Maidens Tower Essay, Research Paper

English Composition II

Camilla Agayeva

05.10.99.

Maiden?s Tower: Echo from The Past.

Every country has its own places of interest and ancient monuments ? the symbols of the past. The city of Baku isn?t an exception. Walking down wide and beautiful streets of this city, we can come across a lot of monuments, museums and other well-known places. It?s not a secret that Baku attracts big numbers of tourists from other countries. It is a big pleasure for foreigners to visit the capital of the Azerbaijan Republic, and see with their own eyes such places as Shirvanshahs? Palace, Synic Kala Minaret, Icheri Sheher, Maiden?s Tower and many others. Of course, we can say that not only a wish to see the sights the city, but also the petroleum in the Caspian sea make foreign visitors come to Baku. But if we speak about the Caspian oil and people, whom it attracts, we deal only with businessmen and companies. In fact, Baku, which is shrouded with the glory of ancient eastern city, is one of the most desirable places for tourists to come. Actually, they are trying to see monumental buildings, which we hardly try to preserve. It is a fact that sometimes we can see historical monuments, which tend to disappear because of a lack of restoration. Of course, here we should take into consideration the political and economic situation in the republic. Azerbaijan is still a developing country, and besides the places of interest, there are a lot of other things to be repaired. ?Our monuments are our pride, and, of course, the repairing of them should occupy one of the first places in the plans of the government,? said one common citizen of our capital.

One of the most famous places of interest in Baku is Maiden?s Tower. Rising high through the centuries, it?s shrouded with the ancient legend, which opens up the secret about the Tower?s origin. The tale appears to be the story of the Shah?s (king?s) daughter. The princess, who was very intelligent and beautiful, fell in love with a young man and wanted to marry him. But the Shah, her father, was against their wish to be together. In order to prevent his daughter?s dates with her beloved, he ordered his people to build a tower in the middle of the sea. When the ?prison? was ready, the king enclosed the princess there and told her that very soon she would marry the man, whom he had chosen for her. There was no end to the young woman?s grief. At the same time her beloved was trying to find her. Once he found out where the Shah was hiding her, and he went to the tower. But when the princess heard the footsteps, she thought that it was her new groom, chosen for her by her father. The princess?s loving heart couldn?t tolerate this, and she dived into the sea.

A lot of centuries passed, and now Maiden?s Tower stands in the middle of the beautiful city. Great numbers of tourists visits this ancient monument every day. There is also an opportunity for the foreign visitors to buy antique souvenirs in the small shops, hidden among the galleries of the Tower. But the profit that shops can get hardly goes to the repairing of the monument. The only way, in which government can get money for the restorations, is the fee from visitors? tickets. But if we compare the number of native citizens, who can come to the Maiden?s Tower, with foreign tourist, we would see that the profit isn?t so big. The conclusion comes to the mind itself: it?s very hard to find enough money to repair the monument, as it needs. The Maiden?s Tower is not a single place that needs restoration. There are a lot of other famous sights in the capital of Azerbaijan, and all of them should be preserved. However, it?s a big pity that our government doesn?t pay much attention to the condition of the monuments. Of course, there should be the way out, even in such political and economic situation as the one we are living in, and I?m sure that we will find it. Maiden?s Tower and other ancient buildings are the precious ? presents? of the past, which will always remind us about the mystery of our city, and we, in our turn, should try to make our future as stately as our past.