Divankhana Palace in Baku

The Divanhane building complex forms part of the larger complex of the Shirvanshah Palace in the city of Baku. Basically it is made up of two parts: the main pavilion with a central spherical vault surrounded by a lodge with external colonnade, arches and a flat roof, and a narrow open-air lodge with a flat roof, situated along the perimeter wall of courtyard. The building showed biological deterioration as well as several fractured blocks and lesions which are partly responsible for allowing infiltration of water; there were also the presence of deposits and black scales, local erosion and reddish areas probably due to the formation of chromatic alterations. The surveys carried out on site concerned in particular endoscopic exams, measurements of conductivity of surface water on the wall and sample-taking in order to carry out laboratory tests. Finally interventions were planned, among which positioning of waterproofing for the roofing surface, manual removal of vegetation in the gaps, consolidation treatment, checking adherence of decorative elements and re-attaching if necessary. It was planned also the substitution of blocks that were badly deteriorated with new blocks as similar as possible to the original stone.