Diri-Baba Tomb has a special place among notable tombs of Azerbaijan built in the middle ages. This tomb each time attracted the attention of travelers who would come here. Uncommon outward look and plan structure distinguish this Tomb much from other tombs of Azerbaijan; the Tomb attracted the attention of travelers and architects who had been in Azerbaijan in XVII-XIX centuries.

Oleari, the ambassador of the Holshtiniya duchy and traveler had been in Shamakhy from 30 December 1636 till 27 March 1637 and wrote down short but valuable information about the Diri-Baba Tomb. He also made affords to read the inscription on the Tomb’s door, but he could not read it correctly.

B.Dorn, a famous orientalist, professor of the East faculty of the St. Petersburg University had been to Azerbaijan in 60th of XIX century and was interested in the same Tomb, because this monument is unique because of its construction position, type features and architecture parts’ peculiarity.

This monument has a form of a giant eagle nest on the rock, has been built from white limestone and has a strange, unusual and charming architecture beauty. In order to get to the Tomb, a person must pass the valley and climb a straight wall like height. The architect made an artificial cave in the rock and constructed the monument in the inside. Therefore the monument has only one façade; the other sides are inside of the rock.

The Tomb had two stores. The lower floor consists of two-arch window and a pair of rooms with a door. Possibly, the Tomb servant used to live here. The basic part of the inside volume of the monument is the salon on the second floor. It is possible to enter to the salon with the help of the stairs from the lower room. There is another room connected to the salon in the inside of the cave.

These rooms are not located next to one another, as it is in the first layer. The rooms were constructed inwards; the front room has an arched window with stone ornament. Light comes in to the building from here. The ceiling of the salon finishes with a delicate small cupola, but the ceiling of the back room is the cave’s natural layer.

It is said, that the person who built the Tomb was buried in the inside of the cave for the memory. In the past there was a beautiful architecture medallions tracery on the two-arched door of the salon on the second floor where the name of the master of this monument was written. But the first part of the inscription with the architect’s name on it had been destroyed; it was possible only to determine the name his father: "the son of Master Haji".

Because of the Tomb location inside of the cave, mixed form of the monument and the construction plan structure the investigators faced a construction purpose problem. Some investigators accept the monument as a sacred place, but the others define this monument as a burial Mosque. They show stairs of the building in the west facade side of the construction here.

The Diri-Baba Tomb attracts attention because of its plan structure, architecture divisions and features of ornaments.

As architect E.V.Salamzade described, the monument has been included into the third type group of Tombs with cupola.

We read interesting information about the Tomb from Evliya Chelebi’s diary, a Turkish traveler who repeatedly visited Azerbaijan in XVII century: «... We walked for six hours and stopped at Pir Mehizat Sultan’s threshold. Though, people call this sacred place Sheikh Merze, this is a mistake. The true name is Merizat. It is known by Diri-Dede name too. “Merizat” in Persian means “wrapped up”. Indeed, this master of education in mantle has sat next to a worship stone, in a corner of a threshold located on a big slope of old and great mountain. He turned his face towards Mekka, put his head on a stone in the cell”. As it is seen, E.Chelebi was more interested not in the monument itself, but in the person in it. At the same time he gives valuable information about the origin of Maraza village’s name. On the other hand he had mentioned that people name this Tomb as Sheikh Merze sacred place. But later he affirms that this was not a sacred place, but a Tomb. E.Chelebi further speaks about the legend he heard from people; according to the story, hermit Sheikh Selaheddin lived in this sacred place. According to Chelebi, the man known as "Mereze Sheykh" used to be a muezzin in the palace of Shirvanshah Sheykh Ibrahim (1382-1417). It was said that Shirvansah Ibrahim would pat muezzin and say "Merizat, merizat" which means "don’t fall" or "merhaba" which means “bravo”. It is possible that the origin of Maraza village’s name in Shamakhy region is connected with ancient name of this Tomb "Piri-merizat".

The Tomb had rich inscriptions. But they were destroyed in the next years. But in the result of the archaeological excavations around the Tomb a few inscriptions with writings in Arabic alphabet were found in 1956-1957. They have been made of pure limestone. The investigations show that in the past the South façade of the Tomb was all covered with different ornament and Arabic writings. Its length was 6,42 ms and the width was 20 sm. The Tomb inscription contained the information about the building date, the owner and the purpose. But because of much damage it was impossible to read the inscriptions.

Investigations with the purpose of finding the text of this interesting historical monument inscription gave a result. The writings of the inscription were found in 1963 and its text was restored. It was written here that the monument was constructed in the time of Shirvanshah Ibrahim’s ruling, in year 805 of Hegira (1402/03 of Christian chronology) and the writings were done by calligraphy named Dervish.

This historical monument that was located on the old Baku-Shirvan caravan-trading road, near Maraza village, is one of the most beautiful examples of our architecture culture.