For the second time in three years, on June 22 the Central Bank of Azerbaijan will issue a newly designed 10-manat bank note.

The new issue will keep the theme of “history,” with a face still showing a rendition of the ancient city of Baku with the fortress walls of the Icheri Sheher (Old City) in the background, along with the Shirvanshahs Palace and the Maiden Tower. The back has stylized maps showing the integration of Azerbaijan to Europe and ornaments of Azerbaijani carpets.

Baku’s location on the Silk Road between Persia and Russia brought it great wealth. The city’s Icheri Sheher is the oldest inhabited part of Baku. It was declared a historical and cultural reserve in 1977. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

The 15th century Shirvanshahs Palace was where the ruling shahs reigned. It was partly destroyed in the 18th century by the Russians, but reconstruction work restored the complex to its original state. The 97-foot tall Maiden Tower is so old that no one is sure when or why it was built. Among the theories are that it began as a Zoroastrian temple or may have been an astronomical observatory. Local folklore has it that the structure got its name when a shah’s daughter committed suicide by jumping off it instead of taking part in an arranged marriage.

The update is in the security features. New elements include a color-changing three-dimensional hologram, the Spark Live element that includes optical brightness, color-shifts, and dynamic light effects; a watermark with the national emblem; identification devices for the visually impaired; a vertical design; security thread; inkless printing; and micro-texts.”

Azerbaijan is a former Soviet republic located on the Caspian Sea south of Georgia.

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