Maiden Tower

Theatre

• Heydar Aliyev Palace
• 23 Dec 2026 - 23 Dec 2026

SYNOPSIS OF THE BALLET

In the center of Baku stands the magnificent and ancient Maiden Tower. Many romantic legends have been woven around it. One of them tells the following story.

ACT I

A settlement on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The young Gulyanaq goes out onto the plain with her friends. They are preparing for the wedding. At this moment, her fiancé Polad appears.

The villagers come to congratulate the young couple. Gulyanaq’s mother, Ayperi, warmly welcomes the guests and shows them to their places. However, the sound of trumpets interrupts the wedding celebration. Khan Jahangir enters the square with his guards and begins choosing the most beautiful girls for his harem.

The Khan is captivated by Gulyanaq’s beauty and orders that she be taken to the palace. Polad prepares to fight in order to rescue his beloved, but the villagers restrain him.

Khan Jahangir places a ring on Gulyanaq’s finger and orders Polad to be executed. Gulyanaq begs the Khan to spare her fiancé’s life. She agrees to become the Khan’s wife on one condition: he must build a fortress for her on the seashore.

ACT II SCENE I

The Khan’s palace. The girls try to entertain Gulyanaq. A magical garden appears before her eyes. She finds herself together with Polad once again. The Khan tries to separate the lovers, but the girls stand in his way.

SCENE II

The magical world disappears. The Khan’s palace appears again.

The great hall of Khan Jahangir’s palace. The fortress has already been built. Today is the wedding day. The guests dance and celebrate. The bride is brought in. According to tradition, she must dance. However, during the dance, Gulyanaq loses consciousness.

Ayperi rushes into the hall and announces that the Khan cannot marry Gulyanaq because she already has a fiancé and they were forcibly separated. Enraged, Khan Jahangir orders Gulyanaq to be taken to the fortress.

The Khan is left alone in the empty hall. At that moment, Polad appears. He rushes to the fortress to kill the Khan and free his beloved.

EPILOGUE

The upper platform of the fortress. Gulyanaq is brought here. Footsteps are heard. It is Polad, hurrying to his beloved. However, Gulyanaq thinks that the person approaching is the Khan and throws herself into the sea.

From that time on, the fortress has been known as the Maiden Tower. It stands as an eternal symbol of love and devotion, for which a sacrifice was made.