Sheki: History, Crafts and Hotels

When looking for hotels in Sheki, you can plan your stay around a range of themes: the UNESCO-listed historic center, crafts and silk culture, museums, and destinations in the surrounding area. The historic center includes the Palace of the Khans, a fortress, caravanserais, and garden houses with productive uses. The historic urban landscape is associated with mulberry cultivation as well as silkworm breeding and processing, and includes residential, administrative, and commercial functions. In Sheki, architectural history, crafts, and different perspectives on silk culture come together.

Palace, Shebeke and Museums

The Palace of the Khans of Sheki was built as an administrative building at the end of the 18th century. Its windows offer a particularly vivid example of the Shebeke technique: they are made from thousands of colored glass and wood pieces assembled without glue or nails. Visitors can join tours at the palace to learn more about its history and construction.

Shebeke craftsmanship can also be explored inside the fortress. There, visitors can visit a Shebeke workshop, meet local craftspeople, and buy handmade goods. The Museum of Applied Folk Art and the Museum of History, Ethnography and Local Lore are also located inside the fortress. Access to individual museums may vary. The different stops give your stay different focuses: historic architecture, crafts, or museum visits.

The Khan Mosque complex opened to visitors and for prayer after its restoration in 2022. Check local access arrangements before your visit.

Silk Production and Cultural Events

A visit to the Sheki Silk Combine can complement the historical significance of silk with an insight into its production. Visitors can watch silk products being made and learn more about silk production there. Check visitor access with the site in advance.

Sheki regularly hosts international events, including the Great Silk Road International Music Festival. The dates of individual events vary. If a festival is important to your travel plans, check the event dates in advance.

Halva and Local Confectionery Shops

Local confectionery shops in Sheki organize halva masterclasses based on family recipes preserved for centuries. If you would like to include a class in your stay, check booking arrangements and local details before your visit. The masterclass offers a distinct way to experience the local confectionery tradition, alongside visits to the palace, workshop, and museums.

Kish and Routes in the Surrounding Area

About five kilometers from Sheki, the Kish Temple now serves as a museum of Caucasian Albania. It displays Bronze Age pottery fragments discovered during joint Azerbaijani-Norwegian excavations. A visit to Kish thus complements Sheki’s historical and cultural offerings with another museum destination.

Two marked routes in the wider Sheki area offer different experiences. The Qumux–Qaşqaçay route is mostly forested, offers wide views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and is suitable for easy nature walks. The Baş Göynük–Kiş route passes through forests, summer pastures, mountain scenery, and wooded valleys, and is physically demanding. Both routes are fully marked; the difference in difficulty can help you tailor your outing to your preferred style of hiking.

Discover more destinations: Bideyiz

For the main travel overview: Shaki.