Sheki Travel Guide

Azerbaijan has played an important role in the advancement of cultural and trade routes linking Central Asia with the Black Sea, Anatolia, and the west. Located at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains and on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, main cities of Azerbaijan have greeted the Silk Roads merchants and tourists from across land and sea whil Read More.

Sheki Travel Guide

Azerbaijan has played an important role in the advancement of cultural and trade routes linking Central Asia with the Black Sea, Anatolia, and the west. Located at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains and on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, main cities of Azerbaijan have greeted the Silk Roads merchants and tourists from across land and sea while they have been a vibrant centre for the exchange not only commodities and stock, but also of religions, ideas, customs and traditions.

Sheki is one of the main cities that has kept its significance as a central hub of trade along the Silk Roads since the Middle Ages which was an era of affluent and distinct cultural development in the region. Sheki's beautiful architecture, remarkably inspired by Safavid, Qajar and Russian building rituals carries witness to the movement of different ideas and cultures within it. The Khan Palace, beautifully positioned in the historic centre of Sheki, as well as number of merchant houses, reflect the rich wealth delivered by silkworm breeding and the market in silk cocoons from the late 18th to the 19th centuries.

Settled in a picturesque mountain area around 380 km from Baku, Sheki is not only filled with beautiful scenery, it’s a wonderful village itself. One of the most visited sight in Sheki is the Sheki Khans Palace, showcasing amazing craftsmanship and surprising factor is, it is built without using a single nail. Sheki tour will surely entice you as a tourist.

Archaeological statistics reveals that Sheki has been inhabited for about 2,500 years, holding a huge history, making it one of the oldest cities in the Caucasus. There are many architectural and archaeological sites around the city, comprising the Gelersen-Gerersen Fortress, the Juma Mosque (18th century), several caravanserais, the Gileilin Minaret (18th century), and medieval baths.

Sheki is a main crafts centre, amazing city for art lovers from where one can buy jewellery and engravings prepared by local artists. Sheki also houses its own theatre, an ancient museum, and the house museum of the renowned writer and philosopher M. F. Ahundov.