Shaki Caravanserai

Eastern inns, in which tired travelers spent the night sleeping for years along the Great Silk Road, are perhaps one of the most interesting sights of Azerbaijan. The name, moreover, they are very exotic – caravanserai. Many centuries ago, rich […]

     

Eastern inns, in which tired travelers spent the night sleeping for years along the Great Silk Road, are perhaps one of the most interesting sights of Azerbaijan. The name, moreover, they are very exotic – caravanserai. Many centuries ago, rich merchants and slave owners stayed here, tying their camels at their stalls, unloading priceless riches from fine silks, fragrant spices, and fluffy furs to the cellars under their rooms to start trading and lighting across two continents – Europe and Asia. Unfortunately or fortunately, but today most of the Azerbaijani caravanserais turned into hotels, a pleasant exception is an inn in Sheki: some of the building was used as a hotel, but the second one can be seen by all mere mortals – this is a kind of museum.

Built from a powerful stone in the form of a fortress with one huge gate, which could always be closed in case of danger, the Sheki caravanserai makes an impressive impression. Walking along its paved floor, touching the walls, which remember thousands of destinies, tragedies, and stories, enjoying the atmosphere of comfort and peace in a shady courtyard closed on all sides, you can say with complete certainty: yes, now I have felt the real East.

And this is despite the fact that this particular caravanserai can be called relatively young – it was built around the end of the 18th century and remained almost in perfect condition. The complex includes two buildings – “Yukhary” (“Upper”) and “Ashagy” (“Nizhny”) caravanserai.

Eastern inns, where weary travelers stayed, dusting the Great Silk Road for years – perhaps one of the most interesting sights of Azerbaijan.
The lower caravanserai in the shape of a rectangle (55×85 m) today consists of 242 rooms. Previously, in its picturesque courtyard, there were shopping arcades and a swimming pool, while merchants and traders stayed in the rooms. After resting an hour or two from the road, they immediately began to offer their goods on the spot in order to set off again the next day. Since 1988, this part of the caravanserai has become a hotel. A restaurant with national cuisine is also open here.

The upper caravanserai in the form of a trapezoid, despite the fact that it occupies a smaller area, consists of 300 rooms, which can also be accessed by ordinary tourists for sightseeing purposes.

Coordinates
Address: Mirza Fatali Akhundov, 185, Sheki.

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