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Voykit pocket guide · Azerbaijan
Sheki
Şəki
Give Sheki a night for the best-preserved khanate-era old town in Azerbaijan — the Khan's Palace and its stone caravanserais are worth the detour even on a short Azerbaijan loop.
Sheki sits in the Caucasus foothills of northern Azerbaijan, a former silk-road town and capital of the 18th-century Sheki Khanate. Its UNESCO-listed historic centre is built around the Khan's Palace, famous for shebeke windows — coloured glass set into wood without nails or glue — and around two large 18th-century caravanserais that once housed silk traders. The town is also known for its dense, syrup-soaked halva.
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Local name
- Şəki
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot), Dec–Feb (cold, mountain roads can be affected by snow)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AZN
- Money
- Azerbaijani manat (AZN, ₼): cards work in Baku shops, hotels and restaurants; carry manat for markets, taxis and small cafés.
- SIM and data
- Azercell, Bakcell and Nar sell SIMs with a passport; phones used over a set period may need IMEI registration (check).
- Emergency
- Single emergency number 112 · Fire 101 · Police 102 · Ambulance 103
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European plugs fit.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% if not included.; Drivers and guides: AZN 10–20 a day.
- Water
- Bottled or filtered only.
- Toilets
- Malls, cafés; basic in regions.
Get around
The old town is walkable. Taxis cover the short run out to Kish village and between caravanserais. There is no airport; buses and shared taxis link Sheki to Baku in about 5–6 hours and to Ganja in around 2 hours.
See and do
Known for
- Sheki Khan's Palace and its shebeke stained-glass windows
- Yukhari (Upper) Caravanserai
- Sheki halva sweets
- Albanian church at nearby Kish village
- Silk-weaving history
- Caucasus foothill setting
Sleep
- Caravanserai guesthouses in the old town
- Atmospheric stone rooms, walk to the palace.
- Near the bazaar and centre
- Cheaper, still walkable to the main sights.
Language
Azerbaijani is a Turkic language close to Turkish, written in Latin script since 1991. Russian is widely spoken in Baku. English is common among young people and in hotels. Lezgin, Talysh, Udi and other minority languages are spoken in the regions.
- Salam (hello), çox sağ ol (thank you), neçəyədir? (how much?).
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake among men; hand on heart; avoid: Assuming women will shake hands
- Hospitality: Accept tea; avoid: Refusing outright
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Raising Armenia or Karabakh casually
Scams and watch-outs
- Confirm bus and shared-taxi schedules locally; timetables shift and are often unposted.
- Mountain roads can close briefly after heavy winter snow.
- Confirm palace opening hours and photography rules before visiting the shebeke windows.
- Cash is preferred outside a few hotels; withdraw manat before arriving.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sheki yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sheki Khan's Palace and its shebeke stained-glass windows
- Yukhari (Upper) Caravanserai
- Sheki halva sweets
- Albanian church at nearby Kish village
- Silk-weaving history
- Caucasus foothill setting
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Azerbaijan Tourism: azerbaijan.travel/
- Wikivoyage — Sheki: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sheki
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/sheki). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.