Castle of the Sage

Bilgah Castle

Bilgah Castle — one of the Absheron castles located in the Bilgah settlement of Baku.

History

The castle was built of white stone in the 13th–14th centuries during the Shirvanshahs period. Only one part of this defensive and observation castle has survived to our time and it was used for a long time as a lighthouse. In the past a torch was lit on top of the tower so that ships could find the coast at night and not lose their way. For this reason the monument is also called "Torch Castle". "It is a known fact that building materials were scarce in that era. Therefore they said the castle was built of mud and egg yolk. Currently its height is 21 meters, its diameter is 17 meters. Because the left side of the castle faces the sea, it has faded from salt and moisture, while the right side has almost disappeared. Even when we try to climb onto the castle, the wind prevents it. It is said that the castle has three floors, a spacious cellar, a sweet water well beside it and a secret tunnel, and it had an entrance gate. However that gate has already vanished. There is no information about the fate of the water well. The castle previously served as a lighthouse guiding ships:

"The only fragment of the castle that we see, this broken and ruined part, has reached our time. This castle was a defensive and observation castle. Our elders said that there was no light at that time. At the top of the castle there was a torch that served as a lighthouse and guided ships for many years. Because it was difficult for ships to find the coast at night, they helped them in this way. This is why they often called it "Torch Castle". The castle was so high that the smoke of the lit torch (lamp) could even be seen from the Raman Castle."