Sheki's mountainous landscape creates ideal conditions for arranging adventurous off-road tours. Guests will experience burst of adrenaline while off-roading though high plains and dense forests.
Fly over mountains in the skies of Sheki and make your trip unforgettable one.
Most parts of Sheki, especially high plains and mountains will be a good choice as camping area. Reward yourselves with fresh air, nature's silence and large open skies.
Famous for its rich cuisine of meals and sweets, Sheki is a frequent choice of gourmets from around the world. Not only you can taste and enjoy famous culinary items such as "Piti", "Dolma", "Halva", "Nogul", but also feel a very kind, friendly and hospitable approach of locals who are known for their friendliness and sense of humour.
This 5 star hotel is probably one of the best places to go in Azerbaijan if you want to have a total relaxation of soul and body. Located in the heart of mountains, hotel has an admiring and picturesque surrouinding. It also offers indoor and outdoor pools, one of the best spa & wellness centers of the country, as well as many options for active leisure. Mountain villas of the hotel is a choice for you if you prefer more privacy.
The Palace of Shaki Khans was a summer residence for the Sheki Khans. It was built in 1763 with the order of Huseyn Khan Mushtag.
The Palace of Shaki Khans was nominated for List of World Heritage Sites UNESCO in 1998.
“Caravanserai” historical complex in Sheki is two magnificent caravanserai which reached present days and traditionally named “Yukhary” and “Ashaghy” caravanserai, which means “Upper” and “Lower” Caravanserai in translation from Azerbaijani into English. Construction of these caravanserai is dated back to the 18th centuries.
Lower” caravanserai has a rectangular shape with a large inner yard in the centre of which is located a pool. Total area of the caravanserai is 8000 m2 and dimensions are 55x85 meters. Four entries led to the yard from all four corners of the buildings. There are 242 rooms in the lower caravanserai.
“Upper” caravanserai is located in more complex relief (The fleeting Gurjan River runs near the caravanserai) and is trapezium-shaped. Total area of the building is 6000 m2. Frontal part of the building overlooking the street has a height of 14 meters, but the inner part 8 meters. There are about 300 rooms and store rooms in the upper part of the caravanserai.
Located approximately 5km north of Sheki, and with a population of only 6,244, the tiny village of Kish is a shadow of it's once "mighty" glory. Walking the quiet cobble-stoned streets, you'd never guess that Kish's story is one of an ancient history and of "great" regional importance. Today, not much happens here, but that's the appeal.
In the 1st century A.D. St. Elishe, a disciple of Thaddeus of Edessa, arrived to a place called Gis, where he built a church and recited a liturgy. The church became the "spiritual center and the place of enlightenment of people of the East".
It has functioned at different times as an Caucasian Albanian Apostolic church, a Chalcedonian church within the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The brilliantly renovated round-towered Albanian church in Kish village has been lovingly converted into a very wellpresented trilingual museum. It’s the best place anywhere to learn about mysterious Caucasian Albania, the Christian nation that once covered most of northern Azerbaijan. In fact the church site goes back well beyond the Christian era and glass-covered grave excavations allow visitors to peer down on the excavated bones of possibly Bronze Age skeletons.
The church of Saint Elishe , is sort of what brought people here to begin with. And while traces can be found of the original 1st century site, what we see today is an 800 year old construction. And actually, the Thor Heyerdal Research Center analysis of several artifacts dates the site as far back as 3,000 BC.
Gelersen-Görersen fortress is a fortress of the Middle Ages, ruins of which remain on the coast of the Kish River, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Shaki city, on the summit of Garatepe Mountain.
Construction of the fortress is dated back to the 8th or 9th century. Gelersen-Gorersen was thoroughly consolidated and was used for defense. In translation from Azerbaijani language the name of the fortress means “You will come and see”. An interesting episode from the history of Sheki Khanate is connected to it. When the ruler of Iran, Nadir shah, attacked Shaki Khanate in the 18th century, Haji Chalabi, khan of Sheki Khanate, secured in the fortress. When Nadir shah offered him to surrounder, Chalabi answered: “You will come and see”. Infuriate Nadir shah, who was not expected such an answer, decided to capture the fortress by force. In 1744, the shah approached the fortress with a great army, but couldn’t capture it and fell back. Since then the fortress was famed as Gelersen Gorersen.
Today the fortress is a must for every tourist coming to Sheki. The ruins possess especially mysterious air about them in twilight. You are under the i mpression of being a part of that restless medieval time. On the territory of the fortress there are many deep bottomless wells. Some people say they were used as traps for enemies. There is also a version that under the fortress there is an underground passage in case of fleeing.
Historical-architectural preserve in the upper (high) historical part of Sheki city. It is the oldest part of Shaki. The area of the reserve is 283 hectares.
The reserve territory includes the Nukha Tower and the main shopping street where caravanserais and shops belonging to various art types are located in. There are still neighborhoods with their ancient names around the shopping street: Gileyli, Qirichi, , Qullar, Duluzlar, Aghvanlar, Otaq Eshiyi, Sari Torpag and so on. There are also Shakikhov's houses, mosques and baths in the reserve. Ares is also famous for stone-paved roads and ancient residential buildings with balconies in a traditional architectural style.
Sheki Juma Mosque is considered one of the most ancient mosques in the territory of Azerbaijan.
The mosque was constructed in the 18th century and consists of arches, columns and a hall, divided by stones and wooden sections.
The minaret is the main part of the mosque. It is 28.5 meters high and is located several meters apart from the mosque. The minaret is decorated with brick ornaments and decorations and it becomes narrower to the top. Sharafa is a part of minaret and was created thoroughly.
The interior of the mosque is most simple. Praying room located there was used as madrasah. “N” shaped mosque is two-storeyed and its façade is also decorated with ornaments made of brick.
The same applies to Sheki as most part of Azerbaijan; you can go for fishing here. Certainly, your time spent in nature for fishing and making fish barbecue will be unforgettable.