Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace
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How it came to be
Sheki lies at the foot of the Greater Caucasus in northwest Azerbaijan, split by the Gurjana River. In 1743 Haji Chelebi declared the independent Sheki Khanate, the first of a series of Caucasian khanates.
A mudflow in 1772 destroyed the old town, and Sheki was rebuilt on higher ground to the east, near the village of Nukha. Caravanserais, shops, mosques and bathhouses went up within a short time, and houses were given attics for silkworms and gardens of mulberry trees. The khan's summer palace, built in the late 18th century, is known for coloured glass set in wooden lattices assembled without nails or glue.
A treaty of 1805 placed the khanate under Russia, which abolished it in 1819. Between 1850 and 1870 more than 200 European firms opened offices in the town as it became an international silk centre. Known as Nukha until 1968, Sheki was listed by UNESCO in 2019.
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