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City in Shaki-Zagatala, Azerbaijan
Photo: Soshial, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Shaki (azr. Şəki, sometimes spelled "Sheki") is Azerbaijan's true travel gem, a small city off on the forested slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. Rich in Islamic architecture, Silk Road history, good food, and friendly people, this is travel and leisure in the Caucasus at its finest.
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This building was constructed by the Shaki Khans to house caravans as they passed through on the Silk Road to and from China. This was one of 5 such stops in Azerbaijan during the 18th and 19th centuries, and was the biggest caravansarai on the Silk Road in the entire Transcaucasus region. To this day, it still serves as a place for travelers to stay and eat, and also as a place where one can simply admire its beautiful architecture. In addition to being a main sight, it's also one of the city's best hotel options.
Cümə Məscidi
This picturesque mosque has a 40-m spire, from which you will hear the resounding call to prayer 5 times a day. It was built from 1745-1750 and is decorated with exquisite geometric designs.
Palace of the Shaki Khans
This palace, along with the Caravansarai, is one of Shaki's true must-sees. During the city's period of independence as the Shaki Khanate, Khan Hussein constructed the palace, its gardens, and fortifications to serve as the summer palace of the Shaki Khans. The palace is exquisite, inside and out, and the courtyard boasts panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountain forests. You could make a good half day of this one site, as there are also various museums, parks, and a nice tea house right on the palace grounds. Photography is forbidden for unclear reasons, and a member of staff will follow you to enforce this. The site unfortunately has no information in Azeri or English.
İpək Kombinat
Shaki, in addition to being on the Silk Road, has been a major silk producer over the past four centuries, and is famous for its various silk products. Shaki's silk factory is about a 15-minute walk from the center of town. It is quite difficult to gain entrance into the factory. There is a store adjoining the factory where vendors sell some fine silk items at lower prices than what you would find at the bazaar.
This is a nice park to go to and sit after a hard morning of shopping. If you are hungry, you can have a picnic on the park grounds or stop in the nearby Kerpish Restaurant
This central park is quite nice during the summer, and it has a couple tea houses where you can kick back and relax.
World War II memorials are a dime a dozen throughout Azerbaijan, but this particular memorial distinguishes itself with its impressive panoramic vista of the city.
A museum dedicated to the first president of independent Azerbaijan (and to the perpetuation of his personality cult), across the street from the Shaki Olympic Complex. The museum is full of pictures, books, and statues dedicated to the man.
This museum is dedicated to one of Shaki's most famous educators and authors, Rashidbey Efendihade.
This art gallery is near the Palace of the Shaki Khans and features paintings by various Shaki artists and students.
public baths
Public baths (hamamlar).
A movie theater/museum showing two movies on most weeks. Usually one is a dubbed American/European film, while the other is from either Turkey or Azerbaijan.
Plays are performed in Azeri, but it still can be interesting to see an Azerbaijani interpretation. The theater also hosts other events. There is a çay xana just outside where you can grab a cup of tea before or after a performance.
This is one of the best deals for Azerbaijani food in Shaki. Additionally, the samovar tea service alongside walnut preserves, "goz murebbesi," and Shaki Halva is recommended.
Soyuk Bulagh
This is a restaurant that has tasty food with a wonderful natural environment with a stream running through the grounds and small platforms for individual groups to eat in a secluded manner. Because of the secluded nature of this restaurant, women can drink at this establishment without drawing undue attention. It is rumored that this is the coolest place (in terms of temperature) in Shaki because of an unspecified natural phenomenon. This restaurant can be reached by taking the number 15 or 23 bus from the center of Shaki and getting off at Soyuk Bulagh bus stop, paying 0.2 manat per person for transport..
Has Turkish food and serves the cakes, danishes, and desserts from the Turkish bakery next door; this restaurant offers take-out on request, so on a nice day you can take your food to the park.
It has 5 small rooms for more private occasions. This is a typical Azerbaijani restaurant serving kebob, salad, and drinks. Expect a smoky atmosphere and it is recommended for strictly male tourists, as Azerbaijani women do not frequent such establishments.
This restaurant has several personal rooms. In the summer, follow up a meal here with some soft-serve ice cream while walking in M.F. Achundov Park.
This is a great restaurant inside of the Shaki Saray Hotel. They have all types of Western food, but it would be better to eat Azerbaijani food at the Chelebi Khan. For those willing to splurge, the best chocolate brownie outside of Baku is served at this hotel. A breakfast buffet is served in the morning and lunch and dinner after that.
There is a nice and cheap restaurant just up the hill from the Khansarai 100 m across the river. You can sit under trees and enjoy a great view on Shaki.
The owner will give you a history of wine in Azerbaijan and wine tasting of all different regions/wineries from Azerbaijan. Wine tastings from US$10 to US$30. Walk in. Enter from the main street (coming from the side street from the hotel above it may have the gate locked).
Илгар хостел
The friendly owner, Ilgar, offers up to 4 beds.
This is a stop for truck drivers going and coming from Turkey, Tbilisi, and Baku. A small breakfast is included in the price of the hotel. Travelers should avoid this one, since there is no transportation to the city center.
Beach Side Resort
This is a hotel of second-to-last resort (after the dismal Shaki Hotel). As you would expect, there is no "beach side" to the city of Shaki, as there is no beach. Its location near the bazaar is the best thing about the hotel, but the rooms are a bit drafty and are not so big. Another advantage is that it is quite cheap for the basic rooms. Finally, there is a small restaurant on the first floor of the hotel.
The tallest building in Shaki is actually a quite rotten place to stay. Rooms are in extreme disrepair and the service is as Soviet as it gets. At least the hotel does offer a guide service in five languages (English, Azeri, Russian, German, and French) and guests can take advantage of the 30 seat hotel bus.
Caravan Palace
Built hundreds of years ago and refurbished since, it has a restaurant, gift shops, and a çay xana (tea house). Hidden inside the corridors alongside the restaurant are rooms for parties of 10-20. During tourist season everything on the menu is available, but in the spring and fall the selection is limited to the course of the day. Service is excellent and accommodation does not get more atmospheric than this. But: don´t have breakfast there. They will charge you 7 manat extra and offer little service - only tea and bread. For coffee head out on the street 50 m to the right is a teahouse. You can sit on the street and have coffee for 20 qapick.
Run by a middle-aged couple, has a nice view of the whole community of Shaki and nice, albeit pricy (for Azerbaijan) meals. 5 bedrooms for two people apiece, each decorated with Azerbaijani handicrafts and tools.
Narin Qala Cottage Complex, on the road to Kish, north of Gelersen Goresen Fortress
This is a cottage complex with over 20 different 1-4 room cottages. In each cottage there are bathrooms, kitchens, and satellite TV. The facilities outside the cottages include a playground for children, evening shows, and a restaurant where children up to 8 years of age can eat for free. This resting zone is within walking distance of Kish's Albanian temple, Markhal, and the old fortress ruins of Gelersen Goresen.
Shaki Olympic Complex
The well-groomed sports center complexes, complete with beautiful gardens, that are being built throughout the country are one of the current president's pet projects. The Shaki Olympic Complex is a little ways out of the town and getting there involves a marshrutka or taxi ride. The sports areas are available to visitors—for a price of course—including volleyball, basketball, tennis, and football. The facility has a conference room for 50 people, a dining room, and small cottages.
Sheki Palace Hotel
The latest hotel in the city, also the most expensive as it caters to wealthy Azerbaijanis from Baku and Ganja as well as Westerners (the staff speaks English and Russian). It has many amenities previously unseen outside of Baku such as in-room Internet access via ethernet, taxi service, room service, etc. There is a conference room on the first floor, a bar with coffee/alcohol, and a restaurant. Rooms range from the basic single to the Presidential Suite.
Made by the Disabled People Care Association.
By bus or marshrutka
A marshrutkas is a minibus but originally a converted delivery van. Sometimes they may fill up before departure time, so try to be there a little earlier.
By taxi
Until the airport begins operating again, the fastest form of transport between Baku and Shaki is by taxi — it takes about 6 hr and 60 manat.
By bus or marshrutka
Buses and marshrutkas operate from 07:00-20:00, charge 30 qapick (as of 2018), and go to many different locations throughout the city.
By taxi
Taxis charge 2-6 manat and are quite convenient if you know where you want to go within the city.
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