The
Maiden Tower (Azerbaijani:
Qiz qalasi) is a legendary and world-famous landmark in Baku,
Azerbaijan. Since 2001, the tower, along with Baku's Walled City (Old City)
and the Palace of Shirvanshahs (Azerbaijani: Şirvanşahlar Sarayı), has been included on UNESCO's World Heritage
List.
Background
Numerous scientific
sources have confirmed Baku’s Maiden Tower as being a paramount example of
Zoroastrianism and pre-Islamic architecture in Azerbaijan and Iran. In
particular, some archaeological and architectural evidence indicates the tower
to be the Holy Fire Temple-Tower of Zoroastrians, dating back to approximately
the eighth to seventh century BC. As scientists argue, the tower had seven fire
exits on the top, symbolizing the Zoroastrian "seven steps" or
"seven skies" to get to heaven.
Intriguingly, Nizami Ganjevi, a great Azerbaijani poet, in his poem "Eskandar-nameh" wrote:
“In that place was a
fire built round with stone,
Which the
fire-worshipper used to call – “Khudi-soz”,
For it, were a
hundred priests (erbadan) of the fire-temple with collar of gold.”
Interestingly, modern Zoroastrians interpret “Khudi-soz” as "burning
itself,” which possibly refers to the burning of natural oil or gas fires. “For it, were a
hundred priests/ erbadan" - to stand before the sacred fire so many erbads/ hīrbad (Pahlavi: harpat, the lowest rank priest) could only in the very large temple, which, as modern Zoroastrians believe, could be Baku's Maiden Tower - Atash/ Aaatash Kadeh or Apaam Naptaar.
According to modern Zoroastrian sources, in Apaam Naptaar words, the word Naptaar is the root of the current word Naphtha (Middle Persian: naft - wet, Ancient
Greek: νάφθα, Arabic نَفْط nafṭ petroleum). This Naphtha flows like a liquid and so its Aatash is called "Aap" meaning
liquid. The line: “In that place was a fire built round with stone”, means that a fire was burning itself surrounded by stone i.e. round stone walls of the tower.
Legends and mysteries
There exists a rich
pool of mysteries and legends related to Baku's Maiden Tower that have survived to the present day. However, some key mysteries remain unresolved: What is the tower's purpose? Why does it have the kind of design it has?
The tower is covered by a cloud
of legends and epics deeply rooted in Azerbaijan's history, religion, and
culture. Some legends have even become the subject of scenarios for ballets and
theatre plays that have themselves become part of Azerbaijan's national
heritage and identity. In particular, one such play is the Maiden Tower ballet,
a world-class Azerbaijani masterpiece created by the Azerbaijani composer
Afrasiyab Badalbeyli in 1940, of which a remake was performed in 1999.
Interestingly, up to
20 legends are related to the Maiden Tower, a large number of which connect to
Baku's medieval or Islamic period. However, at least two such legends, which have
come down to the present day, are deeply rooted in Azerbaijan's Zoroastrian or
pre-Islamic period. We believe that the most impressive and colorful story
to come out of Baku's ancient Maiden Tower is the Zoroastrian legend of the
virgin girl savior with fire-colored hair.
Legend of
Fire-Color-Haired Virgin Girl Savior
A long time ago, there
existed the ancient town-fortress of Ātāš-i Bagawān/ Atāsh-i Bagawān (note: ancient name of Baku in Pahlavi/Middle Persian; Old Persian: bagāha; Middle Persian: bāga/ bāgh means god; "place
of God's fires"). The
fortress had a Fire Temple-Tower. At one point in Atāsh-i Bagawān's history, the enemy
managed to encircle the fortress. The enemy requested that Atāsh-i Bagawān's people surrender,
but they refused. Consequently, the enemy launched a siege to demolish the
fortress and capture all the inhabitants into slavery. As a result, many
fortress defenders died while attempting to stop the enemy's attacks.
The enemy's commander
ordered the cutting of water supply lines in an attempt to overthrow the
fortress's defenders. Everybody in the fortress was thirsty. They had no water,
nor food only blood and death. The Magupat (note: chief priest or Master of the Magi, Pahlavi: Maguš) together with the other mowbeds (Pahlavi: 𐭬𐭢𐭥𐭯𐭲, priests) prayed
to the Holy Fire that was kept in the fortress's Fire Temple Tower, asking the
God Ahura
Mazdā to help and
protect people. They prayed day by day and night by night, appealing to the
All-Mighty and Merciful Ahura Mazdā to save their lives and push back the enemy.
Finally, Ahura Mazdā heard the Magi and people's prayers.
One day, people saw a large piece of the Holy Fire falling from the top of the
Fire Temple Tower. A beautiful girl came up from the fire. She had long
fire-colored hair. The crowd went down on their knees and started to pray to
her. The girl said, not worry. I am here to help and protect you! Give me a
sword and helmet! The enemy must not see my girl's hair. Open a fortress
gate!"
Meanwhile, the enemy
commander was waiting outside for a one-on-one fight with the fortress
pahlevan. If the fortress pahlevan were to win the fight, the enemy's army
would subsequently back away. However, if the enemy commander were to win, the
fortress would be destroyed, and the surviving inhabitants would be enslaved.
The fortress gate
opened, and the enemy commander saw that the pahlevan was coming for the hand-to-hand combat. The
heavy battle began. In one of the god-blessing moments that ensued, the
fortress pahlevan unhorsed the enemy and put a knife directly on his neck. The
enemy commander screamed, "You win! Who are you? Take your helmet off. I
want to see your face, Pahlevan!" He removed the helmet and saw that the
fortress pahlevan was a beautiful girl with long, fire-colored hair. He
exclaimed, "Oh, you are a girl! You are a brave and beautiful girl! If the
girls of your fortress are so brave, I will never capture it! Do not kill me, beauty!"
He fell in love with her
because of her beauty and bravery. He asked her to marry him. Surely, the girl
did not kill him. She fell in love with him too because of his open heart.
Finally, the enemy
did not capture the fortress, and the locals named the Maiden
Tower.
Legend of Holy Virgin Girl Savior
Long ago, the fortress
city of Bādkūba (note: means "city where the wind blows", another old name of Baku, in Persian: بادکوبه) was besieged by the enemy. Bādkūba had three lines of
defense walls, but the enemy had all encircled them.
The siege continued for more
than ninety days. Inside the fortress, close to the sea, there was a high and
black steaming tower temple, in which old Zoroastrian rituals were performed to
save the Holy Fire. The temple’s supreme mowbed (Magupat/ chief priest or Master Magi, Pahlavi: Maguš) Egirwand executed old fire
rituals, proclaiming to the worshipers: “Tomorrow, the Shah will be killed
by the unknown and virginal power.”
Suddenly, the temple
door was opened and a virgin girl with flaming hair came out. She was
illuminated by the temple’s holy fire and held a flaming sword in her hands.
Covered by the flame, she exited the temple and stood by the principal mowbed (Magupat).
The Magupat said, “You must save the Holy City, a capital of eternal fires, and save
the Tower that created you!”
Thus, the moonfaced
flaming girl looked for the last time at the temple tower and went into battle against
General Nureddin and his troops. She kept her promise and saved her countrymen.
But she fell in love with the enemy general, whom she killed with her sword. However,
she killed herself as well, stabbing her own shoulder with the sword and giving
her soul to the Holy Fire Temple. After her death, the winds of Khazri and
Gilavar blew strongly for seven days. Since then, the Temple’s fires have
stopped burning, and the Temple was named the Maiden Tower (Qiz Qalasi) after
the holy virgin girl savior.
Legend of Why Baku
Tower's Fires Stopped Burning
Once upon a time, the
enemy besieged the fortress of Bādkūba. However, Bādkūba's people refused
to give up. They decided to fight to the end and defend their lives. They
fought with great bravery, but the situation inside the fortress increasingly
worsened. The enemy launched a tight siege to overthrow the defenders and cut
off their water supply. Meanwhile, the supreme Magi (Pahlavi: Maguš) or Magupat and other mowbeds (Pahlavi: mōbad, priest) prayed to the All-Mighty
God Ahura
Mazdā in the fortress's Holy
Fire Temple-Tower. They prayed to Ahura Mazdā for help.
After several days of nonstop praying, Ahura Mazdā heard the priests' and Magi's blessings. A strong and
devastating earthquake occurred, perishing the enemy troops. Thus, the All-Mighty Ahura
Mazdā destroyed the enemy and Bādkūba's people escaped slavery, but the Holy
Fires stopped burning on top of Bādkūba's Fire Temple-Tower.
Comments: Why is
Baku's Tower Named the Maiden Tower?
Intriguingly, except
for the legendary background, no historical explanation or archaeological or written evidence describes why the tower was named the
Maiden Tower. In this case, we have to explore possible religious explanations.
Indeed, it is likely that
the tower is named the Maiden Tower because it was never destroyed by the
enemy. From the religious perspective, the temple was never
humiliated or desecrated by evil/ Ahriman (Avestan: Angra/Aŋra Mainyu). Therefore, if the
tower wasn’t desecrated by enemy/evil (Ahriman), so it would continue to be a
"virgin" (untouched) - hence, a "Maiden" Tower-Temple of Zoroastrian
God Ahura Mazdā.
