Sheki: the Khan's Palace, Shebeke Windows and a Long Day from Baku
Sheki sits about 300 km northwest of Baku in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus — a four-and-a-half hour drive each way, which makes it the longest day trip most visitors attempt. It is also the one people most often say was worth it.
The Khan's Palace and its windows
Built in 1797 as a summer residence, the palace joined the UNESCO list in 2019 together with the historic centre. It is small — two floors, six rooms — and the interior is completely covered in painted murals: hunting scenes, floral patterns, battles.
The famous part is the shebeke: stained-glass lattice windows assembled from thousands of hand-cut wood and glass pieces held together without a single nail or drop of glue. Craftsmen still make them in workshops in town, and watching the process explains the palace better than any label does.
Caravanserais and the silk trade
Sheki was a Silk Road stop, and two caravanserais survive — the Upper and the Lower. The Lower one still operates as a hotel, so you can walk into the courtyard and see the layout as merchants used it: storage below, sleeping quarters above, one gate that closed at night.
The town's silk industry outlasted the trade route and only wound down in the Soviet period.
Practical: it is a long day
A full-day trip means roughly nine hours in the car for four or five hours on the ground. If your schedule allows, Sheki works far better as an overnight, often combined with Gabala or Lahij on the way. Both formats are below with real prices.
Tours covering this route
Sheki Tour
This full-day journey takes you out of busy Baku and into Sheki, a Silk Road town nestled at the foot of the Greater Caucasus. Along the way you'll stop in Shamakhi at the Juma Mosque, regarded as the first mosque in the Caucasus, before reaching the UNESCO-listed historic centre of Sheki, with its blue rooftops, stone lanes and mountain backdrop. You'll wander through the Sheki Khan's Palace, the khans' summer residence famous for its shebeke stained-glass windows, soak up the Silk Road atmosphere in the courtyard of a medieval caravanserai, and climb to the mountain village of Kish to see its ancient Albanian church. For lunch you'll sample Azerbaijani cuisine at a local restaurant and have the chance to taste the celebrated Sheki halva. Comfortable air-conditioned transport, hotel pick-up and an experienced guide are all included. Because Sheki lies far from the capital, the day is long and full — an ideal route for travellers who want to see northern Azerbaijan in a single day.
- The UNESCO-listed historic centre of Sheki and the famous Sheki Khan's Palace
- The Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, said to be the first mosque in the Caucasus
- The mountain village of Kish and its ancient Albanian church
Basqal Heritage Experience | Shamakhi, Ancient Caves & Hidden Azerbaijan
Starting from Baku, this full-day journey takes you into a lesser-known side of Azerbaijan's heritage — from the ancient caves around Shamakhi to the cobbled streets of the historic village of Basqal. You'll explore the atmospheric caves of Nerman Village and the sacred Prophet's Cave, then visit the 8th-century Shamakhi Juma Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the Caucasus, and the Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum of the Shirvan Khans. After a taste of traditional Azerbaijani cuisine, you'll head to Basqal, home of the Kelaghayi silk headscarf recognised by UNESCO — walking among a restored historic bathhouse, a centuries-old cemetery, a 700-year-old plane tree, the ruins of a two-storey mosque, the Galabashi viewpoint and crystal-clear mountain springs. Comfortable air-conditioned transport and hotel pick-up in Baku are included.
- The ancient caves of Nerman Village and the sacred Prophet's Cave
- The 8th-century Shamakhi Juma Mosque, one of the oldest in the Caucasus
- The Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum of the Shirvan Khans
Sheki Tour
This full-day journey takes you out of busy Baku and into Sheki, a Silk Road town nestled at the foot of the Greater Caucasus. Along the way you'll stop in Shamakhi at the Juma Mosque, regarded as the first mosque in the Caucasus, before reaching the UNESCO-listed historic centre of Sheki, with its blue rooftops, stone lanes and mountain backdrop. You'll wander through the Sheki Khan's Palace, the khans' summer residence famous for its shebeke stained-glass windows, soak up the Silk Road atmosphere in the courtyard of a medieval caravanserai, and climb to the mountain village of Kish to see its ancient Albanian church. For lunch you'll sample Azerbaijani cuisine at a local restaurant and have the chance to taste the celebrated Sheki halva. Comfortable air-conditioned transport, hotel pick-up and an experienced guide are all included. Because Sheki lies far from the capital, the day is long and full — an ideal route for travellers who want to see northern Azerbaijan in a single day.
- The UNESCO-listed historic centre of Sheki and the famous Sheki Khan's Palace
- The Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, said to be the first mosque in the Caucasus
- The mountain village of Kish and its ancient Albanian church
Sheki Tour
This full-day journey takes you out of busy Baku and into Sheki, a Silk Road town nestled at the foot of the Greater Caucasus. Along the way you'll stop in Shamakhi at the Juma Mosque, regarded as the first mosque in the Caucasus, before reaching the UNESCO-listed historic centre of Sheki, with its blue rooftops, stone lanes and mountain backdrop. You'll wander through the Sheki Khan's Palace, the khans' summer residence famous for its shebeke stained-glass windows, soak up the Silk Road atmosphere in the courtyard of a medieval caravanserai, and climb to the mountain village of Kish to see its ancient Albanian church. For lunch you'll sample Azerbaijani cuisine at a local restaurant and have the chance to taste the celebrated Sheki halva. Comfortable air-conditioned transport, hotel pick-up and an experienced guide are all included. Because Sheki lies far from the capital, the day is long and full — an ideal route for travellers who want to see northern Azerbaijan in a single day.
- The UNESCO-listed historic centre of Sheki and the famous Sheki Khan's Palace
- The Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, said to be the first mosque in the Caucasus
- The mountain village of Kish and its ancient Albanian church
Multi-Day Tours Across Azerbaijan
This two-day independent journey takes you from Baku westward into Azerbaijan, along the historic stops of the Silk Road. The route lets you wander at your own pace, without rushing: you'll see the ancient shrines of Shamakhi, watch coppersmiths at work along the cobbled craft street of Lahij, rise above the clouds on the cable car in mountainous Gabala, and spend the night in the silk city of Sheki. On the second day you'll explore Sheki's Khan's Palace, its caravanserai and the ancient Caucasian Albanian church at Kish. Hotel pick-up and drop-off, comfortable transport and all entrance fees are included — only a driver accompanies you, so you set your own timing at every stop. It's an ideal choice for travellers who want to see Azerbaijan at their own rhythm, without the pressure of a guide.
- From Baku westward across Azerbaijan — a Silk Road route
- Visits to the Shamakhi, Lahij, Gabala and Sheki regions
- Lahij's coppersmith workshops and Gabala's cable car