Sheki

An ancient Silk Road town in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, with the UNESCO-listed Palace of the Shaki Khans and its dazzling stained-glass windows, caravanserais you can still stay in, and the ancient Albanian church at Kish and mountain villages nearby.

Sheki lies on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus in northwestern Azerbaijan, about 300 km from the capital Baku. Once known as Nukha, it was an important trading town on the ancient Silk Road and, in the 18th century, the capital of the independent Sheki Khanate. In 2019 the "Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace" was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The town climbs the slopes of the Kish River valley, its red-tiled stone houses stacked in tiers against forested Caucasus mountains. There are three main areas to explore. First, Sheki Fortress on the hillside, whose walls enclose the Khan's Palace, famous for its stained-glass windows set in nail-free wooden frames, the round church museum and craft workshops. Second, the old town's main street, where the Upper and Lower Caravanserais still take overnight guests and shops sell silk scarves, copperware and halva. Third, the surroundings: Kish village, 5 km north, has one of the oldest churches in the Caucasus; the Marxal forest resort and Galarsan-Gorarsan castle are good for hiking; and Ilisu, an old village about 40 km northwest, and Gabala, about 70 km southeast (Tufandag cable car, Lake Nohur, Seven Beauties Waterfall), make good day trips by hired car. The best season is May–October; summers are cooler than in Baku, and the forests turn red in late October. Winters are cold, and you can ski at Gabala. Getting there: direct buses run from Baku's long-distance bus station (about 5–6 hours), or take the overnight train to the station outside Sheki and then a taxi, or hire a car and travel via Gabala. Plan on 2 days: one for the old town and fortress, one for Kish and the surroundings or Gabala. Don't miss Sheki halva and piti, a lamb stew cooked in a clay pot. Photography is not allowed inside the Khan's Palace, and dress conservatively when visiting mosques; cash in manats is the norm, and some small shops don't accept cards.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries