Nizami Square in Baku: the poet's statue and the museum with poets on its façade
As you leave the old city through the gate facing Fountains Square, the first thing you see is a bronze statue on a tall pedestal, a bearded man in a turban in the attitude of reciting. This is Nizami Ganjavi, the 12th-century poet Azerbaijan regards as its national poet, and the landscaped square around him bears his name. Behind, closing the square, stands the Museum of Literature, with six stone poets leaning out of its façade as if from a balcony.
Who Nizami was
Nizami was born in Ganja around 1141 and died there around 1209. He wrote in Persian, the literary language of the whole region, and his major work is the five poems of the Khamsa or Quintet: The Treasury of Mysteries, Khosrow and Shirin, Layla and Majnun, The Seven Beauties and the Book of Alexander. For centuries these were the texts every poet in Persia, Central Asia and Muslim India tried to imitate. Azerbaijan claims him as its own through his birthplace, and his name is on avenues, museums and metro stations across the country.
What is in the square
The statue dates from 1949, the work of sculptor Fuad Abdurahmanov, and faces the old city. Around it are flowerbeds, benches and a fountain, and above all people passing through: this is the crossing point between the wall, Istiglaliyyat Street and the pedestrian area. The museum building, from the 1930s, has on its façade the statues of Fuzuli, Vagif, Natavan, Akhundov, Jalil Mammadguluzade and Jabbarli, and inside a collection of manuscripts and editions of interest mainly to those who read Persian or Azerbaijani.
When to go
Any time, but at dusk the museum façade is lit up and the square fills with people coming from the old city or heading for the terraces of the pedestrian area. In summer there are concerts and official events from time to time.
Where it is
In central Baku, right against the old city wall and five minutes from Fountains Square. The nearest metro station is Icherisheher, at the very exit of the square.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Nizami Ganjavi?
A 12th-century poet born in Ganja, author of the Khamsa, five narrative poems in Persian that rank among the classics of literature across the Iranian world. Azerbaijan regards him as its national poet.
What is in Nizami Square?
The poet's statue, flowerbeds and benches, and the Museum of Literature building with statues of Azerbaijani poets on its façade.
Is it near Fountains Square?
Yes, about five minutes on foot. The two squares and the old city form one pedestrian route.
