Way to Go King

Baku has it's charms, I've said it and I mean it. For example, the major tourist highlight is the Maidien Tower.  There are several conjunctures about the true purpose of the castle-esque structure, amongst these, it might have been a strategic watch tower to spy incoming enemy ships on the Caspian. Then again, it might have been a stubby astrological study. Oooor, it could have been a father's gift to his daughter, which is the best story. Ready?!

It's fabled that back in the day, the ruler of Baku fell madly in love with his pubescent daughter and asked for her hand in marriage. Being an obedient daughter and a little creeped out, she didn't refuse nor accept. The clever gal requested that daddy build her a tower high enough so that she could look out on all the land in his possession. So pop hopped to it, and constructed a cut stone tower, some 800 feet tall, and thick thick thick (that's what she said! Sorry mom, couldn't resist). After years of construction, the daughter climbed the spiral steps up to the observatory deck and promptly threw herself off to her death.  I'm sure solid parenting would have prevented that, but at least the king got a monument in his city if he didn't get the bride of his loins.

Intrigued by the story, Molly, Jilly, and I took a five minute walk from 1000 Camels Not-a-Hostel Anymore, and paid our 70 cents (student discount for all!) and explored the city's architectural masterpiece. We mostly just flicked our cameras at each other though...

The tower afforded great views of the city.

We could have stayed up there for the rest of the sunset, but we headed out when it got cold. Shoo, we're desert people now, we can't take the chilly wind!!