Sheki walking tour & city guide
A Silk Road town of palaces in the Caucasus foothills.
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Sheki is a small town in the green foothills of the Greater Caucasus, once an important stop on the Silk Road and the capital of an independent khanate. Its historic center, with the jewel-like Khan's Palace, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Palace of the Shaki Khans
The Palace of the Shaki Khans, built in the 18th century as a summer residence, is famous for its facade of shebeke, intricate windows of colored glass set in wooden lattices assembled without nails or glue, and for its painted interiors of flowers, hunting and battle scenes.
The caravanserai and around
The Upper Caravanserai, a huge two-story inn built around a courtyard for Silk Road merchants, is now a hotel. In the village of Kish, a short drive away, an ancient Albanian church, one of the oldest in the Caucasus, has been restored as a museum.
Sheki is about five hours from Baku by road. The mountain roads around Sheki and Gabala are especially beautiful in autumn.
Top sights in Sheki
- 1
Palace of the Shaki Khans
An 18th-century palace with stained glass.
- 2
Upper Caravanserai
A Silk Road inn around a courtyard.
- 3
Kish church
An ancient church in a nearby village.
- 4
Sheki Fortress
The walls around the palace complex.
Food markets & where to eat in Sheki
Old town
Tea houses and local restaurants.
Sheki market
The place to buy halva and local sweets.
Food to try in Sheki
Piti
A lamb and chickpea stew cooked in a clay pot.
Sheki halva
A honey and nut sweet in a rice-flour lattice.
Tea with jam
Served at every stop in town.
Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.
Plan your trip to Sheki
Enjoyed the walk? Here is everything you need to see it for real.
- Hotels in ShekiCompare places to stay and prices.
- Tours & ticketsWalking tours, museums and day trips in Sheki.
- eSIM for AzerbaijanStay online from the moment you land.
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