in 1478, which is now in ruins and a hundred years later, under the successful reign of the sixth Raja Rai Singhji (1571-1611) a new fort was built about 1.5 km from the city center, known as Junagarh Fort.

Under the Mughal Empire, Raj Singh accepted the suzerainty of the Mughals and became a high ranking army general at the court of the Emperor Akbar and his son Jahangir. Rai Singh’s successful military campaigns which includes gaining half of Mewar kingdom for the Empire, won him accolades and rewards from the Mughal kings. He was given the jagirs (lands) of Gujarat and Burhanpur and with large revenues earned from those jagirs, the state’s fortunes flourished and he built a monumental Junagarh fort. However, the decline of Mughals in the 18th century brought the decline of Bikaner as well.

During the 18th century, there was internecine war with another Rathore ruling house, Jodhpur and other thakurs over who had the right to keep the family heirlooms, which was put down by British troops. Bikaner signed a treaty with British Raj in 1818 and after that the area was markedly backward, but managed to benefit from British-Afghan war by hiring out camels to the Brits. Currently, Bikaner is a small vibrant town with very few tourists but some interesting sights to see and Camel Festival is one of them.

Equipped with cameras, scarfs and plenty of sunblock, we crossed the road to the Dr. Karni Singh Stadium. The Festival was in full swing with about 1,000 spectators and many more participants, both local and foreign. When we arrived, the women water pot breaking competition just started. The idea of the competition is to cover the women’s eyes, give them a stick and guide them to run about 50 m straight with their eyes closed to the pot trying to break it with one swing of a stick. After observing a few legs of the competition, I realized that either some of them cheated and could see exactly what they were doing, or each victory was a pure luck. As foreign guests we were able to sit down in the first row and enjoy the action at close distance. After a few preliminary legs, the finalists were named, including one foreign girl, for the final run. When the winner was announced and the Festival went into a short remission, Shu and I went to explore the grounds.

Around the main stage, there were multiple stands with beautifully decorated camels and very chatty camel-owners. Not only did camels have specially designed seats and bling-bling adornments, but also they were tattooed with some beautiful ornaments around their necks and bodies. Camel-owners happily allowed us to take pictures of their animals and in return, asked for the pictures with us.

By the time we checked out 10-12 camels, a huge crowd gathered around Shu and I and it was getting very uncomfortable and dangerous. By crowd, of course, I mean young men and all of them tried to take pictures, grope or brash their hands or bodies against me. We have told them to disperse and remembering my experience in Jodhpur a few days earlier, I was getting claustrophobic and scared surrounded by a herd of 40-50 men. We were saved by Rounak, a reporter and photographer from local network who told us that the Festival would commence in the evening, at 7 or 8 pm and we were free to leave and explore some other parts of the town, and so we did.

Sunil was waiting for us at the Stadium’s parking lot, so we asked him to drive us to the Junagarh and perhaps meet us someplace in the city later. We reached the Karan Prol Gate just before its closing time but managed to get the tickets (Rs.200 + Rs.100 for camera + Rs.100 entry to the Prachina Bikaner Cultural Centre & Museum). The admission includes a group tour in Hindi/English or an audio guide. I wish we have optioned to take an audio guide instead because the Hindi/English group didn’t have any English speakers and no other tourists but us, so everyone regarded us as a spectacle on its own and paid attention to us more than to the fort and its history. Also, we were incredibly rushed from one room to another, from one floor to another. I guess if we came earlier, we would have plenty of time to see everything in a leisurely manner, but we just had to go with the group.

Foundation of Junagarh was laid on 30th January 1589 by Raja Rai Singhji, the sixth ruler of Rathore dynasty of Bikaner. Its construction was completed in 1593 and it remained the strong hold of Rathore rulers until the state merged into the Union with India in 1949. Karan Singh, who ruled from 1631 to 1639, under the suzerainty of Mughals, built the Karan Mahal palace. Later rulers added more floors and decorations. Anup Singh (1669-1698) made substantial additions to the fort complex, with new palaces and the Zenana quarter, a royal dwelling for women and children. He refurbished the Karan Mahal with a Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) and built the Anup Mahal – Hall of Private Audience with walls lacquered in red and gold. Gaj Singh (1745-1787) refurbished the original Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace) and built Gaj Mandir – gold painted and decorated with colorful murals, sandalwood, ivory, mirrors, niches and stained glass suite for him and his two favorite wives. Following Gaj Singh, Surat Singh (1787-1828) lavishly decorated the audience hall with glass and lively paintwork and after the kingdom became a suzerain of British Raj in 1818, the Maharajas of Bikaner invested heavily in rebuilding and redecorating the old Junagarh fort. Dungar Singh (1872-1887) built the Badal Mahal (Weather palace) named after the painting of clouds and falling rain, a rare event in Bikaner, decorating the palace. General Muharaja Ganga Singh (1887-1943) was the best known of the Rajasthan princes and was a favorite of the British Viceroy of India. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India, served as a member of the Imperial War Cabinet, represented India at the Imperial Conferences during the WWI and the British Empire at the Versailles Peace Conference. His contribution to the building activity in Junagarh involved separate halls of public and private audiences in the Ganga Mahal and a Durbar Hall of 1896 with its pink stone walls covered in beautiful and intricate relief carvings which served as a hall for formal functions. Junagarh also hosts Maharaja Ganga Singh’s office and the Vikram Vilas Durbar Hall, a hangar with an incredible exhibit of carriages, howdahs and a WWI De Havilland DH-9 biplane bomber.

After visiting a small but interesting museum located in the back of the Junagarh and a photo exhibition, we were asked to leave the fort because it was already closing for the day. Shu and I figured that before going back to the Stadium for the evening festivities, we should take advantage of a few free hours and explore the old city. For Rs.300 we hired a tuk-tuk (which came with a very annoying “guide” who wouldn’t shut up about his Barcelona girlfriend who spends all her money on him) to take us to Bikaner old town and show us 300 years old havelis (Rampuria Haveli, Poonam Chand Kothari Haveli) as well as Jain and Hindu temples. However, by the time we reached the town, it was already too dark to see anything in details yet to ask for a tour. Instead, we spent an evening browsing the Bada Bazar with its fruit and spice stalls, silver and copper shops.

The tuk-tuk driver and his friend took us back to the Stadium and by the time we arrived, it was already the closing part of the today’s festivities – performances and a famous Fire Dance. There were many more people, including children and women, so it indeed felt as a festival. Shu and I were interviewed by the local TV station, our pictures were taken by at least half of dozen newspaper reporters and a thousand of onlookers. A young girl came by to introduce herself and invite me and Shu to have dinner at their house the next day but we politely declined. When the Fire dance started, everybody ran towards the stage and indeed, it looked very impressive. The shaman-looking people ignited the big bonfire and then spread the burning coal all over the platform before starting to dance on it and throw/eat/play with it. It looked very painful, but they seemed to enjoy themselves and I hope they did.

After the dance was over, we tried to get out as quickly as possible but to no avail; once again we were surrounded by mad crowd of crazy and horny men. By then, I ran out of patience and snapped at every one who groped or touched me. We literally took off and ran to the police stand at the front gate where we asked for the security guard assistance. Once everything calmed down, we hurried back to the hotel.

January 17, 2014

After breakfast, Sunil drove us to Ladera Sand Dunes near Ladera Village (45 kms) to see the most interesting part of Camel Festival – Camel race. We got lost on the way so by the time we got there, the festivities were going in full throttle. The moment we got off at the “parking lot”, I realized what a wonderful idea it was to take Shu with me. There were over 20,000 men in the Dunes, not kind and generous men but scary men. People you would prefer to stay away from. Of course, a tall Asian man with a blonde European women were their first point of interest. From the car to the actual place of competition and festival, we had to walk about 1 km and while we walked, we had about 100 followers stalking us and shouting obscenities from time to time.

We were lucky to reach the main location before the Villagers Wrestling Competition started; everybody started to run towards the sparing area and security pulled us inside the wrestling circle to avoid being hurt by the mob. As much as I hoped to believe that Indian men were good natured and friendly, this was all non-sense, they were perverted, freaky and dangerous, especially in masses.

Wrestling was an interesting competition, following the main rules of free-style wrestling and weight categories, but performed in the dunes with sand and dust getting into your ears, nose, eyes and mouth. I guess, if you survive and win the fight in the Ladera Sand Dunes, you might as well qualify for the Olympic Games. I was really impressed by the performance and competitive spirit of the participants except for a few who intentionally pulled out a comedy act to entertained the viewers.

At some point, almost entire crowd got up and started to run up the dune away from the wrestling field. Indian men follow the rule of an animal herd – one runs all run. Apparently, a previously featured but currently banned Bike Dunes race started in the nearby Dunes so all the spectators took off and ran to see what was going on. Obviously, it was immediately stopped by the police and army forces so 15 minutes later, they all returned to the wrestling circle.

After the wrestling was over, everybody went to the racing track to see the main competition of the Bikaner Camel Festival – the camel racing. It was by far the most interesting part of the entire Festival. Shu and I were standing in the first row near the finish line and had unobstructed views of the race. The best part was to feel adrenaline and hear everybody cheering for his favorite camel or camel rider and actually witness the race, but the worst part was to realize that there was no barrier, except for human, to separate the crowd from the camel thus on a few occasions racing beasts ran straight into the dense layer of people hitting and injuring many of them. Otherwise, it was definitely an exciting experience I wish to repeat.

After the camel race, we got introduced to the Mr. Bikaner 2014 and some other local celebrities, took a few pictures with them and for them and headed to the main stage to see the evening performance which promised to be interesting. Foreigners were given a special VIP sitting right in front of the stage and no locals were allowed to enter to our section. I could finally relax and enjoy a company of other follow-travelers. A commotion just outside of the VIP area attracted everybody’s attention however, it was hart to see what was happening. The concert hasn’t started yet but we saw a huge group of police/military people ran and brought to the stage a blood covered body of a man. As I later found out, the man was one of the unsuccessful bikers who got under the hot hand of the police and got severely beat up. Instead of taking him to the hospital, trying to avoid the mob rage, the police brought and placed him in the middle of the stage. I can’t tell whose stupid idea it was because the moment it happened, the mob started to run towards the stage in hope to “liberate” their comrade while sweeping everything and everybody on their way, including us, as we were sitting the closest to the stage. Luckily, the police figured their mistake and rushed to calm the crowd, and by “calming” I mean “beating the hell out of them”.  Up until this point, I was nothing but alert, but after, I became completely paranoid because I knew that if something happens, help wouldn’t come from neither side.

Nevertheless, the concert started and it was a combination of poor, good and interesting performances. The 2 hour long show ended with the grand finale of Fire Dance, this time on a much larger scale than the day before. I happened to be right by the stage when they started to prepare for the dance and managed to record it at a close range. I also figured out their secret of dancing on the fire when one of the dancers threw a bunch of burning coals into me and my camera (I didn’t expect anything less). Apparently, the coals were cold! COLD! It was the moment when I should have run through the crowd shouting “Le Roi est nu” and their Fire Dance was all nothing but the big fat farce.

Video of the Fire Dance.

The moment the dance was over, Shu and I ran towards our car. It was already dark and with no lights in the desert, but random tracks and camel carriages, we were a direct target for the mob. Luckily, we got to the lot before anybody could harm us. After another 2 hours on the road we finally got back to the Haveli. Mr. Bubbles was in the best state of mood, treating everyone with free drinks, inviting all the guests to join the music performance and a complementary dinner at the restaurant. It was one of the best evenings I spent in Rajasthan. Thank you, Mr. Bubbles.

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Pictures of Sam Sands Dunes and Jaisalmer. 

Sunil and I left Jodhpur at 6 am because I have booked an overnight camel safari out of Jaisalmer (280 kms away) and had to be there by 1 pm to register and check-in. Nico has decided to come with me on the safari, since he was planning to do it anyway, but he left Jodhpur by bus a day before. Jodhpur stands on the border of Thar Desert and we were about to enter one of the deadliest places in India. Jaisalmer, the India’s most western outpost is located in the middle of Thar desert and offers one of the most authentic desert safaris in the region, or so they say. I figured to give it a try and spend at least one night in a desert.

Almost immediately after leaving Jodhpur I could see the difference in scenery, the trees were becoming more scarce, while white sand and desert-like plants were getting more predominant. It is a wonderful and serene feeling to witness sunset when driving in the desert. When we finally approached Jaisalmer around noon, a car accident on the main road prevented us from driving through to the city (because apparently, there were no other roads and traffic started to pile up at the scary speed), so Sunil recommended me to have somebody from the agency come and pick me up by a motorbike. Luckily, they were willing to do so, but when a guy came to get me, we figured out a better, dirt-road option to the city.

I used a highly regarded agency, Sahara Travels for my two days/one night safari (Rs.1350), originating right outside Jaisalmer fort. When I arrived, Nico was already there and so were 4 other European students doing an exchange program in Ahmedabad, but exploring India on the weekends.  Because our overnight camp was located in Sam Sand Dunes, about 42 kms away from Jaisalmer, we started our trip in a jeep at 2 pm. About 15 kms to the west from Jaisalmer, we stopped to explore a long abandoned village, which to my knowledge didn’t present any historical value. After browsing for 10-15 minutes, I returned to the car and asked the driver/guide what was so special about this place and what was it called? Apparently, it was a famous cursed village Kuldhara and the story of this place is next.

Established in 1291 by Paliwal Brahmins, Kuldhara was the main village in a group of 84. Despite arid desert and scorching summers, Brahmin community was successful in growing crops and became prosperous. However, one night in 1825 all the people of Kuldhara and other 83 villages disappeared, simply vanishing in the dark. What would force them to leave their settlement after 7 centuries? Legend says that the king (or minister) of ruling kingdom, on the way to somewhere passed Kuldhara. By some chance, he saw the young daughter of the village ruler and fell in love. He asked for her hand but was denied because he wasn’t of the same caste as Brahmins. So, in order to force his way, the king gave all citizens of 84 villages a notice that if they don’t give up the young girl, he would punish all of them. The leaders of the villages got together and in order to preserve their honor and purity of Brahmin caste gathered all the citizens and left their settlement forever. Until today, nobody knows what happened to them and where they settled after, however, there are rumors that they founded another city near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Despite the abandonment, the villages weren’t re-occupied and the houses weren’t stripped for materials, because, before leaving, the Brahmins sent a curse that anyone who would occupy their land would die. Until now, all the villages stand there alone, cursed and with all their inhabitants long gone. In different state of dissolution, some houses look nothing more than a pile of rubbles, while others still preserved their walls and indoor planning.

After about 20 minutes in Kuldhara Village, we continued further into the desert. At some point, we stopped to switch the vehicles and instead of the jeep, we all climbed to our own personal camels to proceed to an overnight camp. I have ridden camels before, in Egypt and I really enjoyed it. At first, it seems scary and the height of the animal doesn’t make it any better, however, feeling the slow pace and good nature of your ride, makes it an enjoyable adventure. After about 15 minutes of photo-craze, I finally relaxed and enjoy the beautiful ride in the dunes. Later, speaking with a friend who did an overnight safari as well, I learnt that they went to a place that felt as remote as NYC in the afternoon, so I was very lucky to have no one but our caravan of camels mounting the dunes of Sam Sands.

After about 1.5 hours of riding, we reached the camp where our driver/guide was joined by other 3-4 men, excluding the camel boys who accompanied us throughout the ride. While our group was happily and freely running up and down the dunes like children, the camp attendants prepared our beds (6 double mattresses next to each other with 6 heavy blankets on top) and were in the process of cooking dinner on the camp fire. A bedouin came to our camp and offered us to buy beer, apparently, we weren’t that far from the civilization, as i hoped, and here I found out that my wallet was stolen. Whatever bad could happen to me, happened. After the rape attack in Jodhpur, theft of $1,000 in Agra, that was just another thing missing from my list of misadventures in India.

Despite all, we had a very delicious and quiet dinner by the fire; conversations, exchange of experiences and just blank star-staring filled the evening way past 10 pm. I went to sleep and even though, I am not big on camping and always have hard time sleeping outside (especially in +0C and wrapped in a dirty blanket), the night was cold but comfortable. Nico was the first to get up even before the sunset to capture some pretty good shots.

January 14, 2014

After the breakfast, we mounted our rides and proceeded back to the pit stop about 1- 1.5 hours away. On the second day, every one felt as a professional camel rider with many years of practice. It is definitely the kind of experience you want to repeat over and over again. I wish I had time to do a multi-day safari.

Upon reaching Jaisalmer around noon, i spent a few hours dealing with the police in regard to my lost wallet and by the time I got to my hotel, I had neither desire, nor mental strength to explore the city. I stayed at the wonderful hotel located just outside the Fort, Shahi Palace Hotel. The owner and personnel at the hotel were friendly and very accommodating to my needs – the usual extra blanket and a heater as well as plenty of hot water to shower. The front desk also arranged a masseuse to come to my room (Rs 900), but I had to cut our session short because it was still too cold in the room and because she was old enough to be my grandma and I felt bad for her. After one month of non-stop traveling around India, I thought Jaisalmer was a perfect spot to take a moment off and breath the desert air without rushing to see other places. That was exactly what I did. I occupied a beautiful balcony-table at the rooftop of my hotel overlooking the entire Jaisalmer Fort, ordered dinner and some beer and enjoyed the great views and chats with other travelers staying at the hotel.

January 15, 2014

Jaisalmer, lying in the heart of the Thar desert, was established in 1156 by a renowned warrior of Bhati Rajput clan – Maharawal Jaisal Singh, hence the name Jaisalmer means “Hill Fort of Jaisal” and it took him 7 years to build the original fort. The ruling family of Jaisalmer belongs to Bhati clan of Yadu Rajputs of Chandravanshi (Lunar dynasty) race who claim to be descendants from Lord Krishna, the defied hero who ruled at Dwarka. The city’s early history was tumultuous, partly because its rulers relied on looting as a source of income. In 1293, the Bhatis raided a caravan filled with treasure which headed for Delhi, thus enraging the then Delhi ruler, Ala-ud-Din Khilji. Bhatis defended the fort for seven years until Ala-ud-Din managed to breach the ramparts and enter the fort, sacking everyone and forcing all Jaisalmer citizens to commit jauhar (self-immolation). Ala-ud-Din managed to hold the fort for 9 years, before loosing it to Bhatis. Later in the 14th century, Sultan Feroz Shah also besieged Jaisalmer, after the Bhatis once again raided his camp near Ajmer. This siege led to yet another jauhar. After just two centuries from its foundation, the city became deserted again.

However, from the 16th century onward Jaisalmer started to prosper due to its strategic location along the traditional trade route traversed by the camel caravans of Indian and Asian merchants. The route linked India to Central Asia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and the West. The reign of Rawal Sahal Singh marked a prosperous epoch in the history of Jaisalmer, as well as great relationships with Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (gained by a nobleman called Sabala Simha for his services in Shah Jahan’s Peshawar campaign). In the mid-17th century, Maharwal Sabal Singh expanded the Jaisalmer kingdom to its greatest extend annexing areas that belong to the administrative districts of Bikaner and Jodhpur. However, with the accession of Rawal Mulraj in 1762, the fortunes of the state rapidly declined and most of its outlying provinces were lost. Political alliance with British Raj in 1818, along with the development of ports, particularly in Mumbai, and railroads, brought the end to a caravan industry of the region, thus rendering Jaisalmer a drought-prone desert backwater. Sadly, only the wars between India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 put Jaisalmer back on the map due to its strategic boarder location, but luckily for us, the city was redefined as a tourist destination because it indeed has much to offer. The Golden city once again rose from the sand.

Unlike most forts in India, Jaisalmer fort is a living one. This breathtaking, mysterious, massive, mirage-like citadel is inhabited; it contains living streets, temples, a royal palace, restaurants,  guesthouses (however, I wasn’t recommended to stay at one) and 3,000 people (mostly Brahmin or Daroga communities) who actually live there. Huge walls encircle the fort that came back from the dead in the past half-century. It is a remote, hard to reach place, but it is definitely worth a visit.

After a great night sleep and hearty breakfast, I left the hotel to see the city. The fort itself, contains 3 layers of walls, 5 kms in circumference. The outer or the lower layer is made of solid stone blocks and it reinforces the loose rubble of Trikuta hill, on top of which the fort was originally built. The second, or middle, wall snaked around the fort. There is a gap of 2-4 meters in between the second and third walls, known as Moti and used to move the guards around the fort. The uppermost part of the fortification consists of merlons (kanguras), gun holes and balconies (jharokhas) From the innermost, or third, wall the Rajput warriors once poured boiling oil and water as well as massive blocks of rock at their enemies, who would become entrapped between the second and third walls. The defenses of the for include 99 bastions, of which 92 were built between the period of 1633-1647.

I entered Sonar Quila (another name for Jaisalmer fort) from its east side, near Gopa Chowk, passed through 4 massive gates along the zigzagging route to the upper part. Truly a living fort, its winding lanes looked alive and animated already at 8 am. Since Jain Temples are open only from 8 am till noon, I thought it would be a smart idea to head there first. Along the way, while taking photos of a beautiful craft shop, I met a Japanese guy, Shuhei who became my travel partner for the next few days. Apparently, after quitting his job in Japan, Shu decided to take time off and travel the world. India was his first stop and he was really enjoying his time there.

We both headed to Jain Temples, after paying Rs.200 admission and camera fees, removing our shoes and leather objects, we collected our audio guides and went inside. Jain Temple complex consists of 7 carved temples built between the 12th and 15th centuries. They all are connected by walkways, staircases and corridors, making it an adventurous place to discover. Resembling to a large extent the Jain Temple of Ranakpur, yet, they were very different; built of soft yellow stone, they beautifully blended in with the rest of the Golden city. I wish the audio guides worked, but they kept automatically switching from one language to another thus serving no use to us.

The first Jain temple we entered was Chandraprabhu temple, built in 1509 it is dedicated to the eighth tirthankar, whose symbol is a moon. The fine mandapa and intensely sculpted pillars, forming a series of toranas were beautifully and intricately carved, however, they look very similar to the lavish Jain temples I have visited before in Udaipur and Ranakpur.

To the right of Chandraprabhu is the quiet Rokhabdev temple, with the traditional Jain sculptures placed around the walls and pillars skillfully carved and decorated with gods and apsaras.

We visited the Parasnath, located behind Chandraprabhu temple and exited through a door to the south, which led to small Sheetalnath, dedicated to the tenth tirthankar, whose image in the temple is composed of eight precious metals.

Browsing around and trying to follow the guidance of our broken audio guide, we stumbled on Sambhavnanth – the courtyard where Jain priests grind sandalwood in mortals and where many locals come to pay their tribute. We were lucky to witness not one but two different ceremonies at the Temple, both were, what it seemed to me, family affairs.

There were a few more places to check out at the Jain Temple Complex and first of all the Gyan Bhandar (underground library), Shantinath and Kunthunath Temples. After about 1.5 hours spent there, both, Shu and myself were overwhelmed by all the carvings and endless passages. When we finally left the Jain Temples, we collected our shoes and headed straight to the Royal Palace. Even though, the fort’s palace looked magnificent and surreal rising above the mega fort, many people I spoke with, neither ever visited it nor advised me to do it, claiming that there was nothing there to see, especially after all other Rajasthani palaces that I’ve been to. However, with plenty of free time to walk and explore the fort, Shu and I decided to give the Palace a try and it was a wonderful 2 hour tour around the Raj Mahal.

Rs.300 admission fee and Rs.100 per camera allowed us to start the tour. There were no guides on the premisses, so we had to use the audio guides which were useful but a bit boring. The elegant seven-storey Raj Mahal, built on top of the 4th gate Hawa Pol, towers the main square of the fort. Guiding us from room to room, the audio recording filled in the knowledge gaps about the Jaisalmer history and kings, introducing us to their armory, coronation process, genealogy and showing a few rooms that preserved their appearance since the time of ruling kings – Rang Mahal, the bedroom of the 18th century ruler Mulraj II, a gallery of finely wrought 15th-century sculptures donated to the rulers by the builders of the fort’s temples and absolutely spectacular views of the fort from the rooftop. Given that we weren’t constrained by time and that Raj Mahal was nearly free of visitors, Shu and I took our time to leisurely explore every room and corner of this incredible palace.

Before exiting the Raj Mahal, we checked out a fascinating jewelry shop recommended in every travel guide – Hari Om Jewellers. The owner, and second generation of jewel master showed us some incredible rings with the finest carvings of pretty much everything, from India’s top 10 gods to all sights of Jaisalmer or ever Rajasthan. I wish I had enough cash at that moment to buy a souvenir but after I have been robbed, I had very little spare money.

From the top of the Raj Mahal, Shu and I spotted a rooftop restaurant so we headed there to have lunch. It was a lovely place to sit on the sun, enjoy the fantastic views of the fort and the city below, converse and get to know each other better. Shu was a true Japanese gentleman – shy, thoughtful and intelligent, and at the same time, courteous and funny. I really enjoyed his company and felt really lucky to have met him. After traveling in India, I realized that a company of a man is mandatory in order to stay safe and sane, in addition, Shu was a very interesting and nice person to travel with and share observations.

Having spent half day in the fort, we decided to go down to the city and check out the restored part with the bazaar and famous fairy-tale like Jaisalmer Havelis. Old Jaisalmer town is a complicated labyrinth of tangled streets, so we had to use map.google and people’s directions in order to find Patwa Haveli. Located on the narrow street, Haveli is a complex of five buildings built by 5 merchant brothers between 1800 and 1860. The history of the Patwa Haveli dates back to early 18th century, when the patwas were struggling to set up their trade and business. On the advice of a priest at the Jain Temple, the patwas brothers left Jaisalmer with the intention of never returning (they were told by the priest that their business would never succeed in Jaisalmer). The legend has it that the patwas were immensely successful thereafter and their business spanned across banking and finance, silver, brocade and opium trade.

Eventually patwas rose to such heights that they were called upon to finance the state deficit. This brought the clan back to their old city. The then head of the family, Ghuman Chand Patwa, decided to give each of his five sons a separate and elaborate mansion, ignoring the advice of the priest. Thus came up the five grandiose havelis facing the Jaisalmer Fort.

Unfortunately, the lives of the patwas took a different turn upon their return to Jaisalmer and their fortunes started dwindling. Consequently, they had to abandon the city-state again, leaving the havelis at the mercy of care takers. The care takers became the owners in the course of time and decided to put the havelis up for sale.  Mr. Jeevanlalji Kothari, native of Jaisalmer, purchased the first haveli, hence it was renamed after him Kothari’s Patwa Haveli. One the first haveli is open for public and presents its visitors the glimpse into the life of the rich Jain merchants.

Shu and I, paid the admission fees (Rs. 150 entry and Rs. 70 per camera) and hired a guide (Rs.100) to personally introduce us to the lifestyle of rich and famous of the 19th century’s Jaisalmer. A wonderful haveli was delicately built from sandstone by the best masons of the time. It indeed represents a state of art, both inside and out. Gorgeously carved stone doorways, jalis, screens, balconies and turrets along with a sophisticated and adequate museum inside, made 2 hours to fly by. Our guide was an interesting character, whose name I wish I recorded; he was also a landowner and a farmer from a place on the boarder with Pakistan. Good natured and intelligent, he shared his great sense of humor and well as his opium recipes with us. I highly recommend hiring a guide for a tour around the haveli, since every room had its secrets and interesting story attached to it and many, even simple objects, displayed in the Haveli, take on very different meanings once they story is told. My favorite was an opium trade room, for obvious reasons.

It started to get dark and our guide escorted us to another Haveli – Nathmal-ki-Haveli, located just a few blocks away. Built in late 19th century, this haveli used to be a prime minister’s house and until now is partially inhabited. The part shown to us was mostly a craft shop with some very interesting souvenirs, however, our guide told us to pay attention t the room itself. Apparently, it was built by two brothers who couldn’t settle on one design for the house, so they split the house and built each side the way they wanted, except for this particular room because it was a shared one. They found a solution by dividing the room in the middle and decorating each half the way they pleased, thus creating this interesting hall with two sides looking nothing alike.

It was already dark when we thanked our guide for such an interesting tour and headed back to Shahi Palace hotel. Shu stayed in the hotel in the Fort, but I invited him to come and have a dinner with me at the roof-top restaurant in my hotel. It was a cold evening but the full moon reflecting off the Golden city made it an idillic setting to enjoy the night.

The post Jaisalmer, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

Pictures from Jodhpur.

After spending 5 days in the old Mewar kingdom (Chittorgarh, Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh), it was time to move on and get acquainted with Mewar’s arch-enemy – the Marwar dynasty and its capital Jodhpur. Second largest city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur has a few names and all of them are correct. It is called the “Gateway to Thar”, implying city’s strategic location on the border with the Thar desert; it is referred to as “Sun City” for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year around. But the most obvious name, which I could witness with my own eyes, is “Blue City”, a name given because most houses in the city are painted in all shades of blue, honoring Jodhpur’s large population of Brahmins (whose color is, apparently, blue).

Sunil and I arrived to Jodhpur around 8 pm and since no vehicles are allowed to the old town (really, again?!), I had to call the owner of the Haveli to come and pick me up by the Clock Tower. He speedily sent a tuk-tuk for me and in less than ten minutes, I was checking into my new home – Shahi guest house, located in the middle of the rustic, vibrant, always- moving old town. Shahi, the owner of the Haveli, has done a great job converting this old house with large courtyard into a wonderful, romantic and very traditional home-stay. I paid $50 per night and got to stay in, perhaps, the largest room in the Haveli, with huge king-size bed, balcony overlooking the temple across the street, an ottoman corner with thick carpets and thousands of pillows and the bathtub! A bathtub is a rarity in India, and even though it lacked a plug and could have caused the shortage of hot water for all other guests, if i decided to fill in the bath, the fact that I had my own bathtub was super exciting. But the most remarkable feature of the room was its wonderful mosaic floor, a floor you wish you had in your own house, if you had a house and the beautiful hand-carved head-board for the bed. I am not an expert, but I could guess it was made a few centuries ago. And the perk of the haveli was the roof-top restaurant, offering the views of the dramatically lit Mehrangarh perched on top of a rocky hill. As the only late-night client in the restaurant, I enjoyed my dinner and thought that my visit to Jodhpur started successfully. Sadly, I was wrong.

January 12, 2014

According to the Hindu epic Ramayana (composed in the 4th century A.D.) Abhiras (or Ahirs) were the first inhabitants of Jodhpur before they got succumbed by Aryans. Later, the region was part of the Gujarat-Pratihara empire and until 1100 A.D. was ruled by a powerful Bargujar king. In 1200 A.D., the Rathore Rajputs, long before founding Jodhpur and a new dynasty, were driven from their land in east of Agra (Kannauj) by Afghans, serving Mohammed of Ghori, to the region around Pali, 70 kms southwest of Jodhpur. They grew and prospered, conquering surrounding territories and eventually succeeding to oust the Pratiharas of Mandore (9 kms from Jodhpur) in 1381, making the city its new capital. In 1459 the fifteenth Rathore ruler, Rao Jodha, one year after his accession to the throne decided to move his capital to the safer location, as the one thousand years old Mandore fort no longer provided sufficient security. He founded Jodhpur as the new capital of the Marwar kingdom (which cheerfully translates as “The Land of Death”).

The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat, thus it enabled the Marwar dynasty to profit from a flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk, sandalwood and date palms. The harsh topography and rugged terrain allowed them to extend their borders from modern Pakistan to Jaipur, and from Jaisalmer to Bikaner. Early in its history, the kingdom became a fief under the Mughal Empire, owing fealty to them while enjoying some internal autonomy. Jodhpur and its population benefited from this relationship, because new styles of art and architecture were introduced to Marwar’s court and opportunities opened up for local tradesmen to make their mark across northern India.

However, after the decline of the Mughal empire in 1707, instead of benefitting from the circumstances, Jodhpur drowned in court intrigues and Marwar descended into strife, inviting on their poor heads an intervention from the Marathas, who soon enough replaced Mughals as new lords of the region. By the time Marwar kingdom entered into subsidiary alliance with the British in 1818, its wealth was long gone and its land was torn by continuously raging wars.

At the Shahi guest house, I had to deal with January weather. The disadvantage of having a large and beautiful room in winter is that it’s impossible to warm it up, no matter how many space heaters you ask for. And even though, I was comfortably warm under 3 extra blankets, a very close proximity to the Hindu temple kept me awake and alert all night long, and the following night too. Until that day I didn’t know any religion in the world that would go on celebrating something and nothing for 24 hours a day. To my sad amusement, I found it and unfortunately, the temple of that religion was located right by my balcony. Listening to the wildest …hmmmm religious songs (??!!), slipping in and out of nightmares, I was acoustically present throughout the entire Hindu feast.  The church bells of Rome, the impressive appeals to Allah from the mosques of Beirut have never bothered me before, au contraire, they were always the authentic part of the experience I craved. However, the teeth-pulling, soul-annihilating , nerve-destroying suicidal sounds coming out of that temple were more than my non-schizophrenic mind could handle. Despite all, I was in a bright state of readiness to leave the haveli and spend a day exploring Jodhpur.

Shahi, the owner of the haveli, provided me with a map and explained how to get to the main site – Mehrangarh fort and more importantly, back to the haveli, because the tangled streets of old town were unforgiving to newbies. Shahi mentioned a few times the route I should take to the fort, stressing that the goat path, I saw from the roof-top, led straight from the old city to the fort but wasn’t a safe option even at 9 in the morning, since it was rarely used even by locals. After packing my backpack with everything I might need for a full day in town, I went to discover Jodhpur.

Obviously, I never found the main road because all roads, narrow and narrower didn’t seem like “the main” to me, so shortly after and with help of few locals, I ended up at the beginning of the path that Shahi warned me not to take. Evaluating my chances and considering the lack of other options, I decided to climb up the path. It was 9.30 am, barely any people on the streets and sun brightly shining over the blue city, made me forget about an awful sleepless night. Along the path, ascending the steep rocky walls of the hill, Jodhpur presented itself in its full morning glory – quiet and dignified.

On the path, I met a man, perhaps Indian-American, since he had no accent, who told me to be careful because some parts of the path lay among the trees and if one of the trees fell over the path, I might have to come back and take another route. I took my chances and proceeded. They say, everything happens for a reason, there are moments in life when we are tested, there are moments when we are given a second chance and there are moments when we have to stand up and act. Sadly, destiny was about to test me.

Half-way up the hill, I glanced back and saw a few men quickly approaching me from behind and I knew, they weren’t going to the fort, they were going after me. Later, analyzing the situation, I was surprised to realize how quickly our brains process the information. Those men didn’t waste their time and surrounded my from all sides, but the few seconds of advantage I had from the moment I spotted them were enough for me to compose myself and try to look for a way out. The older guy, perhaps 40 y.o., jumped ahead of me on the path (which none of us could abandon, since it was the only way on the cliffy surface of the hill) and took his pants down. I looked around to see that other men were closing up on me from behind, trying to grab my shoulders to keep me still and perhaps pin me down. By then, the guy who took his pants down, got his pathetic “member” out jerking it off and trying to get it up. Have you ever been scared to the extend that the palms of your hands involuntarily start to sweat? That is how i felt, trapped and scared! I knew it was the end, if not the end of my life, but definitely, if those men succeed, some part of my soul would die and nothing will ever be the same. I looked into his eyes and I saw a sign of victory. He hasn’t insert his d**k inside me but he was already celebrating. He was already glorifying himself for something that I consider the most heinous crime against human being – rape! And something clicked in my head when I saw his eyes – I was ready to fight and if I had to, I was ready to kill him, but never allow him to touch an inch of my skin, yet rape me. All the kindness and continuos petty I felt towards Indian people throughout my trip turned into the strongest bout of anger I have ever experienced. I was so terrified but I swang my very old and heavy Nikon D70 off my shoulder and with full force landed it in the head of one of the rapists. They didn’t expect such move from me and retreated back by 1-2 meters, releasing my hands. A man who was blocking my way, made a move to seize me but because he had his pants down, he couldn’t move freely, so he bent over to pull his pants while I grabbed a rock and started hitting him with it on the back of his head. He was strong enough to easily overpower me, but I was ready to kill and that sealed my destiny. Blood started to pour from a gash on his head and he slowly slid off the path. Without waiting for the events to unfold further and not looking back at his friends-rapists, I ran… and ran.. and ran… and I never run, but those ten minutes to the front gate of the fort seemed like an eternity to me.

I spare you the details of my trials and tribulations with Indian police when i showed up by the Mehrangarh with a bloody camera in my hand screaming that somebody attempted to rape me just 400 meters away from the entrance. No one cared! Indians think that Western or European women are whores so by raping them, they are doing them a favor. I am 100% serious! They are sure, that even if a foreign woman doesn’t enjoy forceful sex with them, she won’t go to the police but simply take a shower and forget about it. And if something goes so wrong that a woman does go to the police, no one would assist her there, because either policemen are just like other Indian men or because police is a big Indian joke, but likely a combination of two. To wrap up my story, police refused to open a case on the ground that they didn’t speak English and apparently, couldn’t record my story without a translator (who probably doesn’t exist). But, I couldn’t let this situation slide, how could I? I am immensely grateful to the US Embassy in Delhi who helped me to open the case and supported me all the way throughout this situation.

But let’s back to Mehrangarh…. Shaken, scared but alive and unharmed, I reached the front gate of this fort. A British father-son duo witnessing my conversation with the Tourist police, volunteered to accompany me to the fort if I wished to continue. I could have called Sunil to come and pick me up, but I knew that being alone, scared and frustrated in my hotel room, wouldn’t be the best option. So, I decided to stay with the British couple and at least walk around the fort.

Rao Jodha laid the foundation of the fort on May 12, 1459 on the rocky hill 9 kms to the south of old capital Mandore. The hill was known as Bhaurcheeria – the mountain of birds. According to legend, in order to build his fort, Rao Jodha had to displace the only human inhabitant of the hill, a hermit called Cheeria Nathji – lord of birds. Angry at Rao Jodha, hermit cursed the place with scarcity of water and until today, the area is plagued by a drought every 3-4 years. In order to ensure that Mehrangarh will be populous and prosperous, following an old tradition, Rao Jadha buried a man, named Raja Ram Meghwal, alive in the foundation of the fort. In return for his favor, Rao Jodha promised the man’s family to be looked after by the Rathore kings and up to this day, his descendants still live in the Raj Bagh, an estate bequeathed them by Jodha.

Construction of Mehrangarh (Sun-fort) started in 1459 by Rao Jodha, however, most of the fort which stands today dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-1678). The fort is located in the center of the city, spreading over 5 kms atop of 122 m high hill. Its walls, which are up to 36m high and 21m wide, protect one of the jewels of Rajasthan and despite multiple sieges and attacks, Mehrangarh has never been conquered. Still run by the Jodhpur’s royal family, Mehrangarh is full of history and legends. The complex houses the Maharaja’s palace, several temples and, tucked away in the back, an extensive garden still farmed to this day. After paying Rs.300 entry fee, Rs.100 per camera, I picked up my audio guide and joined the British couple. Unfortunately, I was still deeply distraught and didn’t want to come across as a ungrateful friend, so shortly after, I excused myself and left to walk around the fort by myself.

I entered the fort via Jai Pol “Victory Gates” built by Maharaja Man Singh in 1806 to celebrate his victory in a war with Jaipur and Bikaner. Walking all the way up the ramp, I got to Dedh Kangra Pol, built in the 16th century, it was the original external gate to the palace and still bears the scars of bombardment by cannonballs from 1808.

I had to pass trough two more 16th century gates – Imritia Pol and Loha Pol (Palace’s original gate) before entering the Palace grounds. Immediately to the left of Loha Pol there are handprints (sati marks) of the ranis who in 1843 immolated themselves on the funeral pyre of their husband, Maharaja Man Singh.

Within the fort, there are multiple fantastically designed and decorated palaces, some of which were turned into interesting museums, exhibiting palanquins, howdahs, miniature paintings, costumes and so on. And despite the fact that I have visited uncountable palaces in India alone, Mehrangarh palaces made the biggest impression on me. Not only were they beautifully and craftily built, but also they had a sense of belonging in them, as if the king just stepped out and would return soon. There were no long abandoned female quarters or dilapidating king’s bedrooms, it felt as if the palaces froze in time in their best state of affair and because excess to pretty much every room was allowed without constrains, I felt as if I were touring somebody’s very …very beautiful home.

The first palace everyone enters is Shringar Chowk or Anointment Courtyard, superbly decorated with finely carved jalis that look more like sandalwood than sandstone. The facade of the upper stories form a continuous perforated screen through which the women could watch proceedings in Shringar Chowk. The proceedings included the anointment of a new ruler, for which the marble throne in the chowk was employed.

The galleries around Shringar Chowk display India’s best collection of elephant howdahs and Jodhpur’s royal palanquin collection. Howdahs were a kind of two-compartment wooden seat (mostly covered with gold and silver), which were fastened on the elephant’s back. The front compartment, with more leg space and a raised protective metal sheet, was meant for kings or royalty, and the rear smaller one for a reliable bodyguard disguised as a fly-whisk attendant. Palanquins were a popular mode of travel and circumambulation for the noble ladies up to the second half of the 20th century, but they were also used by male nobles and royals on special occasions.

After, I proceeded to Daulat Khana Chowk, housing a gallery displaying textiles, paintings, manuscripts and headgear. This gallery hosts the most important and best preserved collections of fine and applied arts of the Mughal period of Indian history, during which the Rathore kings of Jodhpur maintained close links with the Mughal emperors. The armory is displayed in the adjacent gallery and represents a rare collection of weapons from every period of Jodhpur. On display are sword-hilts made of jade, silver, rhino horn, ivory, shields studded with rubies, emeralds, pearls etc.  Exhibit contains the personal swords of many emperors, among them outstanding historical Khanda of Rao Jodha, weighing over 7 lbs, the curved sword of Akbar the Great and the sword of Timur.

Upstairs is a gallery of miniature paintings from Marwar school and the beautiful 18th-century Phool Mahal (Flower Palace) built by Maharaja Abhaya Singh (1724-1749). It is perhaps Mehrangarh’s grandest room, decorated with the 19th-century wall paintings depicting 36 moods of classical ragas as well as royal portraits; they say that the artist took 10 years to create them using a curious concoction of gold leaf, glue and cow’s urine. It served as the Maharah’s pleasure chamber to accommodate dancing girls and revelries.

And of course, there is no palace in India what doesn’t have its own Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Hall). The mirror-work includes large, rectangular pieces, rather than an intricate mosaic of tiny fragments; another things is the superimposition over the mirror-work of brightly painted religious figures make in plaster.

A leisurely and fascinating walk around the second floor of the palace brought me to Takht Vilas, which used to serve as a bed chamber of Maharaja Takht Singh (1843-1873), which had just 30 maharanis and numerous concubines. The last ruler to reside in the Merhangarh, his room is an interesting blend of styles, most traditional, but some, like the christmas balls on the ceiling, testifying to the modern age which arrived with the British. The bed chamber is decorated from ceiling to floor with paintings on a variety of subjects; from Hindu gods and goddesses to European ladies. Even the ‘carpet’ on the floor is painted.

I then entered an extensive zenana (women’s quarter), the inner sanctum of the palace once guarded by eunuchs, this is where the Maharaja’s multiple wives whiled away their days. The zenana’s beautiful lattice windows (from which the women could watch the goings-on in the courtyards) are said to feature over 250 different designs. An audio guide had an interesting self-narrated story of a living rani who entered the zenana many years ago as a young girl and a new wife of the last king of Jodhpur.

Moti Mahal (Pearl Hall) was the last to visit on this tour. Built by Raja Sur Singh (1595-1619) it is the largest palace in Mehrangarh. Pearl-colored inside and decorated with colored glass windows, the palace served as Maharaja’s audience hall. It is equipped with five alcoves leading into hidden balconies, believed to be built for his five queens to listen in on court proceedings.

Before exiting the Mehrangarh fort, I called Sunil to come and pick me up by the gates of the fort because I was still afraid to walk alone back to the city. Coming down towards the Jai Pol, I ran into Nicco and his Argentinian friend, whom I met in Udaipur a few days before. They were coming back to the palace with no particular reason, so I suggested, since I had a car, to go and check out some other places. They agreed and when Sunil arrived, I asked him to take us to the palace which faint but beautiful silhouette was rising above the city –  Umaid Bhawan Palace.

Umaid Bhawan Palace is the last grand palace built in India. Divided into three functional parts, it houses a Museum, the current royal incumbent’s, Gaj Singh II, residency and a luxurious Taj Palace hotel. Built in 1929, the 347-room edifice was designed by the Brit Henry Lanchester for Maharaja Umaid Singh. It took 15,000 workers, 15 years and a whooping amount of money to complete. The building is mortarless and incorporates 100 wagon loads of Makrana marble and Burmese teak in interior. Apparently its construction began as a royal job-creation program during the time of severe drought. Currently, only the museum part of the palace is open for public, while access to the rest of the Palace is reserved for those, who stay or dine (another way to get into the palace as I found out) at Taj hotel or King’s court.

Rs.60 would get you a ticket to the Museum, which displays photos of the palace’s interior as well as its past and current kings, a collection of european and Chinese clocks and table wear. Across from the museum is a Maharaja’s large collection of highly polished classic cars.

After checking out a small museum and cars, Sunil drove back to the city and dropped us off by the Clock Tower in the center of Sardar Bazar. It was packed with people and Nicco worried whether I would safe being there alone. There were two things (besides visiting a police office again) that I wanted to do. Primarily, I wanted to order a custom-made set of 3 feet tall gangaurs for my apartment in New York, which I successfully did from J.G. Art & Crafts shop, whose owner took my order and promptly one week later delivered the gangaurs to my friend’s house in Delhi. And the second thing was to buy the world famous teas and spices from M.V. Spices (shop number 209-B, inside the vegetable market near the Clock Tower).  Run by 3 sisters, this place is famous to have the best teas in all of India. The shop attendant made me a few different teas to try and 30 minutes later, I left the shop with a bag full of teas, vanilla and saffron. Be aware that many shops in Jodhpur try to imitate M.V. Spices because of their stellar reputation and multiple mentioning in different travel guides; pay attention to the name of the shop you enter, it is not M.M.V. Spices and not V.M. Spices or any other derivation of those or any other letters. On the way to my hotel, I have also purchased a dozen of bangles from a master himself which pleased him and his clients who helped me to pick the right ones, since, apparently, I have very big hands and not all Indian bangles fit me.

Despite having the Haveli’s card with a map printed with me, I still couldn’t find it in the network of complicated streets, so I asked a few people to show me a direction. Every Hindu person told me that Shahi guest house didn’t exist, as if I never spent a night there, but one Muslim boy came to me and told me that he would escort me there because Durgah where he was going to attend his evening prayer, was a block away from the Haveli. And indeed, he took me straight to the hotel.

I was told to inform the owner of the hotel about the rape accident, but Shahi was at the wedding when I arrived and since I was leaving the town at 6 am next morning, I knew I couldn’t seek help from him. I had a quiet dinner at the restaurant overlooking the exact hill where I was attacked 10 hours earlier, and then went to bed. Needless to say that it was a sleepless night, events that took place that day compounded by the crazy music coming from the Hindu temple across the street kept me awake all night.

The post Jodhpur, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

Pictures.

The great advantage of having a chauffeured car in India is freedom – freedom to drive anywhere, stop for as long as you wish and more importantly, flexibility to come up with a new destination a few days or hours prior, pointed it to your driver and have him get you there.

After spending two full days in Udaipur, Sunil and I left for Jodhpur, however, on the way, I had instructed him to stop by two places that were recommended by every travel guide: romantic fort Kumbhalgarh and the largest Jain temple in India – Ranakpur.

We left at 7 am and 2 hours later reached Kumbhalgarh, which is located 82 kms north-west from Udaipur. The zig-zagging road to the top of the 1,100 m Aravalli Hill is hands down one of the most picturesque drives in Rajasthan.

Kumbhalgarh played an important role in the history of Mewar dynasty, particularly from the time of Maharana Kumbha to Maharana Pratap (1433-1597). Second only to the Chittorgarh fort, the rulers wisely used to retreat there in times of danger. Not surprisingly, Kumbhalgarh was taken once and only for two days by the combined forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amber, Raja Udai Singh of Marwar and the Sultan of Gujarat. It is said that 3 women of Mali caste showed the secret entrance to the enemies and as punishment, they were bricked alive in the wall of the fort and stone heads of three women were put on demonstration on the exterior of fort wall on the right of Ram Pol.

The earlier history of the fort is somewhat obscure in the absence of adequate archeological and literary evidences; however, legendary tradition says that in ancient times Kumbhalgarh was known as Machchindrapur and was associated with King Samprati of Maurya dynasty who built the original fort. There is no archeological or historical evidence that links Samprati to the construction of the fort, although the remains of an old wall, few structures and a small fortress (around the 2nd century B.C.), near Juna Bhilwara village and Pitaliya Shah Jain Temple appear to belong to pre-Kumbha times.  

The traditional version of the history of Kumbhalgarh says that the fort was built by Mewar’s Maharana Kumbha of Sisodia dynasty. Out of 84 forts in his dominion, Rana Kumbha is said to have designed 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate. According to legend, in 1443, Rana Kumbha attempted to build a fort on the top of the Aravalli hill, however, despite all his efforts, every morning he woke up to see the constructions of the previous day to crumble. As a religious person, he consulted a spiritual preceptor who advised the ruler to find a volunteer to serve as a human sacrifice. The king sent out word, but no one volunteered, until one day a pilgrim (another version – a solder) came about with his desire to be decapitated, so the Rana could build his fort. According to the prediction, the sacrifice was necessary to ensure that the battle walls of the fort would be strong enough to withhold the sieges. 

Today, the winding 15 feet wide walls of Kumbhalgarh, second only to the Great Wall of China, stretch for more than 36 kms, allowing 8 horses to ride abreast. There are 7 fortified gateways to the fort, including Ram Pol through which I entered and Hanuman Pol containing a shrine and a temple commemorating a person who sacrificed his life for the fort to be built. 

After purchasing a ticket (Rs.100) and a guide book about Kumbhalgarh (Rs.50), I went inside. It was still very early and cold, and no guides were available for hire, so relying on my sight and a moment-ago purchased book, I went on what it turned out to be a 6 hours tour around the fort but more importantly around 360 intact and ruined temples, some of them dating back to the 2nd century B.C.

Right of the Ram Pol, there is Vedi-Temple complex, built on raised platform enclosed on three sides by high walls. It comprises of Yajna Vedi, square chhatri and triple shrines. This complex is one of the most imposing structures in Kumbhalgarh for performing yajnas on completion of the construction of the fort by Rana Kumbha in 1457 A.D. An image of six-armed Vishnu seated in lalitasana on Garuda is enshrined in the sanctum of the shrine on the right. A square-pillared chhatri, probably meant for offering sacrifice during the time of yajna, is in the center between the triple shrines and the Yajna Vedi.

I continued walking away from the fort towards the rising spires of ancient temples. I can’t name all of them, but I will try to mention and describe a few I remember. Neelkanth Mahdev Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, built in 1458, faces west. It is rectangular in plan with seven domed roof, supported by 26 gigantic stone pillars with lotus finials at the top of central dome. The huge 6 foot high Shiva-linga of black stone with yoni pitha is the only deity in the area still being worshipped and maintained by the locals. A legend says that Rana Kumbha was so tall that when he sat for his prayers on the floor of this temple, his eyes were on level with the deity. He never began a day without performing prayers himself and what an irony that he was beheaded by his own son, as he prayed.

I passed by Parsvanatha Temple, Mataji or Kheda Devi Temple, Jain temples near Vijay Pol, towards Bawan Deori, an imposing group of 52 temples built in 1464, of which fifty are equal in size and arranged all around the outer wall with their entrance towards courtyard. Two main shrines – one in the center of back wall and the other in the middle of the court, are larger in size. The main shrine has pancharatha sanctum with curvilinear sikhara, an antarala and an open mandapa with square interior and dome ceiling. The facade of the sanctum is lavishly carved with floral designs and human figurines. Mukhamandapa (frontal pavilion) is decorated with apsaras in different postures playing with balls, vina, holding mirror, necklaces, chauri bearer etc.

Further up the hill, I entered Golera group of temples, containing nine shrines, of which 4 are dedicated to Jain pantheon, while the remaining 5 are brahman shrines. Built on elevated rocky surface, Temples stand majestically and attractively on the highest point on the western part of the hillock, approached by the flight of steps from east. There is a chamber below the western mandapa with a narrow entrance from the west, where 24 headless stone sculptures were found, now kept in the museum.

Every temple I encountered was a little discovery in itself, standing on circular terraces or patterned platforms, they all were beautifully carved and despite their visible hollowness, had a story to tell. By then, I spent 4 hours browsing the empty temples while walking away from Kumbhalgarh, so I turned around and after shedding a few layers of clothes, since it finally got warmer, proceeded towards the fort.

To the left of Ram Pol is Ganesha and Charbhuja Temples. Ganesha temple was built by Rana Kumbha and the image of Ganesha is enshrined in the sanctum. Standing on the high platform, it can be entered via the flight of steps from south, it has a garbhagriha, an antarala, a mandapa with pillared kakshasana followed by mukhamandapa. Charbhuja Temple is dedicated to four-armed goddess, it is raised over a high platform and enclosed by a prakaram walls.

The Palace-Complex comprising of three magnificent structures – Badal Mahal (Fateh Prakash), Kumbha Mahal and the birth place of Maharana Pratap located on the top of the ridge. After climbing a pretty steep ramp, I entered the palace grounds near the ancient baoli which was used to collect rain water. The largest rectangular tank is located near the birth place of Maharana Pratap, however, there are over ten dams and more than twenty stepwells within or outside the fort. The dams were built at a narrow valley by providing huge stone masonry walls at regular intervals. Walls are longer on the top and gradually become shorter while extending down towards slope. Similarly, walls are the thickest at the base, but slowly thinning at the top while maintaining the height of the dams. Provisions have also been made to release excess water by outlet at the corner of the top. Stepped landings have been built from top to bottom with arch-shaped structures in the center to lift water through Persian wheel system. Series of niches were also built on the inner face of the walls for fixing some images, but now they stand empty.

Next to the water tank was a place where Maharana Pratap was born, however, the staircase, leading towards the room or group of rooms was closed, so I wasn’t able to get inside to check it out.

There was no route around the palace complex, but I continued going straight to see the palace from the other side and take wonderful pictures of it and views from the Aravalli hills. By then, I could hear dozen of voices from the palace’s roof, however, it felt as if there was no one around.

After returning to the palace gate, I first proceeded to the lower terrace of Kumbha Mahal. This double storied edifice standing the vagaries of time speaks of the Rana’s greatness and love for architecture. Not comparable by size to the one in Chittorgarh, Kumbha Mahal most definitely was the most luxurious of two. The ground floor consists of a rectangular hall with small chambers and open courtyard. Between Kumbha Mahal and Badal Mahal is another two storied building with an open courtyard, the ground floor of which was used as a shrine dedicated to Nava Durga. In front is royal kitchen built probably by Rana Prakash. The network of passages, hidden rooms, lower and upper levels connected by hard-to-find staircases, make Kumbha Mahal a wonderful labyrinth of history. I was curious enough to climbed up and down, explore all, even crumbling rooms and by chance, return to the 15 century.

The newest palace, Badal Mahal was built by Rana Fateh Singh (1884-1930). Standing on the highest point of Kumbhalgarh and facing east, this two storied palace is constructed in two parts, Zenana mahal and Mardana mahal, with several sets of large and small rooms. The walls and the ceiling of the rooms of upper floor are painted with floral designs in various colors, whereas the lower half of the walls of the ground floor depicts the fighting scenes. Zenana Mahal has stone jalis which facilitated the queens to see the court proceedings and other events in privacy. Many rooms are under restoration, but the views from the roof of the palace to the jungle covered hillsides and across the deserts of Mewar towards Jodhpur, are simply stunning. 

It is easy to get lost in time as you stand on the walls of the fort or browse through its multiple palaces or temples, listening to the stories of the legendary king Rana Kumbha – the king who gave his name to the area, and who lives on through his deeds long after his tragic demise.

After 6 or 7 hours spent in Kumbhalgarh, to the immense joy of bored Sunil, I finally re-emerged from the fort. We planned to visit another site, on the way to Jodhpur – Ranakpur, India’s most important and largest Jain temple. 23 kms west of Kumbhalgarh (by air), it is a 50 kms  drive via Saira. 

The construction of Ranakpur is well documented on a 1437 copper-plate located in the temple and in Sanskrit text Soma-Saubhagya Kavya. Inspired by a dream of a celestial vehicle, Dhanna Shah, a Porwal, commenced its constructions under the patronage of Rana Kumbha. The architect overseeing the project was Deepaka and there is an inscription on a pillar near the main shrine, stating that in 1439 Deepaka constructed the temple at the directions of Dharanka, a devote Jain. When the ground floor was completed, Acharya Soma Sundar Suri of Tapa Gaccha supervised the ceremonies, which are described in Soma-Saubhagya Kavya.

Built in white marble and occupying an area 60 by 62 meters, the temple with its distinctive domes, shikhara, turrets and cupolas rises mafnificently from the slope of the hill like a wedding cake. After paying Rs.200 entry fee (comes with a free audio guide which is a MUST to understand the history and hundreds of little but important details about Ranakpur),  two Rs.100 tickets for each of my cameras (I left the phone in the car otherwise, they would have charged me another Rs.100 for the phone camera) and the most thorough body/bag search, I was finally allowed to come in.  Note: shoes, cigarettes, leather articles including leather bags and belts are not allowed and should be removed before entering the temple, menstruating women are asked not to enter either; appropriate attire required.

The main temple, the Chaumukha Mandir (Four-Faced Temple) is dedicated to Adinath, the first of Jain tirthankara (depicted in many Buddha-like images throughout the temple). The construction of the temple and quadrupled image symbolize the tirthankara’s conquest of the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos. An incredible construction consists of complicated series of 30 halls, 80 domes and 1444 individually carved pillars none of which is the same. I wish I could prove them wrong, but after an hour of meticulous examination of every pillar, each of which was indeed like none other, I couldn’t see beyond the large picture of the hall. Foreigners weren’t allow to enter the main platform in the middle of the temple, but I definitely had enough time to browse around, admiring the interior covered in knotted, wrought carvings, multiple Jain statues and a beautiful carving made out of a single marble rock depicting 108 heads of snakes and numerous tales.

I surely benefited from listening to the audio guide, it provided me not only with the history of Ranakpur, but also Jainism, specific details about the design of the temple, its architect, results of invasions and the story of re-discovering Ranakpur and re-claiming it back from the jungles. A place with so many delicate and intricate details, should be explored extensively and for a long period of time. I spent about 2 hours in Ranakpur and could have spent even more if we didn’t have to continue to Jodhpur.

The post Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

January 9, 2014

After a good and warm night of rest, delicious home-cooked breakfast and a thoughtful present from an affectionate and beautiful Parvati’s daughter, it was time to say goodbyes to the magnificent Chittorgarh fort and follow the steps of Maharana Udai Singh II, who in 1568 abandoned the fort for good and moved the Mewar dynasty capital 118 kms west to a place he called Udaipur.

Legend has it that Udai Singh II came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on that spot, assuring him that it would be well protected (you don’t have to be a fakir to understand that the Aravilli mountain range is a great natural protection by itself). Udai Singh followed the advice and built his residency on the site and when Mughal king Akbar the Great conquered Chittorgarh, Udai Singh promptly moved his court to Udaipur. After Udai’s death in 1572, his son Maharana Pratap took the reins of power, he defeated Akbar at the battle of Haldighati in 1576 and re-conquered lost Mewar territories (except for Chittorgarh). Peace and prosperity descended on Udaipur, palaces were built on the lake shores and art, particularly miniature paintings, flourished.

In 1736, the marauding Marathas attacked Udaipur and by the end of the century, the Mewar state was in dire straits and ruins. However, the State of Mewar was re-established with the help of British, who took the city under their protection till 1947 when India gained independence.

Udaipur is referred to as the “Venice of the East” and in my opinion, it is one of the most picturesque cities in Rajasthan and India too. The city, which represents an attractive mix of modern and old, is located on three interconnected lakes within the town – Fateh Sagar, Pichola and Swaroop Sagar Lakes. Multiple forts, palaces, temples, havelis, gardens, mountains, narrow ancient shopping streets, along with fabulous Taj hotels occupying the former Maharana palaces, followed by the all-time high cult of the current symbolic ruler of the Suryavanshi (Sun) dynasty – Maharana Mahendra Singh Mewar – made it a perfect two-day destination.

Sunil dropped me and my luggage outside the city, since there are no out-of-town cars are allowed in (or so he said), so I hired an-always-super-overprices tuk-tuk to get me to my hotel – Jagat Niwas Palace. It is, no doubt, one of the best places to stay in Udaipur, unless you prefer the quaint old-world feel and luxury of the Taj Palaces hotels, which also comes with a few thousand dollars per night price tag.

Jagat Niwas Palace is a beautiful historic haveli located on the Pichola lake, overlooking the Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir, two lake palaces. After I settled in my room on the ground floor with, unfortunately, no lake views, I asked concierge for a map and directions to the City Palace and embarked on a 9 hour tour around the palaces, lakes and temples.

The City Palace was only 5 minutes walk via the narrow alleyways, and because of the well-charted map, it was easy to find. After buying the City Palace Complex Ticket (Rs.30),  the City Palace Museum Entrance ticket (Rs. 115) and one Camera permit (Rs.225), I was surrounded by the tour guides offering their services. I love hiring guides because they “usually” know more than I do and often things that aren’t commonly known, it is definitely a great money-time investment in India. After picking one, very calm and self-assured young guide (Rs 200 + Rs.50 tip), we went in for am amazing 2.5 hours exploration tour around immense Palace premisses. (Guide’s name was Nitin Sharma, his phone is +91-98292-96494, e-mail: magguidr@yahoo.com)

The City Palace was built concurrently by Udai Singh II in 1559 and his 76 successors Maharanas over the period of 300 years. 224 m long and 30 m high, it is the largest palace in India, and despite its enormous size, this conglomeration of eleven separate palaces and gardens, built and extended by various Maharanas, still remains incredibly uniform in architectural design and style. A rich blend of Rajasthani, Mughal, Medieval, European and Chinese architecture is distinctly homogeneous and eye catching. The palace complex was built entirely in granite and marble. The interiors of the palace with its balconies, towers and cupolas exhibit delicate mirror-work, murals, wall paintings , silver-work, inlay-work and colored glass.

Nitin and I entered the front courtyard via Tripolia Pol (built in 1725), in front of the palace facade is an arena where elephant fights were staged in the past to test their prowess before starting on war campaigns.

After giving me a brief history lesson about Udaipur and its maharanas, Nitin mentioned that luckily I came in the right time, because the current Maharana’s only son was getting married in two weeks time, so the palace has been cleaned, re-decorated to look its best for the festivities. We approached the main block of the City Palace through a modest door from the Ganesha Deodhi Terrace. The door was flanked by whitewashed walls vibrantly painted with martial animals in the traditional Rajput style.

Via Toran Pol, named after a traditional wedding ritual, where the groom getting married to the Mewar princess would touch the toran – a temporary crown tied on the entrance gate, we entered the City Palace Museum. Do not get confused, the main entrance ticket to the Palace allows you to enter only the front arena since the rest of the palace operates as a City Palace Museum and requires a separate ticket.  First courtyard, Moti Chowk, was built during the reign of Rana Karan Singh Ji (1620-1628) and served as the arrival and departure hall for the royal family, as well as a place where elephants and horses were prepared for the royal processions.  Adjacent, there are sites of Khasa Rasodia, original structure was known as Kanwarpada ki Ovari (living room for the prince), converted in the 19th century by Maharana Swarup Singh Ji into the special kitchen and Satanavari Paiga that literally means ‘seven and nine bay horse stable” built by Rana Karan Singh Ji in the 17th century, with five bays of the north block still functioning as horse stable.

The City Palace Museum begins with the Rai Angan (Royal Courtyard), the very spot where hermit Goswami Prem Giri blessed Udai Singh and instructed him to build a new city. Rooms along the sides contain paintings (including the one of the Battle of Haldighati in 1576), armory, historical documents and the fire-pit dedicated to the hermit.

We moved on to Baadi Mahal (Great Palace), the exotic central garden palace situated on a 27 m high natural rock formation vis–à–vis the rest of the palace, where the rooms on the ground floor appear to be at the level on the fourth floor. The swimming pool in the middle was used for Holi festival celebration.

In adjoining hall, miniature paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries depict Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple, the very courtyard and an elephant fight organized by the Maharanas. Because elephants are naturally very calm animals, they were fed hashish before arranging the flights. The fight looked like the two elephants pulling each other by the trunks. It might have seemed innocent, but on most occasions caused elephants deep tusk-inflicted wounds.

Kishan (Krishna) Villa is another chamber in the Palace with rich collection of miniature paintings that portrays royal processions, festivals and games of the Maharanas. However, there is a tragic story linked to this wing of the City Palace – Bhim Singh’s daughter Krishna Kumari drank a fatal cup of poison here to solve the dilemma of two rival princely suitors from Jaipur and Jodhpur, who were both threatening to invade Mewar, if she didn’t marry them.

Approached from the Manak Chowk, Manak Mahal is an enclosure for rulers’ formal audiences and has a raised alcove inlaid completely in mirrored glass. Sun-faced emblems, in gleaming brass, religious insignia of the Sisodia dynasty are a recurring display at several locations in the City Palace; one of these prominent emblems is depicted on the facade of the Manak Chowk, which can also be seen from the outermost court below. The largest emblem is also seen on the wall of the Surya Chopra , a reception area at the lower level. Surya or Sun emblem of the Mewar dynasty depicts a Bhil, the Sun, Chittorgarh and a Rajput with an inscription in Sanskrit of a quotation from the Bhagavat Gita “God helps those who do their duty”. It was and still is customary for the Maharanas to offer obeisance to the Sun facing east, every morning before breakfast.

Many chambers are former living quarters of the Maharanas, each representing a particular king’s style, needs and hobbies. One of the rooms belonged to Bhopal Singh (1930-1955) paralyzed from waist down since the age of 16, his room was equipped with an elevator and made fully accessible for a person in a wheel-chair.

Surya Chopra opens into Mor Chowk (Peacock Courtyard) – a pillared hall with glass and mirror mosaic decorations which are integral to the inner courts’ style. The elaborate design of this chamber consists of three peacocks (representing the three seasons of summer, winter and monsoon) modeled in high relief and faced with 5,000 peaces of colored glass, built into successive niches in the wall area. The Mor Chowk was built by Maharana Sajjan Singh, 200 years after the construction of the palace. The all-mirrored Chitram-ki-Burj and Badi Chorur Chowk are great places to check out too.

The south end of the Palace comprises of Zenana Mahal, the royal ladies quarters built in the 17th century. In 1974, it has been converted into a gallery and now contains lots of paintings depicting royal hunting scenes. Next to Zenana Mahal is Amar Mahal or the Treasure Hall built in the early 17th century by Rana Amar Singh I. Adjacent rooms contain the exhibit of old horse baggies and precious silver objects.

It was almost 13.45 when Nitin finished the tour and rushed me to the Chandra Chowk Gate to get a ticket for a Pichola Lake boat ride. Apparently, tickets sold between 10.00 and 14.00 were Rs.340, while from 14.00 till 17.00 Rs.600. Since I already had the City Palace Entrance ticket, I didn’t have to buy another one, and after getting a boat pass, I said goodbyes to Nitin and ran to the Rameshwar Ghat to catch the last boat (which usually leaves every hour). The Ghat was about 15 minutes walk and I was lucky to make it on time.

Pichola Lake was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II after he moved his capital to Udaipur. Now, it is 4 kms long and 3 kms wide and offers a fantastic way to see the city from a boat. There are two natural islands in the Lake, Jig Niwas Island – home to the royal summer palace converted into the world-famous Taj Group-run luxurious Lake Palace hotel (which I didn’t visit) and Jag Mandir Island, where I took a boat trip.

The city looked stunning from the water, built in different, yet coordinated styles, Udaipur looked nothing less than a postcard during the 40 minutes journey to Jag Mandir.

Construction of Jag Mandir, also known as Lake Garden Palace, started in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh, continued by Karan Singh (1620-1628) and finally completed by Jagat Singh I (1628- 1652). The palace’s history is closely related to the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, when he was still young prince known as Prince Khurram. In 1623, he rebelled against his father Emperor Jahangir claiming the throne of the Mughal empire. Faced with danger of getting thwarted in his campaign, he sought refuge in Mewar kingdom at Udaipur where he was given a refuge by Maharana Karan Singh (they say that the courtesy was extended because Khurram’s mother was a Rajput lady). Initially, Khurram, his wife Mumtaz Mahal and two sons, Prince Dara and Prince Aurangzeb, stayed at the City Palace, but later they were moved to Gul Mahal, a palace especially built for Khurram by his host in the middle of the Jag Mandir island, where Khurram remained under Mewar’s protection in 1623-1624.

The irony of this act of hospitality is that Karan Singh’s father was defeated by Khurram in the war in 1614, and his son, Karan, had acted an envoy to the Mughal court where the cordial amity developed between the Mewar and Mughal kingdoms. Following the death of Jahangir in 1627, Khurram bestowed the title of Shah Jahan at the Badal Mahal in Udaipur, before he left for his coronation as the Mughal Emperor. As the reward, Shah Jahan not only restored six, previously annexed by Mughals, districts to the Mewar kingdom, but also presented a unique ruby jewel to Jagat Niwas, son of Rana Karan Singh.

During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the island became a refuge for the second time, when Maharana Swroop Singh saved a number of European families, mostly women and children, from imminent death from the Indians, by hiding them in the Jag Mandir palace.

You can’t deny that Jag Mandir is impeccably beautiful and manicured island with two separate palaces, Gul Mahal and Jag Mandir, a garden and a pavilion; it is home to an amazing restaurant and a seven-room boutique hotel.

We docked the boat at the Pavilion, an impressive white colonnade of cusped arches, decorated with large elephants carved in stone, four on each side of the entry steps.

The first structure I visited getting off the boat was Gul Mahal. Initially built as a small sandstone palace in 1551, during the reign of Maharana Amar Singh, it was further developed to host Prince Khurram. The Gul Mahal has three circular domed chambers, one above the other, with a crescent of Islam fixed on top of the dome. The columned hall lead to the living chambers where the massive marble slabs affixed to the interior walls were inlaid with colored rubies, onyx, jasper, cornelian and jade. This type of decoration is reported to have been replicated by the Mughals in their Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah at Agra, in 1626. The palace is also said to have housed a throne carved from a single block of serpentine, which is presently not traceable. The Mahal is surrounded by a roomy circular apartment built in white and black marble with murals and paintings considered an uncommon feature in Rajput architecture. On the western wing of the palace, this type of design has been repeated in three other pavilions.

Jag Mandir is the main palace which incorporates the Gul Mahal. It has octagonal towers topped with cupolas and houses a labyrinth of reception halls, residential apartments and internal courts, all built in Rajput and Mughal style. The Zenana and Kunwar Pada ka Mahal (The Palace of the Crown Prince) adjoint the palace. Access to the second floor was prohibited, but the main hall represented a very interesting and well assembled historical museum of the Palace and island. A group of Russian tourists was on the boat with me, and because they didn’t speak English, for 30 minutes I had to play a guide and translate every plaque posted in the museum.

Gardens and Palace of the Twelve Stones are other two things to explore on this small island, but I preferred to order a glass of wine and enjoy the views of the lake and the city, as well as the fabulous dining pavilion.

Once you are on Jag Mandir Island, you can stay as long as you want and take any boat heading back to Udaipur. I stayed for over an hour and met two interesting Argentine guys, Nico and his friend,  who I ran into a few more times on my trip around Rajasthan, since we were visiting the same cities at the same pace.

After getting back to Udaipur, I stopped by Fateh Prakash palace, which is now a luxury heritage hotel hosting two very interesting sites – Durbar Hall and Crystal Gallery. After paying Rs. 525 for a combined ticket (Crystal Gallery and a tea/coffee ceremony) and leaving my driver’s license as a deposit, I went on exploring the hotel’s premises. Durbar Hall, built in 1909 within the Fateh Prakash Palace is one of India’s largest and most extravagant royal reception halls, lit by some of the country’s biggest chandeliers. The luxuriant interior is decorated with weapons of the Maharanas and some of their unique portraits. The gallery above the the hall was used by the royal ladies to observe the court proceedings. I was the only person in the hall and judging by the busy staff running back and forth, they were getting ready for some important function. I have heard from my guide that the rent of this room starts at $40,000 per day.

Before I entered the Crystal Gallery, I deposited all my cameras and a phone, since no pictures were allowed in the Gallery. Maybe because of its hefty, by Indian standards, entry price the Gallery was empty, only the voices of two guards at the door, continually bickering with each other, were heard throughout the entire hall. The audio guide was very useful in telling the story of the gallery and origins of some of the peaces. The gallery houses a rare collection of crystal that Maharana Sajjad Singh ordered from F&C Osler & Co in London in 1877 but died before it arrived. It is said that all the packages and boxes containing the crystals remained unopened for 110 years and when they were finally re-discovered, the current Maharana didn’t want to use the objects but built a permanent exhibition showing the best of the items. Now, the gallery consists of crystal chairs, dressing tables, sofas, beds, thousands of pieces of crockery and table fountains none of which was every used.

After finishing the tour, I was escorted to the Gallery Restaurant where I sat by the window, imagining a life of a Mewar princess while waiters served me coffee with cookies.

After exiting through the City Palace’s Badi Pol, I visited Jagdish Temple, a large Hindu temple built by Jagat Singh I in 1651. After climbing elephant-flanked flight of 150 steps and fighting off the herds of men pretending to be the apprentices of the school of miniature painting across the street (a very common trick in Udaipur), I got to enjoy a few moments admiring wonderfully carved double-storied mandapa enshrining a black stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath, lord of the Universe and his man-bird vehicle Garuda.

It was starting to get dark and I was quite exhausted, but there was one thing I wanted to do before calling it a night. I phoned Sunil to come and pick me up by the Temple and after about 15 minutes, we were already on the way to Sajjan garh or Mansoon Palace. Located 9 kms by the winding road, on top of Aravalli hills overlooking Pichola Lake, this melancholy and neglected white marbled palace was built by Sajjan Singh in 1884. It was originally planned to be a nine-storied astronomical center, but after Sajjan Singh prematurely died at the age of 26, the partially built palace was subsequently completed by his successor Fateh Singh who used it as a monsoon palace and a hunting lodge.

The white marble palace (Rs. 160 + Rs 130 for a car) has high turrets and guards regulating each of the towers. The palace has a grand central court with a staircase that leads to many rooms and living quarters. It has been built on marble pillars, which have been carved with exquisite motifs of leaves and flowers. The Mansoon Palace has a unique rain water harvesting structure with storage capacity of 195,500 litres, however, it wasn’t adequate to sustain the palace and it was therefore abandoned. In 1956 Maharana Shri Bhagawat Singh gave Mansoon palace to people of Mewar, perhaps it explains the neglected state of the Palace and its weird Wildlife Sanctuary exhibit inside the main hall.

I did come to check out the palace, but more importantly, I came to witness the glorious end of the day with the sun setting behind the Aravalli range.

After a delicious dinner at the restaurant located in my hotel, with a wonderful views of the lake and a bunch of noisy patrons, I finally went to sleep.

January 10, 2014

I spent the entire previous day checking out the sites of Udaipur and with relative success, taking my time, I succeeded to see most of them. Today, I asked Sunil to take me to a few other sites that are located within 20-30 kms from Udaipur, namely Sas-Bahu Temple and Eklingji Temple.

I met Sunil outside the city walls at 9 am and we headed to Nagda, the old capital of Mewar kingdom, even before it moved to Chittorgarh in 734 A.D. In ancient times, Nagda was known as Nagahrada founded by Nagaditya, the fourth Mewar king, who ruled in 646 A.D. It was a flourishing town studded with Shiva, Vaishnava and Jain temples. In the 15 century, the Guhila king Mokala, constructed a large lake naming it after his brother Bagela Singh. There are several temples around the lake, but the most famous one is Sas-Baku Temple.

The temples were built in the 10th century and Sas-Bahu means “Mother-in-law” and “daughter-in-law” respectively. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and consists of two structures – one by mother-in-law large structure and one by daughter-in-law smaller structure. Both temples are similar in construction, have an altar, a mandapa (columned prayer hall) with projections and a porch.

The larger Sas Temple has a torana (archway) in its front and it is believed that on ceremonial occasions the image of the Lord Vishnu was swung from the torana accompanied by hymns in the praise of lord. The smaller Bahu Temple has an octagonal ceiling which is adorned with beautifully carved eight intricate female figures.

Both temples are built on the high platform facing east and each of the temples is surrounded by subsidiary smaller shrines – ten around Sas Temple and five around Bahu Temple, all decorated with astonishing carvings.  The walls of the shrine are bare and not engrossed with much decor, but the projections with their exquisite sculptures are mind blowing. The sculptures are made in two steps, first, the images of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma were carved and then, images of Rama, Balarama and Parashurama were added. The detailed relief figures include male and female deities, regents, amorous panels and scenes from Ramayana. Some temples were better preserved than others, but the entire Sas-Bahu Temple complex was something to explore, especially because there was no one around that early in the morning, not even a guard.

On the other side of the lake, Sunil dropped me off by the Jain temple Adbhut ji Ka Mandir dedicated to Saint Shanti Nath, built during the reign of Rana Kumbha. “Adbhut” means “strange” and it refers to a strange 9 feet idol located inside the temple. When I arrived, the temple was under a full-throttled construction and unless the black ordinary looking sculpture I found inside was the “strange idol” people were talking about, I didn’t find anything interesting to see there. However, on the way out, the construction workers showed me the other, smaller temple which surely served as a substitute to the one under construction. The attendant showed me around what looked like a regular Jain temple with statues of naked saints sitting in the lotus position, except for one thing – in the middle of the room hung a huge bell with Russian inscription “Трудовая Слава 1965” which means “Glory to the Workers” made it 1965. I could have never imagined a Soviet factory or farm’s bell in the India’s Jain Temple. Soviet leaders would have flipped in their caskets had they known that the “no religion” trick didn’t work out. What an irony.

Both places took me about an hour to see, and now we were going to Eklingji – a Hindu complex of 108 temples. The temple complex was built by the Guhila (later called Sesodia) dynasty of Mewar in 934 A.D., in honor of their presiding deity Eklingji (which believed to be the ruling deity of Mewar), in a form of Lord Shiva. The beautifully sculpted temple complex is surrounded by high fort-like walls. The main temple, which dates to the 15th century, was rebuilt from the ruins of an earlier destroyed temple. The walled complex is made of marble and granite and has an enormous double-storied, elaborately pillared hall (mandapa) under a vast pyramidal roof, with a four-faced image of Lord Shiva in black marble. Another temple in the complex is the Lakulish Temple; built in 971, it is the only temple of the Lakulish sect in the whole of India.

I deposited my cameras, shoes and SOCKS in the locker and went inside. It was very cold, about 0C, but the marble floor of the complex was covered with red carpet making it more or less comfortable to walk and explore this very densely built complex. I didn’t count whether there were indeed 108 temples, but there were a lot of them, tightly packed into one city block.  I wish I have hired a guide because after about 10 minutes, all temples blended in together. Nevertheless, it was a stunning place to explore.

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* Photo was taken from the Internet.

By noon, we were already on the way back to Udaipur. Sunil suggested to visit Saheliyon-ki-Bari, a so-called “Garden of Maidens”. I am not a big garden person, unless I am in Japan or China where each garden is a piece of art, but since I had plenty of time, i decided to give it a try. Designed and built by Maharana Bhopal Singh in the 18th century, the garden served as a leisure and relaxing spot for the Rani and her 48 young female attendant who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. There are four water pools decorated with multiple fountains each of which “sings” in its own way; marble elephants and birds, along with the lotus pond apparently were very popular with locals too. There was a small hideous museum in the center of the garden, designed after Ripley’s “Believe it or Not Museum That Went Terribly Wrong”.

My attention attracted a young, 5-6 y.o. girl, playing on the steps of the museum with a dirty piece of clothes. It wasn’t a doll, it was a thread of fabric. She looked very pre-occupied trying to put her rag to sleep, then cuddling it etc. I didn’t expect her to speak English but I asked an Indian couple to check with a girl if she was there with somebody or if she was homeless, because she did look like one but in India, many children look like homeless. They asked her and she said that her mom was a gardner at the Saheliyon-ki-Bari. I guess she brought her daughter to work but didn’t keep an eye on her because she was nowhere to be seen. I never found out her name, but I asked her whether she wanted to walk in the park with me and take pictures of the fountains and flowers, and she happily grabbed my hand and led me to the lotus pond.

This little pure soul was a true delight to be with and a real model when it came to taking pictures, since she wanted to be in the every single one. We spent over an hour walking together, holding hands and inevitably attracted attention of other garden visitors, who would stop and stare. When I finally explained to her that I had to leave, she found the most beautiful flower in the garden and brought it to me. I was touched and hurt to leave. I looked into my backpack, trying to see if there was something I could leave with her, but all I had was a Lonely Planet travel guide and an apple. So, I gave her an apple and she gave me a huge hug in return.

When I left the garden, I found my car surrounded by homeless children, many were barely 5-6 y.o. There was a girl, perhaps 4 y.o or younger, a toddler herself, carrying a wrapped new born baby. I gave all of them some little money, which I usually avoid doing since it stimulates the beggars’ ‘industry’, and even more children started to run from all over the place. I jumped in a car, closed the door and was about to drive away, but then I remembered that I had a pretty pink hair pin in my make up bag which I kept in a car. I asked Sunil to stop, found the pin and gave it to that little girl with a baby in her hands. Money did make her happy, but this little gesture of kindness, made her shine! I could see her waiving us goodbye till the car turned around the corner.

It was still afternoon, so after Sunil left me by the city gate, I walked along the lake ghats, taking pictures of the phenomenally beautiful views of the lake and surrounding buildings, bridges, shops and daily life of Udaipur citizens. Without looking at the map, I simply browsed around the old town, checking out jewelry and souvenir shops, as well as buying famous Indian body oils. Next to the City’s Clock Tower, I spotted a very interesting looking temple, which turned out to be Vasupoojyaji Temple. The attendant sitting outside on his chair not only allowed me to go inside, but also accompanied me with the stories of the paintings depicted on the temple’s walls, and there were a lot of things to talk about. It was decorated with colorful glass and mirrors from top to bottom, making it look surreal and rich. Multiple paintings in the front hall depicted stories from famous Indian legends and I wish I wrote them down, because I can’t recall any one of them. I tipped the attendant Rs.200 for being super nice and friendly and for spending a good 30 minutes showing me every corner of the Temple.

After finishing shopping, I returned to the hotel to pack my suitcase and get ready for an early-morning departure. For the last time, I climbed the stairs to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant that offered, in my opinion, the best food in Udaipur and the best views of the lake too. Even though, the restaurant’s service was mediocre, I let it slide this time.

The post Udaipur, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

After observing the early morning rituals by the holy Pushkar lake, Sunil and I continued our car journey through Rajasthan  and proceeded to another spectacular site, usually skipped by most travelers, Chittorgarh Fort.  Located about 180 kms from Pushkar, Chittorgarh is the largest fort complex in India regarded as the epitome of Chattari Rajput pride, romance, spirit and tragedy, for the people of Chittorgarh  on three occasions chose definite death (jauhar) before surrender. Even though, it is presently nothing more than a ruined citadel, for people of Rajasthan, it remains a symbol of all that was brave, true and noble in glorious Rajput tradition.

They say, Chittor, a magnificent 6 kms long fortification perched on top of 180 m cliffs, was built by the Maurya in the 7th century B.C.  Mauryan dynasty ended in 271 B.C and till the 7th century A.D. the fort was ruled by Chitrangada Mori (where the name Chittor originated from). In 734 A.D. Bappa Rawal, the founder of the kingdom of Mewar, seized Chittorgarh and made it his capital (another version says that he received Chittor as a part of the dowry after marrying the last Solanki princess).  For 834 years, the fort remained the capital of Mewar kingdom, which stretched from Gujarat to Ajmer. It was one of the most contested seats of power in India and a place of the most glorious battles fought over its possession. With only brief interruptions, Chittorgarh has always remained in possession of the Sisodias of the Guhilot clan of Rajputs.

Trice in its history, the fort was conquered and each time it ended in honorable yet horrific  tradition of jauhar – the males of the fort, dressed in saffron robes drove to fight the enemy till imminent death, while women committed act of self-immolation by jumping into a funeral pyre.

The first attack was by Alauddin Khilji  Sultan of Delhi in 1303 A.D. According to my beautiful guide and host Parvati, Alauddin was given a parrot as a present and every time this parrot saw Alauddin’s wives, he kept shouting that Rani Padmini of Mewar was yet the most beautiful woman in the world. Infuriated but intrigued, Alauddin gathered a huge army to march on Chittorgarh and acquire Rani Padmini, if she was indeed as beautiful as parrot was saying.  Upon reaching the great walls of the fort, Alauddin deceitfully promised  Maharana Rawal Ratan Singh to allow him to take a look at Padmini, after which he would withdraw the  army back to Delhi.  Because no man but the king-husband could see Rani Padmini, they came up with a solution – Rani would sit on the steps of her palace in the middle of the lake, looking into water, while Alauddin would stand in the palace on the bank of the lake,  with his back to the window but looking in the mirror at the  reflection of Rani in the lake.  Upon seeing her in the mirror, Alauddin fell desperately in love  and ordered his army to capture the fort and its queen. Rani Padmini along with other citizens of Chittorgarh committed jauhar, but the legend of her beauty until present day told and re-told by people of Rajasthan.

The fort was recaptured in 1326 by the young Hamir Singh and by the 16th century Mewar had became the leading Rajput state. Rana Sanga of Mewar led the combined Rajput forces against the first Mughal emperor Babur in 1527, but was defeated at the Battle of Khanwa. In 1535, Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, besieged the fort again causing immense carnage. Just like in 1303,  32,000 men rode out to face certain death, while Rani Karnavati led women to commit an act of self-immolation.

Jauhar was perform for the third time after Akbar the Great captured Chittorgarh in 1568, after which the capital was permanently moved to Udaipur,  a residency of  the young heir Rana Udai Singh II since 1559.

Chittorgarh was never rebuilt nor re-populated. A small village still exists on the top of the hill, surrounded by the authentic and partially restored walls of the fort.  I was lucky to reserve a room at, perhaps, the only available accommodation in the fort – Padmini Haveli,  a  90 year old converted school beautifully restored and run by the local family. I can’t deny that it was perhaps the most beautiful and authentic historic hotel I have stayed in India.

Sunil and I reached Chittorgarh around 2 pm and after entering one of its 7 gates, Ram Pol,  we drove into the fort’s settlement. Sunil has never been to Chittorgarh before, because most of his clients neither knew about it, nor had time to visit this off  “traditional Ajmer-Udaipur route” site. I happened to treat myself with yet another fantastic historic site away from foreign crowds. We would have hard time navigating the narrow ancient streets had we not met a beautiful young lady in pink saree riding a moped. It was Parvati – the owner of Padmini Haveli, and since I was her only guest that day, she figured that a car with a blonde girl inside was heading towards the hotel.  She showed us the way to the Haveli, a porter boy helped me with my luggage and after having a delicious cup of tea in the courtyard, Parvati took me around the fort (Rs.800). I couldn’t have wished for a better guide!

We took Sunil with us since Chittorgarh covers a huge area but the circular road within the fort links all the gates and provides access to all the monuments (ruined palaces and 130 temples) within the fort walls. The guide book recommended 3 hours to see everything, however, it took us almost 5 hours, even with a car.

After paying for the entry ticket (Rs.100) we went to explore the largest and oldest structure in Chittorgarh – Kumbha Palace. Presently, this magnificent palace complex provides only faint glimpses of pristine glory of the Rajputs.  Maharana Kumbha (1433-1468) made several additions and alterations to the previous palaces on that site. Two gates lead to the Kumbha Palace , Badi Pol and Suraj Pol, and during its remarkable past, the Palace consisted of multiple apartments, The Surya Gokhra, Zenana Mahal (women’s palace), Kanwar Pade ka Mahal, elephant and horses stables, a Shiva temple and other residential buildings and courtyards. Both, the exterior and interior of the remaining structures, are interactively carved and decorated with canopied balconies, making it very easy for visitors to imagine their previous splendor and luxury.

Maharana Udai Singh II, the founder of Udaipur, was born here. The legend says that his maid, Panna Dai, saved the prince by replacing him with her own son as a decoy, while Udai Singh was spirited away in a fruit basket.  Thus, the dynasty was saved. This is also the Palace where Rani Padmini, consigned herself to the funeral pyre in one of the underground cellars, committing an act of jauhar along with many other women.

On the other side of Kumbha Palace is a small but beautiful and active Kumbhaswamin Temple (originally dedicated to Varaha but now to Lord Krishna) renovated by Maharana Kumbha. Raised on high plinth, it comprises of a sanctum, a mandapa, a portico and an open pradakshina path. Built in the ornate Indo-Aryan style, the interior of mandapa is composed of twenty pillars with a roof built in the form of pyramid. Its carved panels illustrate 15th century Mewar life. In front of the temple is an image of Garuda under the canopy supported by four pillars. The sanctum appears to be original and shows bold podium moldings decorated with sculptured niches.

On the south, there is another smaller shrine called Meera Mandir, associated with the mystic-poetess Meera Bai, a 16th century Mewar royal who was poisoned by her brother-in-law, but survived due to the blessing of Krishna. She is one of the most famous historical figures whose compositions are still popular throughout North India. Meera Bai was the most passionate worshipper of lord Krishna, and legend has it, that her love for Krishna epitomized by her final disappearance in the temple of Krishna in Dwarka. She is believed to have entered the sanctum of the temple in the state of ecstasy after which the sanctum’s door shut on their own. When re-opened later, Meera Bai was no where to be found, but her saree was seen enwrapped around the idol of Lord Krishma, symbolizing her final union with the Lord.

Right before the famous Chittorgarh landmark – Vijaya Stambha- I noticed another very different and definitely old temple Sammidheshwar Mahadev (also called Mokalji’s Temple because it was restored by Maharana Mokal in 1428 A.D.).  The temple was built by Raja Bhoj in the 6th century, and contains the inscription on the western wall of the temple, left by Kumarapala, the Chalukyan ruler of Gujarat, when he visited the temple soon after conquering Arana Raja, the Chauhan ruler of Ajmer in 1150 A.D.

The Sanctum of the temple (Garbhagriha) has three idols joined in a single statue representing all 3 Hindu gods together – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Middle idol stands for Vishnu, left for Brahma and right for Shiva. The centered idol of Vishnu has big eyes as if he is watching the world;  idol of Brahma is regenerating the world; and the idol of Shiva, with a gap in his mouth, looks as if it is swallowing the world.

Down beyond the Sammidheshwar Temple is the most picturesque place in the fort – Gaumukh Reservoir – a deep water tank carved out on the edge of the cliff. It takes its name from a spring that feeds the tank from gaumukh (cow’s mouth).

It was getting late and Parvati rushed me to see the symbol of  Chittorgarh – Vijay Stambha or Victory Tower. The Stambha was built in 1448 A.D. by Maharana Kumbha to commemorate his victory over Sultan of Malwa in 1440 A.D.  Dedicated to Vishnu, it rises 37.19 m high in nine exquisitely carved storeys distinctly marked with openings and balconies at every face of each story. The entire tower, inside and out, covered with architectural ornaments and inscribed images of gods and goddesses, seasons, weapons and musical instruments etc. It is regarded as a veritable textbook of Hindu iconography.

After paying additional Rs.50, I climbed the 157 narrow stairs to the 8th floor and enjoyed not only the splendid views of the Chittorgarh, but also the beautifully carved interior.  Luckily, I reached the top floor when there was no one there, so I could spend a few moments on my own, savoring the beauty and uniqueness of this place.

Below the Vijay Stambha is the Mahasati area with many sati (widow suicide by immolation) stones – this was a royal cremation ground and place where 13,000 women committed jauhar during the second siege of Chittorgarh by Bahadur Shah in 1535.

There were a few  Indian tourist groups in the fort, and I guess my presence attracted a lot of attention since I was the only foreigner. Noticing Indian freak-ish obsession and unhealthy interest towards me, I tried to walk as closely to Parvati as possible, hiding my face and hair in a long scarf. However, even all measures of precaution didn’t help because two men approached me and tried to rip the clothes off my head while shoving their phone cameras straight into my face. One guy pulled the edge of my scarf , which was wrapped around my neck, with such force that I started to chock grasping for air. But Parvati pushed them away before they could completely suffocate me. I don’t know how long it would go on for, if not for a man from another group who ran over and started beating the men harassing me.  Police came running too and without assessing the scene bombarded the assaulters with their rubber bats.  After about 10 minutes of thrashing, with a huge circus of Indians surrounding us, both men were led towards me and put on their knees (weird!!!) to ask for my forgiveness.

I can’t deny that I was a bit shaken by this experience, so Parvati pushed me in the car and we drove to check out two more sites, notably the famous Padmini Palace located in the middle of the lake. A three-storyed  white structure (a 19th century reconstruction of the original) crowned with chhatris became the forerunner of other palaces built in the state with the concept of Jal Mahal (palace surrounded by water). It was in this palace Alauddin was allowed to glimpse at the mirrored water reflection of Rani Padmani, wife of Maharana Ratan Singh, which led to the death of Maharana, distraction of Chittorgarh and act of jauhar. Rani Padmani’s beauty was compared to that of Cleopatra and her life story is an eternal legend in the history of Chittor.

I wish, I had more time to spend in the palace by the lake, overlooking the Padmini Palace to soak up its charm and fully comprehend the importance of the historical event that took place there, but it was getting dark very quickly and Parvati was rushing us back to the Haveli.  Along the road we stopped by 22 m high Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame). Built in the 12th century by Bagherwal Jain merchant Jijaji Rathod, the tower is dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain tirthankar (just like the one in Ajmer) and decorated with naked figures of various other tirthankars of the Jain pantheon indicating that it is a monument of the Digambara (sky-clad) order. Apparently, a narrow stairway with 54 steps leads through the six storeys to the top, but it was already closed when I checked in.  There is a 14th century Jain temple right next to the Kirti Stambha where I was allowed to enter and explore.

After releasing Sunil at the end of the day, I finally got to enjoy the blissful Padmini Haveli. Parvati, whose husband was on a tour with German tourists, introduced me to her lovely children and told me about the restoration process that transformed the old ruined school into this incredible and comfortable hotel. Having witnessed myself the heights male chauvinism reached in India, I truly admired Parvati.  After spending a day with this gorgeous, soft and gentle, yet bold, determine and busines- oriented lady, I wish I could get to know her better.  She wasn’t born in Chittorgarh but married to a Rajput from the fort (and she mentioned a few times how proud her husband, whom i didn’t get a chance to meet, was about his Rajput heritage). A Swiss family helped to restore an old school that belonged to her husband’s family and now Parvati, pretty much single-handedly  runs all operations in the hotel. She learnt the history of Chittorgarh from her husband’s grandmother, who was, if i am not mistaken, the first female guide in the fort.  I couldn’t have desired a better company.

After a delicious home-cooked dinner, I climbed to the roof of the Haveli, where I enjoyed all colors of universe coming down on the Chittor Fort in a form of a beautiful sunset. By the end of this long day I wished I stayed in Chittorgarh and Padmini Haveli for longer than one night.

 Pictures 

The post Chittorgarh, India. January 2014 first appeared on SvetaNYC.

After 3 fantastic days in Jaipur, I had to abandon the world of luxuries and start a real road-trip around Rajasthan.  On January 7, I planned to pay a visit to two most important religious sites in Rajasthan – Ajmer and its Dargah of the Sufi’s saint Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti  and an ancient Hindu  pilgrimage town of Pushkar. It is a very common itinerary since Pushkar is a huge touristic hub for both, hippies and spirituality seekers. Sadly, Ajmer always stays in a shadow, however, it was my favorite place out of two.

Ajmer, the Rajasthan’s most important site in terms of Islamic history and heritage, was founded in late 7th century A.D. by Ajayraj Singh Chauhan, a clan branched out of Chechi Gurjars. For many centuries Ajmer withstood the repeated invasions by Turkic Muslims of Central Asia, until in 1193 it fell to Muhammad of Ghor, founder of Delhi Sultanate. Heavy tribute payments to Delhi guaranteed Ajmer a relative autonomy until 1365, when the city was captured by the ruler of Mewar. Since 1509, control of Ajmer was disputed between the Maharajas of Mewar and Marwar, until the city was conquered by the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great in 1559. In the 18th century, reign passed to the Marathas and from 1818 till 1956, the area was directly administered by the British Raj.

It took Sunil and I about 2 hours to drive 135 kms from Jaipur to Ajmer, and at 11 am I was already standing by the Soniji Ki Nasiyan (or Siddhkoot Chaityalaya).  Also know as The Golden or Red Temple, this architecturally rich Digambara Jain Temple was built in 1865 by Soni family. The complex consists of two structures – the main temple building and a two storied Svarna Nagri Hall located behind the temple and known as the Museum.

Greatly revered by the Digambar sect of Jains, the Nasiyan temple is dedicated to Lord Rishabhdev, first of the 24 Tirthankars (religious path-makers of the Jains).  The  beautifully carved entrance gate of the temple is made of red sand stone brought from Karauli. The temple’s court houses an artistically designed 25 m high Manastambha  and a marble staircase, leading to the main temple, which is embellished with images of the Tirthankars.  The halls of the temple are said to be adorned with series of large, gilt wooden figures and delicate paintings that display scenes from Jain scriptures. The central image is of Lord Rishabhdev seated in the “Samavasarana“, in which he imparts true knowledge to the humanity, so that they get liberated from the entanglements of life and death. Unfortunately, this part of the temple is closed for non-Jains, or as the guard told me “It is the Soni’s family property and at their discretion no foreigners are allowed”.

Since I couldn’t bribe my way into Siddhkoot Chaityalaya, I went to check out the Svarna Nagri (admission Rs.10, shoes storage is free). It is sort of a museum that hosts only one item – a three- dimensional replica of the story of Rishabhdev in accordance with an old manuscript by Acharya Jinasena. The thought to have such an impressive model occurred to Seth Moolchand Soni after completion of the main temple in 1870. He wanted to build a figurative representation of the five auspicious events (panch-kalyanak) in the life of every Tirthankara: conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment, and salvation (moksha or nirvana). It took Jaipur masters 25 years to complete this work and now, it is considered to be the largest (24.3 m by 12.2 m) and most artistically represented mythological narrative. You can’t really approach the structure, but you can see it from different directions and levels by following the corridor encircling the model. I was very impressed by the grandeur and amount of details depicted in Svarna Nagri.

After admiring the Nasiyan Temple for about an hour, Sunil drove me to Dargah Sharif,  so that I can participate in pilgrimage to the Muslim’s holy of holies in India. It is impossible to approach the Dargah by car since Dargah Bazaar is one of the busiest shopping streets in Ajmer. Sunil dropped me off about 1 km away from the main gate; aware of “No bags, no cameras” policy at the Dargah, I took my wallet, my iPhone (which was allowed) and entered the Bazaar.

I had mixed feelings while walking a road leading to Dargah. Even though it didn’t look any different from other crowded places I have visited in India, I knew that this road would take me to a special place. I guess it was the presence of chadors and flower vendors as well as a dense flow of people on a mission. The spiritual aspect of the experience died out when I looked under my feet and saw beggars, ton and ton of them in different state of physical mutilation (whether accidental, by birth or purposely inflicted, I can’t judge). The closer I got to the Islamic Shrine, the more it resembled la cour des miracles!

The Dargah Sharif or Dargah of Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti is a holy place because it hosts the tomb of a Sufi saint and a founder of a Chishti Order on the Indian subcontinent, Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti, who came to Ajmer from Persia in 1192 and died here in 1236.

Khwaja Muin-ud-din was born in 1141 in Chishti in Sistan region of Eastern Persia. His parents died when he was 16 y.o., but they  left him a windmill and an orchard to take care of. Legend has it that once, when he was watering his plants, a revered Sufi Shaikh Ibrahim Kunduzi came to his orchard. Young  Khwaja offered him some fruits from his garden and in return the Sufi gave him a piece of bread. Upon eating the bread,  Khwaja became enlightened; he distributed his property and money and left for Bukhara in search of knowledge and education.

After acquiring education, Khwaja travelled widely in search of a pir (spiritual guide). He met Nazrat Khwaja Usman Haruni, who was at the time the greatest scholar and spiritual leader, and after the very first meeting, he completely submitted himself to Usman. For 20 years Khwaja was a devoted follower of Usman Haruni and after passing various stages of a spiritual life, he was honored by his teacher to accompany him to Hajj to Mecca and later to Medina. It was in Medina, where Khwaja received an order from The Prophet requesting him “to proceed to India and show the path of truth to the people there”.

Khwaja arrived to Ajmer in 1190 at the age of 52.  When the news spread that a pious Devrish inhabited a hill by Ana Sagar lake, many people flocked to him for treatments and blessings, including Sultan Muhammad Ghori. In Ajmer, Khwaja Chishti attracted a substantial following and acquired a great deal of respect from the residents, introducing Islam to masses. Neither Khwaja Chishti nor his immediate disciples ever wrote down his teachings, but it is accepted that his Sufi Sulh-e-Kul (peace to all) concepts laid the foundation of the Chishti order in India. He preached renunciation of material goods,  strict regime of self-discipline, independence of rulers and the state, generosity to others and tolerance and respect for religious differences. Khwaja Chishti urged his disciples “to develop river-like generosity, sun-like affection and earth-like hospitality”.

Khwaja Muin-ud-sin Chishti died on March 16, 1236 at the age of 97 and was buried in the same cell where he preached his teachings at the foot of the Taragarh Hill. However, his story wasn’t over. He left after himself a few prominent successors, including Hazrat Shaikh Nizamouddin Auliya,  who ventured to different parts of the country, serving the people and preaching the tenets of Islam.

However, It was during the reign of Akbar the Great (1556-1605) that Ajmer emerged as one of the most important religious centers in India.  Construction of the shrine was completed by Humayun, but many other parts of Dargah were commissioned and added by other Mughal emperors – Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb and so on. Akbar and his queen used to come here by foot on pilgrimage from Agra  (370 kms away) every year in observance of a vow (he asked to be blessed with a son, since he had no male heir). The large pillars  – Kos Minars  – were erected at intervals of 3 kms along the entire route between Agra and Ajmer to mark the places where the royal pilgrims halted every day. Akbar also presented the Dargah Sharif with a big cauldron (deg) sufficient to cook for 5,000 people and two large drums.  They say that over 125,000 pilgrims visit the site every day and I was about to become one, along with Akbar the Great.

The crowds, beggars and vendors almost distracted me from the purpose I came to Dargah Sharif. I stood in front of the stunning Nizam Gate (given as a present by Nizam of Hyderabad), gathering my thoughts and admiring the beauty of Arabic writings on the walls of the gate. I knew that I had to bring something with me as a donation, but I didn’t know what and Zeeshan came to my rescue. He is one of the volunteers assisting the visitors at Dargah.  Not only did he suggest to buy flowers and chador (Rs.700) as a donation, but also he took me into the shrine and around the premises, explaining things and sharing bits of history I didn’t know. It didn’t hurt that he was a very good-looking  and composed young man, who escorted me through the Sharif Dargah with such feel of importance as if I were a Russian Tsaritsa Sviatlana.

Dargah Sharif consists of several courtyards and we passed via three gates (Nizam, Nakkarkhana (drums gate) and Buland Darwaza) in order to reach the central courtyard where the saint’s domed tomb is located on the silver platform. Pilgrims from all walks of life and faith, irrespective of their caste, beliefs and creed come here hoping  that the saint’s spirit will intercede on their behalf. They leave notes and holy strings attached to the railings, expecting the miracles to happen or thanking for something that already occurred.  The amount of people “storming” the shrine was unimaginable; shouting to hold tight to my wallet and camera, Zeeshan dragged me to the center of the shrine. He speedily entered the sacred space  behind the railings where the actual tomb was located, placed my offerings on the tomb and called me to come close so he could bless me. I did all as he said, even though it was almost impossible to squeeze through the ocean of people, but when i did, I was relieved to accomplished something I’ve planned.  Sadly, neither the atmosphere nor the people’s attitudes inspired me to stop for a moment and reminisce or think or reflect on something important to me.

After visiting the main shrine, Zeeshah walked me through the Dargah, showing the degs (large iron cauldrons) donated by Akbar in 1567 and his son Jahangir in 1631, green and white Akbari Masjid, which currently serves as an Arabic and Persian school of religious education, and also the courtyards. People visiting Dargah were curious but very friendly, none of them pulled out his/her camera or phone to snap a picture of me, nobody asked me where I was from and why iIcame there – we all came to Dargah for a reason and they respected my privacy.  After making a small (Rs.500) donation to Dargah Sharif, I was peacefully escorted back to the Nizam Gate, where I thanked Zeeshan for his help and promised to stay in touch.

Walk back to the car took even longer because the Dargah bazaar became impassable due to even denser crowd.  After getting into a car, Sunil was ready to proceed to Pushkar for a night, but I had another important place to visit, a place that even my driver, with his 10 years of experience in Rajasthan, has never been to – Taragarh Fort located on a steep hill south of Dargah Sharif.

Ajameru Doorg, as it was originally know, was built by Raja Ajaypal Chauhan, who was also a ruler of Sapadlaksh territory, in early 6th century A.D. It is reputed to be one of the oldest hill forts in India and the world, though not much remains since its glorious past. The fort unique defense and strength lied in impregnable ruggedness and acclivity of the mountains on top of which it was built. It has seen many battles and nerve-wrecking sieges and was considered to be invincible, however that proved to be wrong. Since the 6th century it changed hands from Rajpur to Muslim to Maratha to Brits.  I wanted to see the oldest fort in India and all i’ve got was a 5 meter long stretch of an old wall along with a 3 kms of newly constructed walls.

Indeed, there were very few things left from the Fort’s past, however, I realized that it is another huge pilgrimage site for Muslims, coming from all over India to visit Hazrat Meeran Sayd Hussein Dargah. During the  the reign of Qutb-ud-din Ebak, Hazrat Syed Meeran Hussain was the Garrison  Commander of Taragarh Fort.  While playing polo in Lahore, Sultan Qutb-ud-din Ebak fell down from the horse and died. As soon as the news of his death reached Ajmer, the Thakur and Rajput landlords of adjoining areas collaboratively launched a night attack on Taragarh Fort by entering the fort and murdering everyone on their way.  Hazrat Meeran Hussain was also martyred in the attack.

When the people of the city woke up in the morning and saw the bloodshed, they began a mass mourning.  Hearing about the tragedy, Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti visited the fort with his followers and after performing the Namaz-e-Janaza,  he buried the martyrs of Taragarh Fort. Indeed, people don’t come to Taragarh to look at the ancient fort, but to pay their tributes to the Dargah Sharif of  Hazrat Meeran Hussain.

Before following the crowds without realizing where they road would take me, I looked around, still in desperate search for the old walls of the fort. I circled the ruins around the road, visited a half-finished, but already beautiful mosque outside the gate and witnessed a man taking a bath in the garbage, literally.

While climbing the stairs to the old town, a hijda approached me. S/he gently pinched me on my cheek saying that I was pretty and with a roaring laughter ran down the stairs. I have heard and read about hijdas, but it was my first face-to-face encounter. I guess I was lucky!

I took my shoes off and entered the Dargah Sharif of  Hazrat Meeran Hussain via a massive white gate. Two Muslim girls 8-10 years of age with heavy buckets of water on their heads led me all the way to the shrine. On the way back, when I was looking for my shoes, one of them rushed to me carrying them; apparently, she was worried that somebody might take them, so they kept it safe for me while I was at the Dargah.

The old Taragarh fort felt surrealistic as if it froze in time – the streets, the people with their odd clothes and manners; nevertheless, everyone seemed peaceful and welcoming to me. After walking around the green-and-white courtyards of Taragarh Dargah and chatting with a lot of friendly and curious people, I left the shrine and went to explore the old city. Right outside the side gates, there were two huge 1,600 and 3,200 kgs degs in use to serve food for poor people. While taking pictures of the degs, a crowd of girls surrounded me and asked to take pictures of them. I spent 10 minutes snapping photos of everyone and they all seemed to be super delighted not only by the process but by the results as well.

The photo session brought a sort of commotion to the sleepy streets of this town from Middle Ages, so I tried to slowly and respectfully withdraw from the gate area into the back streets. It was a wonderful walk, full of character and calmness – no Westerner stepped a foot on those streets for a long time. I found a true gem destination next door to a touristic Ajmer.

There are more things to see in Ajmer, including a famous Qutb-ud-din Jhonpra, Magazine (Price Salim’s former house), Mayo College and Ana Sagar lake. Sunil never got to understand why I was so fascinated with Muslim culture willing to spend hours browsing the Dargahs. Tonight, all he wanted was to take off to Pushkar  and call it a night as soon as possible.

Just 11 kms away from Ajmer, Pushkar has its own charisma and interesting history. It is one of the oldest cities in India and one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites)  for Hindus, visiting Pushkar to worship Lord Brahma.  I found at least 4 different legends associated with the city’s initiation, but the main one is based on the Hindu scripture Padma Purana. According to it, Brahma saw the demon Vajranabha (Vajranash, in other versions) trying to kill Brahma’s children, so he immediately slew the demon with his weapon – the lotus flower. Lotus’ petals fell on the ground and created 3 lakes. When Brahma came down to the earth, he name the place Pushkar – “pushpa” for  “flower” and “kar”  for “fell from Brahma’s hand”.

Brahma then decided to perform a yajna (fire-sacrifice) at the main Pushkar Lake. To perform it peacefully without being attacked by the demons, he created four hills around the Pushkar and positioned gods there for protection. However,  to execute the yajna, he needed the presence of his wife Savitri  (Sarasvati in some versions) who was away, waiting for her companion goddesses  Lakshmi,  Parvati  and Indrani.  Annoyed, Brahma request God Indra (King of  Heaven) to find a suitable girl for him to wed in order to compete the ceremony. Indra could only find a simple Gujar’s daughter who was sanctified by passing through the body of cow. Gods Vishnu, Shiva and the priest certified her purity and named her Gayatri.  Brahma married Gayatri and completed the yajna with his new consort sitting beside him, holding the pot of amrita (elixir of life) on her head and giving ahuti (offering to the sacrificial fire).

When Savitri finally arrived, she found Gayatri sitting next to Brahma. Upset, she cursed Brahma that he would never be venerated, but then reduced the curse permitting his worship only in Pushkar. Savitri also cursed Indra – to be easily defeated in battles, Vishnu –  to suffer the separation from his wife as a human, the fire-god Agni ,who was offered the yajna, –  to be all-devouring and the priests officiating the yajna – to be poor. Endowed by the powers of yajna, Gayatri diluted Savitri’s curse, blessing Pushkar to be the place of pilgrimages, Indra would always retain his heaven, Vishnu would be born as the human Rama and finally unite with his consort and the priests would become scholars and be venerated. Thus, Pushkar (and Jagatpita Brahma Mandir in particular)  is regarded the only place dedicated to Lord Brahma. Savitri moved into the Ratnagiri hill and became a part of it by emerging as a spring known as the Savitri Jharna; a temple in her honor was also established here.

Sunil dropped me outside the city center as this place was so small, that only few local cars were allowed to enter. I dragged my suitcase for about 5 blocks to reach Hotel Kanhaia Haveli, located about a block away from the main Bazaar street. After checking in and upgrading my room (extra Rs.750), I inquired the owner of the hotel about the places I must visit  and how long it would take. He said that the entire place, including 52 ghats and 500 temples would take no longer than 30 minutes to see!!! Apparently, no temples but  Jagatpita Brahma Mandir are open for tourists, however, I didn’t verified this information, since it was already 5 pm and I hurried to see  the famous Brahma Temple.

The Temple was located on the other side of Bazaar, which is a long touristy street selling everything you need and don’t. The one things that caught my eye immediately was the serenity and hassle-free attitude. Perhaps, it was one of the few places in India where people didn’t stop to look at me, take photos or try to sell me anything  I didn’t want.  Everyone plainly went along with their lives  – vendors, cows, tourist, pilgrims and a huge colony of hippies inhabiting the banks of Pushkar lake.

I reached Jagatpita Brahma Mandir at around 5.30 pm, deposited my shoes and cameras at the store next door (Rs.50) and climbed the stairs to the Temple.  As I mentioned earlier, Savitri’s curse banned worship of Brahma anywhere else, except for Pushkar, however, Jagatpita Brahma isn’t the only Brahman temple in the world, but definitely the most prominent one. Its current structure dates to the 14th century, though the temple is believed to be over 2000 years old. The original temple is said to be built by sage Vishwamitra after Brahma performed his yajna on the spot chosen by Brahma himself. The 8th century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara renovated the temple, while the present medieval structure dates to Maharaja Jawat Raj of Ratlam, who made additional constructions and repairs preserving the original design of the temple. Since then, Brahma Mandir was restored a few times, especially after it was destroyed and desecrated during the rule of Aurangzeb (1658-1707).

The Temple is located on high plinth which requires a steep climb up the marble steps via entrance gate archway decorated with pillared canopies. The gate entry leads to an outdoor courtyard and then to the sanctum sanctorum – Garbhagriha.  The temple is built of stone slabs and blocks, with a red spire symbolizing a goose  (a mount of Brahma),  decorating the temple. Marble, black-and-white checked floors and walls are inlaid with hundreds of  inscribed silver coins donated by devotees.

Brahma’s central icon is made of marble and was deified in the  Garbhagriha in 718 A.D. by Adi Shankara. The icon depicts Brahma as chaumurti – a four-faced idol with four hands, four faces each oriented in a cardinal direction. Brahma sits on top of hamsa (a goose) and holds in his hands four symbols –  rosary, a book, kusha grass and a water pot.  His new wife, Gayatri is seated to his left and Savatri, along with other deities of the Hindu pantheon, to his right.

I spent about 20 minutes at temple’s courtyard, snapping photos with an iPhone (which was allowed) and distributing my wealth to the beggars. After picking up my belongings, I hurried to make a pilgrimage to the famous ghats of Pushkar Lake. It is a holy place and according rules apply -take off  and deposit your shoes before entering the ghats; if you plan to bathe yourself in the lake, do it with dignity; don’t take photos of the people or the ceremonies; don’t joke around.

By the time I reached Varah Ghat, evening aarti was in full preparation. The local worshipers invited me to join them for this intimate and authentic (unlike an aarti in Varanasi) ceremony. It went on for about 15 minutes at the end of which everybody threw their flowers  into the water. Seeing that I had no flowers, many people came and share theirs with me.  It was a truly dignifying Hindu experience.

After the aarti, I headed back to the hotel where  I had a simple dinner at the roof-top restaurant.  It was freezing and only one other Italian couple was there having dinner, along with, what it seemed like, a local guide aka drug dealer. We chatted and their “guide” after eliminating me from his list of potential clients, offered me an authentic Pushkar Malpua.

After securing a few extra blankets and a space heater (Rs.200), I was finally able to fall asleep.

January 8, 2014

I woke up early morning to walk through the ghats again and take pictures of them without disturbing anybody. Even though, the streets of Pushkar were empty, ghats were buzzing with local people. I spent 30 minutes in tranquility, watching the morning rituals and stray puppies playing on the bank of the lake. After less than 18 hours in Pushkar, I could understand why many people find this place attractive and option to stay here for weeks and months at the time.

In my case, I was rushing to another rarely visited place – Chittorgarh Fort.

 Pictures

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