Shaki ( az, Şəki) is a city in northwestern
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
, surrounded by the
district of the same name. It is located on the southern part of the
Greater Caucasus
The Greater Caucasus ( az, Böyük Qafqaz, Бөјүк Гафгаз, بيوک قافقاز; ka, დიდი კავკასიონი, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; russian: Большой Кавказ, ''Bolshoy Kavkaz'', sometimes translat ...
mountain range, from
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
. As of 2020, it has a population of 68,400.
The center of the city and the
Palace of Shaki Khans
The Palace of Shaki Khans ( az, Şəki xanlarının sarayı) in Shaki, Azerbaijan was a summer residence for the Shaki Khans. It was built in 1797 by Muhammed Hasan Khan. The palace was intended to house the Khans who were in charge of controlli ...
were inscribed in the
UNESCO World Heritage List
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in 2019 because of its unique architecture and its history as an important trading center along the
Silk Road
The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
.
Etymology
According to the Azerbaijani historians, the name of the town goes back to the ethnonym of the
Sakas
The Saka (Old Persian: ; Kharosthi, Kharoṣṭhī: ; Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian: , ; , Old Chinese, old , Pinyin, mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit (Brahmi script, Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanagari, Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (An ...
, who reached the territory of modern-day Azerbaijan in the 7th century B.C. and populated it for several centuries.
In the medieval sources, the name of the town is found in various forms such as Sheke, Sheki, Shaka, Shakki, Shakne, Shaken, Shakkan, Shekin.
The city was known as ''Nukha'' ( az, Nuxa; russian: Нуха) until 1968.
History
Antiquity
There are traces of large-scale settlements in Shaki dating back to more than 2700 years ago. The Sakas were an
Iranian people that wandered from the north side of the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
through Derbend passage and to the
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
and from there to
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
in the 7th century B.C. They occupied a good deal of the fertile lands in South Caucasus in an area called Sakasena. The city of Shaki was one of the areas occupied by the Sakas. The original settlement dates back to the late
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
.
Shaki was founded in the 8th century B.C.
Shaki was one of the biggest cities of the
Caucasian Albanian
Caucasian Albania is a modern exonym for a former state located in ancient times in the Caucasus: mostly in what is now Azerbaijan (where both of its capitals were located). The modern endonyms for the area are ''Aghwank'' and ''Aluank'', among t ...
states in the 1st century. The kingdom of Shaki was divided into 11 administrative provinces. The main temple of the ancient Albanians was located there. The Albanians adopted Christianity early from the
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
, and Armenian cultural and religious influence became strong in Shaki.
As a result of archaeological excavations conducted in 1902 in the village of Boyuk-Dakhna in the Shaki region, various ceramic products and a stone tombstone dating back to the 2nd century AD and containing inscriptions in Greek were discovered.
Shaki was one of the important political and economic cities before the Arab invasion. But as a result of the invasion in 654, Shaki was annexed to the third emirate of
Arminiya
Arminiya, also known as the Ostikanate of Arminiya ( hy, Արմինիա ոստիկանություն, ''Arminia vostikanut'yun'') or the Emirate of Armenia ( ar, إمارة أرمينيا, ''imārat Arminiya''), was a political and geographic de ...
. At the turn of the 9th century, when the
Arab caliphate
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
was weak, Shaki joined with
Cambysene Cambysene was a region first attested in the ''Geographica'' ("Geography") of the ancient geographer and historian Strabo (64/3 BC – AD). According to Strabo, it comprised one of the northernmost provinces of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia, and ...
and was ruled by the Armenian Smbatean princes as part of the independent principality of Shaki or
Hereti
The Kingdom of Hereti ( ka, ჰერეთის სამეფო ''heretis samepo'') was a medieval monarchy which emerged in Caucasus on the Iberian-Albanian frontier. Nowadays it roughly corresponds to the southeastern corner of Georgia's Ka ...
, a vassal of the Armenian
Bagratid kingdom. The population was mostly of Armenian origin and
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
-speaking. The first Armenian prince of Shaki was
Sahl Smbatean Sahl Smbatean EṙanshahikMovses Kaghankatvatsi. ''History of Aghuank''. Critical text and introduction by Varag Arakelyan. Matenadaran" Institute of Ancient Manuscripts after Mesrop Mashtots. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 198 ...
, who ruled with relative autonomy from the Abbasid Caliphate.
By the 10th century, the Arab geographer, Ibn Haukal mentions that Shaki was ruled by the Armenian prince Prince Ishkhanik.
[ From 1038 to 1105, the Armenian ]Kiurikian dynasty
The Kiurikian or Kiurikid dynasty ( hy, Կյուրիկյաններ or more rarely Gurgenian, hy, Գուրգենյաններ) was a medieval Armenian royal dynasty which ruled the kingdoms of Tashir-Dzoraget (978-1118) and Kakheti-Hereti (1029 ...
ruled Shaki as part of the Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
. In 1117, the region was captured by the army of the Georgian king David IV
David IV, also known as David the Builder ( ka, დავით აღმაშენებელი, ') (1073–1125), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 5th king of United Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125.
Popularly considered to be ...
.
The city was also ruled by the Atabegs of Azerbaijan
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the title's use was wit ...
and the Khwarazmian Empire
The Khwarazmian or Khwarezmian Empire) or the Khwarazmshahs ( fa, خوارزمشاهیان, Khwārazmshāhiyān) () was a Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire that ruled large parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran in the appr ...
, before the Mongol invasion
The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire ( 1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
.
Feudal era
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the territory of the present Shaki district was a part of the state of Shirvanshah
''Shirvanshah'' ( fa, شروانشاه), also spelled as ''Shīrwān Shāh'' or ''Sharwān Shāh'', was the title of the rulers of Shirvan from the mid-9th century to the early 16th century. The title remained in a single family, the Yazidids, a ...
s. Management of Shaki was entrusted to the son of Rashid al-Din Hamadani – Jalat In the 30s of the 14th century, the local Oirat tribe took power. After the collapse of the Hulagu Khan's rule in the first half of the 14th century, Shaki gained independence under the rule of Sidi Ahmed Orlat. In 1392, Emir Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
captured Shaki, and the ruler of Shaki, Seyid Ali, was killed. Seyid Ali's son, Seyid Ahmed, who came to power, along with Shirvanshah Ibrahim I Derbendi, accompanied Timur on his third campaign against Azerbaijan in 1399. In 1444, Shaki, then known as Nukhi, was ruled by a Muslim family of Armenian origin whose reign lasted till 1551. In the early 1500s, Safavid
Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
king Ismail I
Ismail I ( fa, اسماعیل, Esmāʿīl, ; July 17, 1487 – May 23, 1524), also known as Shah Ismail (), was the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Safavid Iran, Iran, ruling as its King of Kings (''Shahanshah'') from 1501 to 1524. His re ...
(r. 1501–1524) conquered the area, but the town continued to be governed by its hereditary rulers, under Safavid suzerainty.
Ismail's son and successor Shah Tahmasp
Tahmasp I ( fa, طهماسب, translit=Ṭahmāsb or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 to 1576. He was the eldest son of Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Ascending the throne after t ...
(r. 1524–1576) put an end to this, and in 1551, he appointed the first Qizilbash
Qizilbash or Kizilbash ( az, Qızılbaş; ota, قزيل باش; fa, قزلباش, Qezelbāš; tr, Kızılbaş, lit=Red head ) were a diverse array of mainly Turkoman Shia militant groups that flourished in Iranian Azerbaijan, Anatolia, the ...
governor to rule the town. The territory was annexed to the Safavid dynasty as the independent Sheki beylerbey reigned by Toygun-bey Qajar. Safavid rule was twice briefly interrupted by the Ottomans
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
between 1578 and 1603 and 1724–1735. In 1734-1735, there was a revolt of poor people against the policy of Nadir Shah
Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian h ...
in the village of Bilecik (Shaki)
In 1741, there was another uprising against the local ruler, Melik Najaf. Appointed by Nadir Shah, Haji Chelebi, who claimed descent from the hereditary Muslim-Armenian rulers of the province, announced the formation of an independent Sheki khanate in 1743.[ Upon learning of this, Nadir Shah Afshar sent his army to Shaki. Haji Chelebi took refuge in the fortress of Gelesen-Geresen. In 1746, Haji Celebi was forced to recognize the authority of Nadir Shah. However, new uprisings and the death of Nadir Shah allowed Haji Chelebi to re-declare himself Khan] During the existence of Shaki khanate, the local population of the city was engaged in silkworm breeding, craft and trade. As a result of a flood in the river Kish, the city of Shaki was partially ruined and the population was resettled in the present day city.
In alliance with the Shamakhi Khan, in 1748 Haji Chelebi attempted to besiege the Bayat fortress. The defeat in the battle of Bayat, which lasted for a month, had been a serious setback for allies.
The Jaro-Balakan Jamaat, Qabala
Qabala ( az, Qəbələ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Qabala District of Azerbaijan. The municipality consists of the city of Gabala and the village of Küsnat. Before the city was known as Kutkashen, but after the Republic of ...
and Ares sultanates were dependent on the Shaki khanate
In 1751, Haji Chelebi defeated the army of the Kakheti
Kakheti ( ka, კახეთი ''K’akheti''; ) is a region (mkhare) formed in the 1990s in eastern Georgia from the historical province of Kakheti and the small, mountainous province of Tusheti. Telavi is its capital. The region comprises eigh ...
king Heraclius II. At the initiative of Heraclius II, a political conspiracy of the Kakheti Kingdom, the Karabakh, Ganja, Irevan, Nakhichevan, and Karadag khanates against the Shaki khan was arranged. In 1752, in the area of Kyzylgaya, Georgian troops unexpectedly attacked the khans: they were captured. Haji Celebi himself defeated the Georgians in the battle near Ganja and came to the aid of the khans. The army of Shaki khan captured Gazakh and Borchali.
In 1767, the Western part of the Shamakhi khanate was annexed to the Shaki khanate.
In 1785, the Shaki khanate became dependent on the Guba khanate. However, this did not last long: after the death of Fatali khan of Guba, the Shaki khanate regained its independence.
During the reign of Selim khan, the territory of the khanate was conditionally divided into 8 magals, which were ruled by naibs directly appointed by the khan himself.
On May 21, 1805, the treaty of Kyurekchay was signed between Russia and the Shaki khanate, the main condition of which was the annexation of the Shaki khanate to Russia. In 1806, the Russian army moved to Shaki. Selim khan was removed from positions of power. A temporary Board of Pro-Russian beks was created.
Modern era
The area was fully annexed by Russia by the Treaty of Gulistan
The Treaty of Gulistan (russian: Гюлистанский договор; fa, عهدنامه گلستان) was a peace treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and Iran on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now in the Goranboy Distri ...
in 1813 and the khanate was abolished in 1819 and the Shaki province was established in its place. Shaki province was merged with provinces of Shemakha, Baku, Susha, Lankaran, Derbent and Kuban in 1840 and Caspian Oblast was created. At the same time Shaki was renamed as Nuha. The oblast was dissolved in 1846 and it was raion center of Shemakha Governorate
The Shemakha Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty (1801–1917), Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its administrative center in the city of Shemakha (present-day Shamakhi). Following the earthquake o ...
. After the earthquake in Shemakha in 1859, the governorate was renamed as Baku Governorate
The Baku Governorate, known before 1859 as the Shemakha Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its center in the booming metropolis and Caspian Sea port of Baku. Area (1897): 34,400 sq ...
. On 19 February 1868, raion of Nukha was passed to the newly created Elizavetpol Governorate
The Elizavetpol Governorate, also known after 1918 as the Ganja Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Yelisavetpol (present-day Ganja). The area of the governorate st ...
as the Nukha uezd
The Nukha uezd was a county (''uezd'') of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire and later of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with its center in Nukha (present-day Shaki) from 1868 until its formal abolition in 1921 by the Soviet au ...
. After founding of USSR, it was the center of Nukha raion. Its one was abolished on 4 January 1963 and was bounded to one of Vartashen. Nukha one was founded again in 1965 and finally, city and raion regained traditional name in 1968.
During its history, the town saw devastation many times and because of that, the oldest historic and architectural monuments currently preserved are dated to only the 16th–19th centuries. For many centuries, Shaki had a large Armenian community and has been famous for being the center of silkworm-breeding and local silk production. Originally located on the left bank of the river Kish, the town sat lower down the hill, however Shaki was moved to its present location after a devastating flood in 1772 and became the capital of Shaki Khanate
The Shaki Khanate ( fa, خانات شکّی, also spelled as Sheki Khanate, Shekin Khanate, Shakki Khanate) was one of the most powerful of the Khanates of the Caucasus, Caucasian Khanates established in Afsharid dynasty, Afsharid Iran, on the n ...
. As the new location was near the village of Nukha, the city also became known as Nukha, until 1968 when it reverted to the name Shaki.
In 1829, the Khanabad factory was opened in Shaki. The products of the Nukha silk-winding factory, which opened in 1861, were awarded a medal in London in 1862. The Shaki uprising of 1838 had an impact on the administrative, judicial, and agrarian reforms of the 1840s.
In 1917, Soviets of Workers' deputies were formed in a number of cities of Azerbaijan, including Shaki.
In May 1920, Soviet power was established in Shaki, as well as in other cities of Azerbaijan.
In 1930, an uprising against the policy of collectivization in the Azerbaijan SSR broke out in the village of Bash Goynyuk in the Shaki district. The Soviet regime was abolished. Soon, Red Army units moved into the city. The rebels were subject to execution.
Republic era
A letter from the Chairman of the Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
City Council, Daisaku Kadokawa
is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Kyoto, the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture.
Person
In June 2019, he sent Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, m ...
, on 8 December 2008, said that Sheki was a member of the World Historical Cities League. Sheki became a member after the meeting of the Board of the World Cities League in October 2008.
Works to be done in the field of renovation and construction in 2012 were identified: Together with Sheki City Executive Authority and Architectural Urbanization Committee, Shaki City General Plan was prepared. According to the General Plan, it was planned to implement a number of infrastructure projects, as well as the expansion of the city to the west, inclusion of city of Oxud, İncə, Shaki
İncə (also, Incha and Indzha) is a village and municipality in the Shaki Rayon of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transco ...
, Kish
Kish may refer to:
Geography
* Gishi, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, a village also called Kish
* Kiş, Shaki, Azerbaijan, a village and municipality also spelled Kish
* Kish Island, an Iranian island and a city in the Persian Gulf
* Kish, Iran, ...
, and Qoxmuq villages to Shaki.
Geography
Shaki is surrounded by snowy peaks of the Greater Caucasus
The Greater Caucasus ( az, Böyük Qafqaz, Бөјүк Гафгаз, بيوک قافقاز; ka, დიდი კავკასიონი, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; russian: Большой Кавказ, ''Bolshoy Kavkaz'', sometimes translat ...
, which in some places reaches 3000–3600 m. Shaki's climate includes a range of cyclones and anticyclones, air masses and local winds. The average annual temperature in Shaki is 12 °C. In June and August, the average temperature varies between 20 and 25 °C.
The mountain forests around the area prevent the city from floods and overheating of the area during summer. The main rivers of the city are the Kish
Kish may refer to:
Geography
* Gishi, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, a village also called Kish
* Kiş, Shaki, Azerbaijan, a village and municipality also spelled Kish
* Kish Island, an Iranian island and a city in the Persian Gulf
* Kish, Iran, ...
and Gurjhana. During the Soviet rule of Azerbaijan, many ascended to Shaki to bathe in its prestigious mineral spring
Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produces hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage underg ...
s.
Demographics
According to the 1917 publication of the ''Caucasian Calendar'', Shaki, then known as Nukha, had a population of 52,243 in 1916, including 33,813 Sunni Muslims
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
(64.7%), 9,588 Shia Muslims
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...
(18.4%), and 8,009 Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
(15.3%).
The number of Shaki population is 174.1 thousand people. Including, the rural population is 105.7 thousand people, while the urban population is 66.9 thousand people. Population density is 72 people per 1 square kilometer. Of the total population, 86.4 thousand or 49.6% of men, 87.7 thousand or 50.4% are women. 38.4 percent of the population lives in the city and 61.6 percent lives in the village.
Religion
A home to ancient Caucasian Albania
Caucasian Albania is a modern exonym for a former state located in ancient times in the Caucasus: mostly in what is now Azerbaijan (where both of its capitals were located). The modern endonyms for the area are ''Aghwank'' and ''Aluank'', among ...
n churches, religion is highly important to the people of Shaki due to its historical religious diversity. There are many churches and mosques in the city. Some churches such as the Church of Kish
The Church of Kish ( az, Kiş kilsəsi; ka, გიშის ეკლესია), also known from different sources as Church of Saint Elishe ( az, Müqəddəs Yelisey kilsəsi, hy, Սուրբ Եղիշէ եկեղեցի; Latinised Saint Eliseus) ...
in the vicinity of Shaki are thought to be approximately 1,500 years old. The Khan's Mosque, Omar Efendi Mosque and Gileili Minaret are considered important places of worship in the city.
Economy
During 1850–70, Shaki became international silk production centre.[ More than 200 European companies opened offices in the city, while silkworms to the tune of 3 million roubles were sold to them in a year.]
Shaki possesses a small silk industry and relies on its agricultural sector, which produces tobacco, grapes, cattle, nut
Nut often refers to:
* Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds
* Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt
Nut or Nuts may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Co ...
s, cereals and milk. The main production facilities of Shaki are the silk factory, gas-power plant, brick factory, wine factory, sausage factory, conserve factory, and a dairy plant with its integrated big scale Pedigree Dairy Farm.
Tourism and shopping
In 2010, Shaki was visited by 15,000 foreign tourists from all around the world.
Culture
Shaki has one of the greatest density of cultural resources and monuments that include 2700 years of Azerbaijani history. The city boasts a lot of houses with red roofs. In pop culture, probably the most famous feature of Shakinians are their nice sense of humor and comic tales. Shaki's comic tales hero ''Hacı dayı'' (Uncle Haji) is the subject of nearly all jokes in the area.
Shaki has always played a central role in Azerbaijani art and more generally in the art and architecture of Azerbaijan. Under the name of Nukha, the city is the scene of much of the action in Brecht's play ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle
''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (german: Der kaukasische Kreidekreis) is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a b ...
''.
In the second half of the 19th century. Nukha was ranked second in terms of trade and industry development. New types of city and county schools were created.
According to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijani SSR No. 97 of March 6, 1968, the "Yukhary Bash" area in Nukha was declared an architectural reserve.
In 1975, the construction of the drama theater building was completed in Shaki.
In 1983, the Shaki craft Museum opened.
Architecture
Architecture in Shaki has largely been shaped by Shaki's history. It goes back to a time, when it was a market center on the Silk Road
The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
, linking Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
, Russia to the northern trade routes through the Caucasus.
The city's central and main open city squares are dominated by two Soviet towers. Many public places and private houses in Shaki are decorated with shebeke, a wooden lattice of pieces of coloured glass, held together without glue or a single nail. The technique is complex and known only to a few artisans who pass their meticulous craft from generation to generation.[
The ]Palace of Shaki Khans
The Palace of Shaki Khans ( az, Şəki xanlarının sarayı) in Shaki, Azerbaijan was a summer residence for the Shaki Khans. It was built in 1797 by Muhammed Hasan Khan. The palace was intended to house the Khans who were in charge of controlli ...
which was a summer residence of Shaki Khans, still remains one of the most visible landmarks of Shaki. Constructed in 1762 without a single nail
Nail or Nails may refer to:
In biology
* Nail (anatomy), toughened protective protein-keratin (known as alpha-keratin, also found in hair) at the end of an animal digit, such as fingernail
* Nail (beak), a plate of hard horny tissue at the tip ...
is one of the most marvelous monuments of its epoch. Displayed within the palace are Azerbaijani Khanate-era artifacts, as well as displays of the art scene, considered to be among the finest in the world. Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee held in July 2019.
The Shaki Castle which was built by the founder of the Shaki Khanate
The Shaki Khanate ( fa, خانات شکّی, also spelled as Sheki Khanate, Shekin Khanate, Shakki Khanate) was one of the most powerful of the Khanates of the Caucasus, Caucasian Khanates established in Afsharid dynasty, Afsharid Iran, on the n ...
Haji Chelebi Khan (1743–1755), near the village of Nukha
Shaki ( az, Şəki) is a city in northwestern Azerbaijan, surrounded by the district of the same name. It is located on the southern part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, from Baku. As of 2020, it has a population of 68,400. The center ...
on the southern foothills of the Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
. The fortress walls are close to a thousand and two hundred meters long and over two meters thick. Protected by numerous bastions, the fortress is entered by two main gates from the north and south. At the height of the khanate, the fortress contained a gated palatial complex and public and commercial structures of the city, while the residential quarter was situated outside its walls. It was restored extensively between 1958 and 1963. Many years Shaki fortress safeguarded approaches to the city, the acts of bravery by its defendants of fight with foreign oppressors had been written in many history books. In Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
's well-known Hadji Murat novel, Shaki fortress had selected as place of events.
Sightseeing places
# The fortress (19th century);
# Shaki Khan's mosque (18th century);
# Upper caravanserai (18th century);
# Lower caravanserai (17th century);
# The house of Shaki khans (18th century);
# The minaret of the Gileyli mosque (18th century)
# Godak minaret mosque; (19th century);
# Juma mosque (19th century);
# Mosque of Omar Efendi (19th century);
# Mosque "Kyshlak" (19th century);
# Underground bath (19th century);
# "Aguanlar" bath (19th century);
# "Kyshlak" bath (19th century);
# Dara Bathhouse(19th century);
# The round temple (19th century);
# The bridge on the Gurjanachai river (18th—19th centuries);
# The remains of the Gelesan-Goresen fortress
# The house-museum of Mirza Fatali Akhundov;
# The house-museum of Rashid Bey Efendiyev;
# The house-Museum of Sabit Rahman.
Cuisine
Perhaps the best-known aspect of Shaki cooking is its rich sweet dishes. Shaki is traditionally held as the home of special type of baklava
Baklava (, or ; ota, باقلوا ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine.
The pre- Ottoman origin of the ...
, called Shaki Halva. Others include nabat boiled sugar and sweet pesheveng.
Shaki also has some famous dishes, including girmabadam, zilviya, piti
Piti may refer to:
* Pīti, a mental factor in Buddhism
* PITI, the principal, interest, taxes, and insurance sum of a mortgage payment
* Piti (food), a soup dish of Central Asia
* Piti (footballer) (born 1981), Spanish footballer
* Piti, Guam
* P ...
, a stew created with meat and potatoes and prepared in a terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
pot.
Language
The city of Shaki has developed its own dialect of Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani () or Azeri (), also referred to as Azeri Turkic or Azeri Turkish, is a Turkic language from the Oghuz sub-branch spoken primarily by the Azerbaijani people, who live mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan where the North Azerbaija ...
, which is mainly spoken in the city, and the region of Shaki District
Shaki District ( az, Şəki rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north of the country and belongs to the Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Qakh, Oghuz, Agdash, Yevlakh, and ...
. Residents of city are known for their cheerful intonation of the words.
Museums
Shaki hosts a wealth of historical museums and some of the most important in the country. The Shaki History Museum is one of the main museums, considered one of the most important for artifacts of the Khanate period.
As of the 18th century, five big Caravanserai
A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
s (Isfahan, Tabriz, Lezgi, Ermeni and Taze) were active in Shaki but only two of them have survived. The upper and lower Caravanserais were built in the 18th century and used by merchants to store their goods in cellars, who traded on the first floor, and lived on the second. Both Caravanserais includes view of all convenience and safety of merchants and their goods.
Music and media
The city is home of the annual Mugham Festival
The Mugam Festival or Shusha Festival is an annual cultural and musical festival held in Shaki, Azerbaijan. The festival features traditional Azerbaijani music known as mugam.
Pioneers
One of the major pioneers of this festival was Uzeyir Hajibe ...
and Silk Road International Music Festival.
The regional channel ''Kanal-S'', newspapers ''Shaki'' and ''Shakinin Sasi'' are headquartered in the city.
Transport
There is a daily overnight train to and from Baku on the Baku–Balakan route.
Education
Shaki branch of the Azerbaijan Pedagogical University, Sheki Regional College, 84 general and vocational schools operate in Shaki.
Notable residents
The city's notable residents include: Fatali Khan Khoyski, prime minister of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
, Ahmadiyya Jabrayilov
Ahmadiyya Mikayil oghlu Jabrayilov ( az, Əhmədiyyə Mikayıl oğlu Cəbrayılov, russian: Ахмедия Микаил оглы Джебраилов; french: Akmed Michel; 22 September 1920 – 11 October 1994) is said to have been a French ...
, an activist of the French Resistance
The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
, poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh
Bakhtiyar Mahmud oghlu Vahabzadeh (; August 16, 1925 – February 13, 2009) was an Azerbaijani poet, dramatist, lyricist and translator as well as a college professor and politician. He is often regarded as one of the greatest contemporary ...
, composer Jovdat Hajiyev
Ahmad Jovdat Ismayil oglu Hajiyev (June 18, 1917 - January 18, 2002) was one of the major Azerbaijani composers of the Soviet period. He is remembered for his monumental orchestral works, having been the first Azerbaijani to compose a symphony (1 ...
, film director Rasim Ojagov
Rasim Ojagov ( az, Rasim Ocaqov; 22 November 1933, Shaki, Azerbaijani SSR – 11 July 2006, Baku, Azerbaijan) was a Soviet-Azerbaijani film director and camera operator, Honoured Art Worker of Chechen-Ingush ASSR (1964), People's Artist of the Az ...
, actor Lutfali Abdullayev, religious leader Mahammad Hasan Movlazadeh Shakavi
Movlazada Mahammad Hasan Ismayil oglu Shakavi ( az, Mövlazadə Məhəmməd Həsən İsmayıl oğlu Şəkəvi, محمد مولازاده حسن اسماعیل اوغلۇ شکوی) was a noble Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani religious leader, 'al ...
, and others.
File:Mfakhundov.jpg, Mirza Fatali Akhundov
Mirza Fatali Akhundov ( az, Mirzə Fətəli Axundov; fa, میرزا فتحعلی آخوندزاده), also known as Mirza Fatali Akhundzade, or Mirza Fath-Ali Akhundzadeh (12 July 1812 – 9 March 1878), was a celebrated Azerbaijani author, pla ...
, founder of materialism and atheism movement in Azerbaijan and modern Iranian literature, as well as one of the forerunners of Iranian nationalism
File:Alasgar.jpg, Shakili Alasgar
Alasgar Abdullayev or Shakili Alasgar ( az, Ələsgər Abdullayev; 1866 — 1 April 1929) was an Azerbaijani khananda.
Biography
Shakili Alasgar was born in Nukha (present-day Shaki) in 1866. He worked with a bricklayer in his childhood. Alasgar ...
, mugham performer.
File:Abdulali bey Amirjanov 2.jpg, Abdulali bey Amirjanov
Abdulali bey Amirjanov Shirali bey oghlu ( az, Əbdüləli bəy Əmircanov Şirəli bəy oğlu; 1870–1948) was an Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani statesman who served as Ministry of Finance (Azerbaijan), Minister of Finance, Ministry of Taxes ( ...
, was member of Azerbaijani National Council
Azerbaijani National Council ( az, Azərbaycan Xalq Cümhuriyyəti Milli Şurası) was the first delegated legislative body of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) from 27 May 1918 to 17 June 1918 and again from 16 November 1918 to 3 December 1 ...
.
File:SheyxulIslam.jpg, Mahammad Hasan Movlazadeh Shakavi
Movlazada Mahammad Hasan Ismayil oglu Shakavi ( az, Mövlazadə Məhəmməd Həsən İsmayıl oğlu Şəkəvi, محمد مولازاده حسن اسماعیل اوغلۇ شکوی) was a noble Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani religious leader, 'al ...
, the first scholar who translated Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
into the Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani () or Azeri (), also referred to as Azeri Turkic or Azeri Turkish, is a Turkic language from the Oghuz sub-branch spoken primarily by the Azerbaijani people, who live mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan where the North Azerbaija ...
.
File:Fatali Khan Khoyski.jpg, Fatali Khan Khoyski, the first Prime Minister of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
.
File:Salman Mumtaz.jpg, Salman Mumtaz
Salman Mumtaz (pseudonymous of Salman Mammedamin oghlu Asgarov; May 20, 1884 – September 6, 1941) was a renowned Azerbaijani literary scholar and poet. He was born in Shaki in 1884. In his efforts to collect, publish and promote the classical ...
, Azerbaijani literary scholar and poet.
Gallery
File:011ancienhouseinsheki.jpg, Ancient house in Shaki
File:075domkulturi.jpg, Shaki House of Culture
File:015muzey.jpg, Front view of Albanian church
File:007shekistreet.jpg, One of the old streets of Shaki
File:026qapisaray.jpg, Door of Shaki Khan Palace
File:Caucasian Albania Church.jpg, A 6th-century Caucasian Albanian church
File:Shaki karavansaray10.jpg, View of Shaki's Karavansarai
File:096mosquesheki.jpg, Omer Efendi Mosque
File:Shaki fortress.JPG, Shaki fortress
File:House of Shakikhanovs.JPG, House of Shakikhanovs
File:Sheki - Kish, Karavanserei, Strassenseite.JPG, Sheki Caravanserai
A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
File:Ashagi kervansarai 1.JPG, Ashagi Caravanserai
File:House of Farhadbayovs in Shaki.JPG, House of Farhadbayovs
File:Alijanbayovs house in Shaki.JPG, House of Alijanbayovs
File:Minaret of Friday mosque in Shaki.JPG, Minaret of Friday mosque
File:Ömər Əfəndi məscidi, Şəki (01).jpg, Ömər Əfəndi mosque
File:Ağvanlar bath.JPG, Ağvanlar bath
File:Undergraund bath 1.JPG, Undergraund bath in Shaki
File:Church in Shaki.jpg, Former Armenian church in Shaki
File:Palace Hotel, Sheki (P1090440).jpg, Palace Hotel, Sheki
Twin towns – sister cities
Shaki is twinned with:
* Gabrovo
Gabrovo ( bg, Габрово ) is a town in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province.
It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an internationa ...
, Bulgaria
* Giresun
Giresun (), formerly Cerasus (Ancient Greek: Κερασοῦς, Greek: Κερασούντα), is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.
Etymology
Giresun wa ...
, Turkey
* Göynük
Göynük is a town in Bolu Province in the Black Sea Region, Turkey, Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Göynük District.[Lapseki
Lapseki (from Greek: Λάμψακος, ''Lampsakos'') is a town and district of Çanakkale Province, Turkey. In 2012 it had a population of 10,863. The mayor is Eyüp Yılmaz ( AKP).
The district of Lapseki is known for its cherries, and a cher ...]
, Turkey
* Meram
Meram is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Meram is one of the central districts of Konya along with the districts of Karatay and Selçuklu. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 267, ...
, Turkey
* Slutsk
Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population is ...
, Belarus
* Telavi
Telavi ( ka, თელავი ) is the main city and administrative center of Georgia's eastern province of Kakheti. Its population consists of some 19,629 inhabitants (as of the year 2014). The city is located on the foothills of the Tsiv-Gombo ...
, Georgia
References
External links
*
Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace
UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture
Azerbaijan Development Gateway – Sheki
{{Authority control
Populated places in Azerbaijan
Elizavetpol Governorate