By Vestnik Kavkaza
On the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, in the middle of the mountain rivers and blinding green meadows, Sheki is located.
Ask anyone about these Azerbaijani lands, and he will immediately smile, most likely, he will immediately begin to tell a joke or to add the particle "ha" before each sentence. This feature of the Sheki speech is very enduring and has long been a subject of jokes by residents themselves.
On the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountain range in the middle of the rivers and its blinding green meadows stretches Sheki. Ask any Azerbaijani about the land, and he immediately smiles, most likely, he immediately begins to tell anecdote or embed particle "ha" in every sentence. This feature of Sheki speech is very enduring and has long been a subject of jokes by Sheki people themselves.
Velieddin Mammadov, a resident of Sheki
- This is like people laugh, "ha-ha," and we all laugh more: "ha-ha-ha-ha-ha."
Sheki is located at a distance of 350 km from Baku. It is about four hours by car on the modern highway, straight as a stick. A mountain section of the road exists, too, but it is very small and hardly noticeable.
The residents of Sheki are special Azerbaijanis. They are like the residents of Gabrovo, Scots and Catalans, and are known for their sharpness and prudence, as well as boundless kindness and great sense of humor. Do not think that they are stingy. They are just great economists. Their lands have long attracted traders and craftsmen. They know trade and crafts like nowhere else in Azerbaijan.
- How much?
- 20 manats (about 800 rubles. – VK)
- Why is it so expensive?
- Why? This is good quality. You will find it nowhere else in a shop.
Since ancient times Sheki was a major center of trade. One of the branches of the Great Silk Road - from China to the Mediterranean – ran through the city. It is likely that, because of this, silk in Sheki is a sign of the good manners and taste of the owner. Many centuries ago, silk production was established here. Kelagai - traditional female headscarves - are especially famous in Sheki. Previously, they were made only by men. Kelagai are like Orenburg shawls and should easily pass through a wedding ring.
In Soviet times, all the artisans were united under the roof of the silk factory. Today it is a modern enterprise equipped with the latest equipment, and it is engaged not only in silk but also wool. Here famous carpets are weaved which are made, like many years ago, by hand.
The city preserved caravanserais of the 18th century - the inns where merchants stayed. Once upon a time there were seven caravanserais, today there are only two. Both are on the high street, Ahundov Avenue, named after the father of Azerbaijani drama and literary critic, writer and philosopher of the XIX century, brilliant officer of the Russian army, a native of this place. Dimensions of caravanserais indicate how many traders were coming to Sheki. The area of this caravanserai is 8000 square meters. Here there are over 200 rooms. Today, it also hosts people. A modern hotel is located here. In the lower caravanserai, reconstruction has recently finished, and it has also become an acting hotel. In recent years completely new hotels have appeared in Sheki. All of the buildings were built in the typical architectural style of Sheki, and they are incorporated into the city's appearance.
The residents of Sheki almost never refer to tourists as "tourists", preferring the respectful word "guest", and guests in Azerbaijan, as we know, enjoy a special attitude. Guests love visiting Sheki and being entertained there. There is even an anecdote on the topic. A resident of Sheki went to another city, and he was asked, "How long?" He says, "If you receive me poorly, I’ll stay for a week, and if you receive me like in Sheki, then for a long time."
Most of Ahundov Avenue goes around the neighbourhood "Yukhari bash", which since 1967 has been a historical-cultural reserve, which means that the construction of modern buildings and the demolition of the oldest buildings in this area of Sheki are strictly prohibited. The protected area must remain intact for posterity. The two-storey Yukhari bash with its red-tiled roofs and cobblestone stopped somewhere in the late 18th century. And it seems that it is enough to listen, and somewhere nearby ancient national rhythmic motifs and melodies will be heard and the court of Sheki Khan will appear.
The Sheki khanate was first freed from Persian rule in the territory of modern Azerbaijan. This happened in the mid-18th century. Judging the power and the secular nature of the Khanate is possible after visiting Sheki Palace, the summer residence of the Khans. It represents the best traditions of Azerbaijani architecture and painting. The building is not very big - 6 bedrooms, 4 corridors and 2 balconies, but they are luxurious. The palace is richly decorated inside and out. Here you can meet scenes from the life of the court, scenes of war and hunting, as well as philosophical painting. But be careful - the palace has high thresholds, this was done deliberately. Previously, the floors were carpeted, and people sat leaning against the pillows, and the threshold saved them from catching cold.
According to a legend, the Khan was amazed when he first saw the palace, and he asked the master who created it: "Can you build something more beautiful?" - "I can," the architect said. Then the governor ordered him to be blinded. Others say that he cut off his hands, but it is not so. Abbas Kuli, that was the name of the architect, built many fine buildings after the palace, not only in Sheki, but also on the territory of modern Turkey and Iran. And here is his artist's signature on the ceiling.
The truth about the Sheki Palace is only known to two huge plane trees, standing at the entrance like guards. They are over 500 years old. They were planted long before the construction. The beauty of the Palace of Sheki was admired by Leo Tolstoy and Alexander Dumas, who described the Khan's palace in his memoirs about the Caucasus. A famous Turkish poet, Nazim Hikmet, said about the palace: "Even if Azerbaijan has no other building, it is enough to show the world the Palace of the Khans."
The issue of including the Palace of Sheki and all the reserve on the world heritage list of UNESCO is being resolved. In the Palace of Sheki you cannot help noticing the windows - stained-glass windows of colored mosaics from Venetian glass, without any attachment, mounted in openwork wooden frames; they are called "shebeke." Shebeke is made in Sheki up to now; the studio is right next to the palace.
Haji Mustafa Zadeh, a shebeke master
To handle one such detail, it is necessary to do 12 different actions. If you make a mistake by at least 1 mm, it will not work. This shebeke has 5000 parts. Sometimes more, up to 14,000. These windows cannot be afforded by everyone, but there are enough orders. The latest trend in fashion is shebeke-lamps, a recent invention of Sheki masters. And for visiting guests there are especially small shebeke as souvenirs. Local craftsmen use the technology and knowledge they received from their ancestors. And it's very typical of Sheki. Here you can find a woodcarver, a cook or a tailor in the fifth or even in the sixth generation.
Among the other attractions of the reserve it is necessary to pay attention to the house of the Sheki Khans - unique of its kind of hexagonal minaret of the destroyed Gileilin mosque, the highest in the region. Be sure to visit the local museum, it is next to the Palace of Sheki, and the Museum of Folk Art. The latter is located in an ancient Albanian temple, a Christian building of the 8th century AD. The temple is not related to the current Albanians. The church was built by Albanians – representatives of the tribes that were once united in the Union of the Caucasian Albania. Once it was round, and side extensions in the form of the cross were built in the early 19th century, when the Sheki khanate voluntarily joined the Russian Empire. The history of Albania has nearly 11 centuries - from 3 BC to 8 AD. In its heyday Albania extended from the river Arax to the Greater Caucasus mountain range. This is the earliest state that existed in the north of present-day Azerbaijan. By the way, the Albanian churches were preserved not only in the Sheki-Zagatala region of the country, but also in Shirvan, Karabakh, Aran, virtually everywhere in Azerbaijan.
Most of the attractions of Sheki are within massive fortifications built in the mid-18th century by the first Sheki Khan Haji Chalabi. This building is the "Fortress of Khan" or "New Castle". The old one was also preserved, it is four kilometers from the city on a hill, in the middle of cornel bushes. It is called "Gelyarsyan-Gorersen" - "You come, you see." It is a talking name. This fortress was built back in the 10th century. When, after almost 900 years, Khan Haji Chalabi raised a revolt against the Persians, he made it to his outpost. The Khan received an ultimatum, and Haji Chalabi said that his building would withstand the onslaught of any people. According to legend, the Persian hash exclaimed, "What is your fortress?" At that, the Khan replied: "Gelyarsan, gerarsan" - "You come, you see." Some parts of the fort were completely destroyed. And there is something romantic about that. Nevertheless, in the near future there will be a large-scale restoration. The territory of the fortress is still actively used for geocaching - a treasure hunt using GPS-navigation. On the walls you can see stunning natural scenery: majestic mountains, dazzling green forests, the noise of the River Kish. It now looks like a rapid stream, but this was not always the case. In spring its bed is filled with water. And in the 18th century the river broke its banks, and its powerful currents destroyed Sheki. That is why the old city is built in one architectural style – everything was built at the same time.
