Abstract:

Absheron Peninsula is a strategically important territory for Azerbaijan. In the middle ages, this peninsula housed lots of castle buildings, whose main purpose had been observing any threats coming from the north via the Caspian Sea, and warning capital Baku about the danger. Many of these structures had been standing until 1960’s, however only a few of them survived to our age; two in Mardakan, and the ones in Nardaran, Ramana, Şağan and Kala. Most of these castles were built as towers of square, rectangle, or circle in plan, surrounded by rectilinear castle walls. Only ‘Nadir Castle’ in Kala was built as an interior castle. All of the structures that survived to our day underwent restoration in the second half of XXth century. These structures which are locally called as “kala” were occupied by a military post and were equipped to sheltering them. The soldiers that worked in these buildings also helped to maintain the harmony of the local people, like gendarmerie, during times of peace. In this article, these structures are examined and evaluated according to their architectural and defensive properties

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