Sheki Travel Guide: The Khan's Palace, Guesthouses and Halva

Many people call Sheki the most beautiful town in Azerbaijan, and I'm with them. Spread across a slope of the Greater Caucasus, with its stone streets, red-tiled roofs and Silk Road heritage, it carries you into another century in an instant. This is a town of architecture, food and craft. A day or two fills up easily. Below is what to see and what to eat.

The Palace of the Sheki Khans

The main attraction is, without question, the Palace of the Sheki Khans — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace's marvel is its shebeke stained-glass windows: thousands of tiny coloured glass pieces fitted into a wooden frame without a single nail or drop of glue. The frescoes inside depict hunting scenes and floral patterns. Go early, while it's quiet, and you'll take in the detail in peace. The nearby Upper Caravanserai still holds the breath of the Silk Road today.

Where to stay

The most atmospheric way to stay in Sheki is in the historic caravanserais and the guesthouses of the old town. A night under stone arches, in a room that opens onto a courtyard, is an experience in itself. There are also modern boutique hotels and family pensions. Stay near the old town and you'll reach all the main sights on foot. You can review Sheki hotels and guesthouses on Limi by photos and amenities.

Halva, piti and other flavours

The first dish that comes to mind at the word 'Sheki' is Sheki halva: a layered sweet of rice flour, walnuts and syrup with a red pattern on top that comes out the same nowhere else. In the halva makers' workshops you can watch it being made live. On the savoury side, Sheki piti leads: lamb with chickpeas, long slow-cooked in a clay pot. Try saj-ichi, chicken, mountain honey and homemade jams too. To choose, look at Sheki restaurants.

Crafts and the old town

Sheki has been a town of silk, shebeke and coppersmithing for centuries. Wandering the narrow lanes of the old town, you'll come across small workshops: shebeke masters showing how they assemble the coloured glass, coppersmiths hammering vessels. A handmade souvenir from here means far more than one from the bazaar. And simply strolling the streets, taking in the stone walls of the houses and the springs, is a walk in itself.

When to go

The best months in Sheki are May–June and September–October: mild weather, green landscape, moderate crowds. Summer can be hot, but the town is on a slope and evenings cool down. In winter, under snow, it takes on a different, quiet beauty. It's about five to six hours by car from Baku, so plan at least one overnight. Every place in the town is gathered on the Sheki page.