Archutectural monuments of Sheki region of Azerbaijan.

Doctor of architecture, Prof. Mammadova G.H.

Assistant Prof. Abdullaev !.A.
"andidate of architecture Hadjieva S.#h.
Architect Agamalieva $."h.
Sheik is one of the most %ictures&ue and ancient regions of Azerbaijan, located on the
slo%es of Major "aucasian 'idge. 'ich in (oods, mountainous rivers, %ictures&ue
%anorama, the region is a %aradise for tourists. !he to(n is im%regnated (ith anti&uit) its
narro( side*streets and tiled houses as if remain untouched b the s%irit of contem%oreit.
!he to(n+s favorable geogra%hical location, mild climate and fertile soil contributed to its
formation as economic, cultural and administrative center of Azerbaijan ,"aucasian
Albania-. !he region is famous not onl for its climate and natural riches, it is also abundant
in the monuments of architecture. .umerous majestic ruins of medieval erections, tem%les,
fortresses, mos&ues, caravanserais and d(elling houses of the /0*/1 centuries are indicative
of centuries 2 long construction culture. 'eferring to the region (ere ancient Greek
historians Plin the $lder ,/centur A.D.-, Ptolem ,3 centur A.D.-, Strabo.
4t should be remembered that once the territor of Sheki region (as a %art of
historical area of Shaki. 4n the / centur 5.". the area (as one of the centers of struggle of
ancient Azerbaijanians against e6%ansionist %olic of ancient 'ome. $nlightener of Albania,
St. $lisuas started his homiletic activities in the region, follo(ing (hich the first "hristian
church not onl of Albania but entire South "aucasus (as built in the village of #ish ,Gis-.
4t (as direct %ro6imit of Sheki to the region of #abala that as far back as in the ancient
%eriod favored the %ros%erit of Sheki. 4n the 7*0 centuries, the region of Sheki (as the
%olitical and administrative unit, center of (eaving. .ote that in the 8*0 centuries it turned
into the church administrative unit.
4n the 0 centur the territor of Sheki, among other regions of Albania, (as
con&uered b Arabs. Prior to the Arab cali%hate, the region of Sheki (as a %art of Arran
,Albania-, as (itnessed b numerous re%orts of Arab authors. Al*4stahri and 4bn*#haukal
singled Sheki out of other to(ns of Arran Al*Mukaddasi ,/9 centur- informed that most
residents of Sheki (ere "hristians (ho lived jointl (ith Moslems. Historians re%orted that
Sheki and #abala had for some time been under the influence of Georgia earlier /7 centur.
As (itnessed b .asavi, the region of Sheki (as taken a(a from Georgia and later ruled
either b Shirvanshans or remaned inde%endent.
/
"ontributing to the gro(th of Sheki ,.ukha-
/
as a large center of handicrafts and
trade (as silk(orm breeding im%orted from "hina and (idel s%read in Azerbaijan. :f
great im%ortance (as the direct %ro6imit of Sheki to the ca%ital of Albania and later a
residence of the Arab governor*general 2 ancient Azerbaijanian to(n of Patrav ,no( 5arda-,
(hich linked Azerbaijan to other countries, famous Silk ;a.
4n the /0 centur, the Sheki khanate s%rang u% here to %la anim%ortant role in the
develo%ment of Azerbaijanian culture. !he %resent location of Sheki is relativel recent.
Prior to /<<3, the to(n had been situated do(nstream #ish river, but later a strong mudflo(
destroed it full. Subse&uentl, the to(n arose along both banks of Gurdjanacha 'iver.
4t has to be ke%t in mind that follo(ing the /0 centur, the im%ortance of Sheki
,.ukha- as rich and develo%ing %o%ulated localit increased. An elo&uent testimon is the
gro(th of urban %o%ulation. $arlier 39 centur, Sheki ,.ukha- ranked fourth among the
to(ns of Azerbaijan ,%hoto /-.
Pictures&ue location of Sheki is attributable to the fact that the to(n stretched out
along a t(isting riverbed of Gurdjanacha, (hich as an arterial line of the to(n accounted
for the to(n %lanning to the com%le6 relief. A dense vegetation of gardens and tiled roofs of
houses make %eo%le feel %oetical s%irits.
....'aevski, contem%orar and friend of A.S.Pushkin, (rote about .ukha= >4 am
in t(o das+ march from .ukha, ca%ital of Sheki khanate. !he countr 4 am %assing through
is marvelous. :ur cam% is located in the (oods of %omegranates, fig*trees, tamarisks) this is
5akhchisara at its to% level?@
!he laout center of .ukha (as a fortress located on a hill. A main line of the to(n
la b the fortress. !he buildings of Sheki blended (ith the fortress as uniform architectural
ensemble. "ontiguous to the fortress (ere residential and handicraft estates, gro(ing into
less densel %o%ulated suburbs (ith s%acious %ersonal %lots and gardens. 4n the
mountainous %arts, these %lots and gardens im%erce%tibl fade into (oods. !he to(n is
traversed b several broad streets (ith the dense and com%le6 net(ork of narro( side*
streets. !he Sheki+s laout (as reflective of feudal*t%e division into mahalla ,blocks- b
tribal and gild lines.
:(ing to the snchronous to(n building, Sheki is notable for a certain architectural
integrit. Historicall established, traditional image of Sheki d(elling house (ith a dee%
/
At a certain historical stage, Sheki (as called .ukha.
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%ressed verandah 2 >avan@ and a bright tiled roofing in combination (ith the general
architectural design build u% an image of Sheki.
Aortifications.
A great &uantit of fortifications on the territor of Sheki region is illustrative of the
ancient histor and abundant engineering e6%erience of the region. !he construction of
defensive and cult erections in the region of Sheki reaffirmed the im%ortance of the ancient
to(n.
Sheki fortress, located in the u%%er north*eastern %art of the to(n, is a khan*t%e
citadel ,%hoto 3,7-. !he fortress (as built during the reign of the first Sheki khan Hadji
"helebi ,/<B7*/<CC-. Stone (alls of the fortress (ith total length of /799 m and thickness
of 3.3 m are %rotected b %rotruding to(ers and e&ui%%ed (ith loo%*holes. Due to the relief
of the fortress area, outlines of fortified (alls are rather cut off. !he location of the fortress
is favorable not onl from militar strategical %oint of vie( bubt %ositive microclimate in
this %art of the to(n.
Aollo(ing Sheki+s joining 'ussia, erections inside the fortress (ere used for %ur%oses
of the militar garrison stationed in Sheki. Dnder the militar %lan of /0C7, there (ere about
B9 multifunctional objects on the territor of the fortress. A %alace com%le6, numerous
housing structures, %ools, fountains, etc. (ere integrated into the design. 4n the main, basic
com%onents of the citadel (ere various chambers of khan famil members. !here (ere also
1 %ools sho(n in the laout (ith (ater %i%e lines. Prior to the 39 centur, the fortress
remained destroed, but it (as restored in /1C0*/187.
A &uadrangular to(er in the village of Adinbulag is located 39 km to the south*(est
of Sheki. 4t once served as observation %ost in the defensive (orks of #abala magal.
Survived are the northern and eastern (alls (ith destroed rounded %rotuberances. !he
to(er is of s&uare form, corners are reinforced b rounded %roburances of 7EB in
circumference. $ach side of the to(er has a length of 0.0 m, a height of /9.C m. internal
s%ace (as divided into three tiersF .one of (hich survived. !here are sighs of loo%*holes.
Gack of the (ell, other related objects is illustrative that the to(er served as observation
%ost. ;alls of the to(er are com%osed of rough*stone and faced. !he design and
constructive elements make the to(er similar to the Absheron defensive (orks of the /7*/B
centuries.
Aortress >Gelersen*Gerersen@ ,>"ome and see@-, or >Gz Galas@, is located a%%ro6.
B km to the north of the to(n, on left bank of the u%%er stream #ish river on a strategicall
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im%ortant %lot*to% of Garate%e. !he fortress (as su%%osedl founded in the /C centur b
Sheki ruler Alidjan. !he name of the fortress goes back to the events of /<B7 (here
.adirshah invaded Sheki. According to the legend, Hadji "helebi declared himself as Sheki
khan and declaned to subdue to shah. Asked b shah about his confidence in the victor,
Hadji "helebi re%lied= >"ome and see@. .ote that .adirshah failed to seize the fortress, and
thus it (as named after the a%o%hthegm.
"ult and memorial erections.
"ult erections of Sheki stand out against the background of architectural monuments
of Azerbaijan b their %eculiarit and e6%ressiveness of artistic %erformance.
!he rich histor of Sheki region is %ersonified in the monuments of various cults
reflective of different historical landmarks the ancient land had %assed. 4t (as no mere
coincidence that "hristianit took roots in the region, became official religion of "aucasian
Albania, gave a %o(erful im%etus to the construction of cult "hristian erections. !he Arab
con&uest of Azerbaijan sa( a ne( stage in the construction of ne( cult erections 2 mos&ues
arising from the s%read of the ne( belief. Since the dissemination of 4slamic ideolog in the
societ meant no rooting out of "hristianit, churches and mos&ues had been erected on the
territor of the region u% to the /1 centur, (here the Albanian church (as %laced under the
subordination of the Armenian church and thus ceased to act inde%endentl. 4t (as %eace
coe6istence of "hristianit and 4slam that gave rise to scores of monuments of both
religions in the region of Sheki.
:f %articular interest among Albanian monuments of the region are tem%les in the
villages of #ish and :rta Hezit.
!he tem%le in the village of #ish enjos a s%ecial status among Albanian
monuments. 4t is of great value not onl as architectural monument but object of %aramount
historical im%ortance. !he histor of its origin is closel tied (ith the histor of "hristianit
s%reading in "aucasian Albania. Historical sources ,>!he Histor of Albanians@ b Moses
#slsnkstuiski- refer to the construction of the church b a%ostle $lisuas, (hich, in turn, is
illustrative of a%ostolic %rinci%le in the inde%endent Albanian church. 4n considering that the
dating of the church laing ,/ centur- in the oldest in the histor of "hristianit in
"aucasus, the tem%le of #ish is a remarkable historical monument to smbolize the start of
"hristianit not onl in "aucasian Albania ,Azerbaijan- but "aucasus as a (hole, nearl
3999 ears ago. !his suggested an idea to create the first museum of Albanian culture on the
basis of #ish tem%le.
B
!he church is located on the bank of #ish river. $lder generation of #ish residents
hold that in the %ast there (as a com%le6 of numerous buildings and a stone fence around
the church. .ote that both the church and adjoining territor have long since been revered
b the Moslem %o%ulation as sacred %lace, s%ecificall, ancient Albanian object of (orshi%.
!his accounts for safekee%ing of the tem%le u% till no(.
4t has to be ke%t in mind that the tem%le of St. $lisuas is a domical hall (ith
%rotruding semi*circular a%se in the east. !he laout is t%ical for Albanian hall churches.
An elongated meeting*room is divided into t(o %arts b a %air of %ilasters. Adjoining to the
eastern %art of the hall is an altar a%se. A girth*sha%ed ogival arch is thro(n over !*sha%ed
%ilasters. !he same geometr is t%ical for trium%hal arch of the a%se. Dee% %ressed
%ortions of side (alls bet(een the %ilasters and the a%se are framed (ith t(o*ste%%ed arches
of identical outlines. Aormed b four arches, a rectangle (ith the hel% of s%heric
%endentives is transformed into an oval foundation of the drum (ith the dome rising above
it. .ote that the drum of the dome has si6 (indo(s, illuminating the internal s%ace of the
church.
A distinctive feature of the church is a semi*clindrical mass of the altar a%se (hich
comes out of the rectangular s%ace of the meeting*room. Another im%ortant feature of the
design is a small triangular elevation in the sub*domical %art of side (alls (hich forms
gables in the form of transe%t of cross*domical tem%le. Such a >%seudo transe%t@ is a uni&ue
%henomenon in the architecture of Albanian and "aucasian domical halls.
!he church is built of big lime &uadres. ;indo( o%enings are e&ui%%ed (ith
%rofiled liners and three fillets, the middle of (hich is as t(ice (ider as lateral ones. A
clindrical volume of the drum at the foundation and slightl belo( the cornice has a
semicircular %rofiling.
During the im%lementation of the joint Azerbaijanian*.or(egian %roject >#ish@,
(hich %rovided for architectural*archaeological and historical research into the monument,
its restoration and museumification, e6%erts obtained interesting information about the
historical stages of the monument established major construction %eriods. Archaeological
e6cavations demonstrated that #ish tem%le (as founded as far back as in the / centur in
%lace of the %revious ancient area (hich %reserved remains of 5ronze and $arl 4ron
e%ochs. !he laout of the %resent building of the church, (hich ranged from a rectangular
t%e erection (ithout a%se to its current image, had been sha%ed in the B*C centuries, (hen a
C
lo(er s%ace (ith the %rotruding altar a%se (as erected. Gater, there emerged a dome of the
church.
An interesting architectural monument is a tem%le in the village of :rta Hezit,
located in the northern outskirts of the village. As com%ared (ith #ish tem%le, the one in
Hezit is mere elegant and decorative to meet increased aesthetic needs. !his small cross*
sha%ed erection has rectangular a%se is %laced in the eastern sleeve. !he length of the
(estern sleeve is slightl over the eastern one and has a door(a. "orners of middle cross
are su%%lied (ith %ilasters and rectangular ca%ital %late. Aour semicircular arches su%%ort a
round belt, above (hich there rise an uns((ived drum and the dome. !ransition from sub*
domical s%ace to the dome had once been %erformed (ith the hel% of conic %endentives.
Arom the outside, the altar %art is sha%ed as %entahedron (ith three (indo(
o%enings) other sleeves have o%enings too. :verla%%ing of sleeves from the outside is
slightl elevated in the middle %art (hich imitates a basilica silhouette. :ver the vaults,
there are small em%t rooms. ;alls of the construction are made of trimmed &uadres of
limestone shirindash (ith rubble concrete aggregate. ;indo(s on the outside are e&ui%%ed
(ith %rofiled fillets of three beads. :n the (estern (all of the southern sleeve there is a
su%erficial ba decorated (ith arch. !he tem%le of Hezit is noted for its elegance and
ornamentalism. !he monument is dated b the //*/3 centuries.
A small monument is located on the mountain, to the south*east from the village of
Hezit. 4t is a usual vaulted hall, but its a%se on the eastern (all is of %articular interest.
Small cha%els are located in the corners of the a%se, in the thickness of the northern and
southern (alls. !his makes the church similar to the one nave basilica of #hotavank cult
com%le6, #elbadjar region. Iaulted churches of this t%e, i.e. (ith side*t%icall Albanian,
bearing no resemblance to other churches in neighboring countries.
4n the northern outskirts of the village of 5ideiz, Sheki region, there is a half*
destroed, small Albanian church. !he vaulted hall is built of large cobblestone. :ut(ard
(alls and some constructive elements, including the altar arch and fillet of the door, are
faced (ith trimmed stone. !he techni&ue of construction, t%ical for earl Middle Ages,
horseshoe*sha%ed forms of arches and altar a%se make it %ossible to date the church b the
C*< centuries.
.ot far from the village of 5ideiz, in the outskirts of the village of 5ash #ungut,
there is another monument of this architectural t%e. !he tem%le of #ungut, like man
monuments of the region, is built of shirindash. Des%ite its half*destroed conditions it is
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evident that the ceiling (as based on semicircular vault. !he interior is decorated (ith
arches and bas. Arom the northern side of the a%se, there (as a small au6iliar room. !his
feature, characteristic of the monuments of the C*8 centuries, makes the church similar to
other Albanian monuments of Azerbaijan 2 tem%les in Mingechevir, Gavurgala ,Agdam
region-, etc.
More numerous are mos&ues of Sheki region) among them there stands out mos&ues
of the to(n %ro%er. !hese are big Juma*mos&ues and small block mos&ues to serve
%arishioners ever da. 4t (as the use of local building materials 2 baked brick and river
cobblestone to trim facades, (ider a%%lication of (ood in the interior that %redetermined the
architectural*s%atial arrangement of mos&ues.
!he laout of cult buildings is, most fre&uentl, an elongated rectangular (ith o%en
galler of %ortico, behind (hich there is a meeting*room divided b ston or (ooden %illars
to overla% a bigger ba. An im%ortance %lace in the design of cult erections belongs to
minarets (ith their 3C*B9 m verticals against the background of abundant verdure of gardens
and not high residential houses ,1, %. 319-. As a rule, minarets are se%aratel standing
erections located on an area, at a distance of 0*/C m from the mos&ue. Ho(ever, there are
mos&ues (ith minarets constituting a major s%ace of the building ,Juma*mos&ue-. An
ornamental design, covering the surface of minarets, im%orts an inimitable local colour.
5alconies for muedzins, cro(ing verticals of minarets, are overla%%ed b %olhedral
(ooden roofs on %illars.
!he design of internal s%ace of cult erections, including Juma*mos&ue, is meager.
Mihrabs, the sole elements of interior dKcor, bear no im%rint of trimming. 4t is astonishing,
es%eciall as there are e6cellent e6am%les of trimming in d(elling houses of Sheki, (ith
finel dra(n bukhars ,fire%laces-, other decorative elements, forming the architecture of
interiers.
'egrefull, once numerous mos&ues of Sheki have currentl been destroed, and just
a fe( of them survived till no(. !hese are a block mos&ue (ith minaret ,>Gedek minaret@-,
Sheki Juma*mos&ue ,>#han mos&ue@-, mos&ues along Agamal ogl and Sheki streets.
Sheki Juma*mos&ue, or >#han mos&ue@, built in /<BC*/<C9 in a traditional manner,
of brick and cobblestone, has an out(ard %ortico. A relief brick(ork of %ortico arches in
combination (ith cobblestone laing, as (ell as verticals of minarets in the s%ace of the
mos&ue*such as an out(ard a%%earance of #han mos&ue. Design of internal s%ace is sim%le
<
coloured %anels brighten u% a mos&ue+s interior. .e6t to the mos&ue there is a cemeter
(ith survived tombstones, com%letel covered (ith highl artistic ornament.
!he central Juma*mos&ue is located in the center of the to(n to %la an im%ortant
role from to(n %lanning stand%oint. 'ising above the intersection %oint of arterial roads, the
mos&ue is %resentl dominating in the buildings of the /0*39 centuries. !he mos&ue
com%le6, built in the /1 centur, includes a building of the medresrh and a se%aratel
stam%ing minaret. !(o*storeed com%le6 of the mos&ue has L*sha%ed configuration.
Aacades of the mos&ue are sim%le and strict. !he surface of the main facade is decorated
(ith brick ornament. !he building of Juma*mos&ue is made of red baked brick. !he design
of the surface of clindrical minaret height 30.C m, like other minarets of Sheki*Hakatala
region, is com%osed of %ressed*in diamond*sha%ed %atterns. !he entire a%%earance of the
minaret is reflective of t%ical features of minarets, located in the historical %art of Sheki.
!he com%le6 (as restored in /119 on the basis of archival materials.
!he mos&ue in Sheki street is of interest for its facades ornamented (ith brick
decoration. A brick cornice, cro(ning facades, %ortions of (alls above (indo(s (ith
com%le6 %rofiled arches, flatness of (alls bet(een (indo(s (ith alternating brick and
cobble ro(s 2 all these sha%e the mos&ue+s image.
Just a minaret survived from the mos&ue Gileli, located at the %reci%ice of
Gurdjanacha river. !o all a%%earances, the street (as named after the mos&ue Gileli.
4nternal dimensions of formerl rectangular %remises of the mos&ue are 86/3 m. !he ceiling
(as su%%orted b four (ooden %illars. :ut(ardl %lastered (all of the mos&ue (ere erected
using a traditional techni&ue based on brick and cobblestone. "olorful %olchromatic murals
decorate inside (alls of the mos&ue. Mihrab of the mos&ue had an ogival %ortal decorated
(ith stalactites and ornaments. !he laout of the mos&ue, design of internal s%ace, using
numerous niches, %olchromatic trimming of the (alls 2 all these bear resemblance to local
d(elling houses. !he survived minaret of Gileli mos&ue, built of baked brick, is the
highest in Sheki 2 Hakatala zone. .ote that the minaret remained intact. 4ts ceiling is a
hi%%ed roof, stairs start (ith a meter mark and are su%%lied (ith stone footste%s.
5uilt in /009, the minaret of the mos&ue in Agamalogl street is od octagonal
design. 5rightening u% the minaret is built of red brick >chakhargul@.
!he surface of the minaret is decorated b architectural*%lastic forms, %ressed*in
diamond*sha%ed ornament. As a result of archaeological e6cavations, remains of the grave
0
of Mustafa $fendi (ere discovered in the courtard of the minaret. Mustafa $fendi, as local
residents sa, ordered the construction of the mos&ue and octahedral %ool.
4n 399/, the minaret (as restored and thus assumed the initial forms.
A round tem%le, former khan mos&ue, (as built in the /1 centur on the territor of
the fortress, in /030 (as transformed into the church. !hus, initiall the round tem%le had
been used as Moslem cult object, and follo(ing .ukhaMs joining 'ussia, (as re*e&ui%%ed
into the church to meet needs of the 'ussian garrison, stationed here.
4n the second half of the 39 centur, shirindash erections (ere attached to the round
tem%le. At %resent, the round tem%le is active as a museum of decorative art.
'esidential erections, %alaces.
"entur*long local traditions, arising from natural and climatic conditions and local
building materials, accounted for the architectural t%e of the d(elling house in Sheki
region. !raditionall, a d(elling house is com%osed of several rooms stretched along the
a6is of balcon.
Gike d(elling houses of other eastern countries, the Sheki t%e+s facade has al(as
been orientated to(ards the courtard. Severe and blind facades, facing the street, have no
o%enings. Ho(ever, a tendenc arose in the end of the /1 centur to face main facades
to(ards the street (hich, finall, resulted in %lastic and s%atial changes of the surface,
modified the laout structure of the to(n as a (hole ,1, %. ///-.
$6am%les of the %o%ular architecture are houses of Dadanovs, Alidjanbekovs,
Hulfugarovs, Aarhadbekovs (hich emerged under the influence of $uro%ean architecture to
com%l (ith local design and com%osition.
Dnder the effect of decorative elements, %atterns and murals having been introduced
in the %ractice of construction, there s%rand u% erections of semi*%alace and %alace t%es,
for instance, the house of Shekikhanovs and the Palace of Sheki khans.
!he house of Shekikhanovs is notable for its decorations, a monument as an
intermediate link bet(een d(elling and %alace erections. Strongl elongated, the rectangular
laout dra(s a distinction bet(een office %remises and residential s%ace. !hus, there are
three large halls and t(o small rooms (ith stairs on each floor. 'ooms of the first floor are
e&ui%%ed (ith fire%laces >bukhar@ to heat the building.
Aacing the street, the facade has no o%enings at all. :f %articular interest is a main
facade of the house of Shekikhanovs to look the courtard. Aive*%art stained out the central
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a6is of the facade. A facade of the lo(er %art of the facade is rather modest (ith all the
details having been thoroughl thought out.
Artistic value of the house is in trimming of its inner surfaces. .o ornaments are
available in the lo(er floor, (hile the interior of the second floor is of %articular interest.
S%lendidl %ainted >bukhar@ serves as the central a6is of the interior. Smmetricall %laced
rectangular niches areentirel covered (ith %ictures, de%icting heroes of the %oems of the
greatest Azerbaijanian %oet .izami Gandjevi >Seven beauties@, >Geli and Madjnun@,
overla%%ed b stalactites from the to%. .ote that the stalactite cornice also su%%orts a
traditional for Sheki shelf >ref@, %laced above o%enings and niches. Structurall com%le6
mirror stalactites com%ose the cornice beneath the ceiling. Arom artistic %oint of vie(, of
interest are small niches >takhcha@ (ith gabled com%letion, de%ictions of birds and animals,
as (ell as remaining surfaces of three (alls of the hall covered (ith %ictures&ue ornamental
%atterns. !he fourth, out(ard (all is covered (ith shebeke.
A %lafond of the hall is richl decorated. A com%le6 stlized %attern de%icting
verdure and female figures (ith colored (ings is t%ical for the %lafond.
:f %articular interest among architectural monuments of Sheki is the Palace of Sheki
khans. 5uilt in /<83 b HusNnkhan in the u%%er %art of the to(n, the Palace had once been
a %art of the greater com%le6. At %resent, just a %ool and ancient trees have survived as a
%art of the com%le6.
!he Palace of Sheki khans is a summer %lace 2 %avilion. !his is a t(o*storeed
building facing the south. Gaouts of the floors re%eat each other, three large %remises
alternate to rank (ith antechambers. 4n all %robabilit, the first floor (as designed for
official rece%tions. !he second floor (as used b khan famil members. An elo&uent
testimon is the lack of internal connection bet(een floors= an out(ard staircase leads to the
second floor.
!he most interesting facade of the Palace is southern. 4ts design and decorative
division are reflective of the internal laout of the building, halls and antechambers. !he
design of the central %art of the facade is an entire vitrification covered (ith geometrical
(ooden %attern >shebeke@ filled b colored glass. $ach s&uare meter of shebeke is
com%osed of C,999 elements fastened together (ith no nails. !hus, a car%et of colored
shebeke is used as the southern (all of entrance halls of both floors. !he same device is
a%%lied in the decoration of lateral halls. $ntrances into the first floor are com%osed of dee%
%ortals (ith mirror stalactite vaults. A distinctive feature is a combination of colored glass
/9
shebeke (ith %ortals, as (ell as an all*round ornamentation (hich covers the remaining
surfaces of (alls.
:f %articular interest are interiors of the monument, notable for (all %aintings of the
/0*/1 centuries. Paintings are available in the halls of both floors and t(o side rooms of the
second floor. !he are scattered on the surfaces of the (alls, niches, stalactite %assages,
%lafonds. .ote that the %lafond of the hall on the first floor is made of (ooden elements
(ith geometrical ornament. Among the murals of the Palace of Sheki khans, researches give
%reference to geometrical and vegetable %ictures, sometimes (ith de%ictions of birds.
Particularl interesting are %aintings de%icting various hunting and battle sketches, %laced in
the hall of the second floor in the form of breeze bet(een niches. Paintings of the Palace of
Sheki khans are characterized b richness of colors, (ider use of golden color.
Dnfortunatel, (e are una(are of the methods used b ancient masters (hen creating %aints
for %anels. Present*da %aints, used for the restoration of %artl lost %aintings, ma at a
stretch, recreate former s%lendor.
!he histor %reserved names of five %ainters engaged in %ainting the Palace of Sheki
khans at different time. !hese are ustad Abbas Guli, ornamentalist Mirza Jafar from
Shemakha (ho %ainted the first floor in /01C*/018) %ainter Dsta Gambar from Shusha,
author of greater %ortion of the %atterns on the second floor) Ali Guli and Gurban Ali from
Shemakha.
the Palace of Sheki khans is an elo&uent testimon to the unsur%assed craftsmanshi%
of its creators (ho (ere successful in realizing centur*long traditions of the folk art. A
%roject of the restoration of the Palace of Sheki khans (as dra(n u% in /1C3 b leading
architect of the Azerbaijan 'e%ublic, candidate of architecture .iazi 'zaev. 4n 3993 the
;orld 5ank started financing the ne( stage of restoration o%erations, so in the nearest
future doors of the monument are e6%ected to o%en (ide to visitors.
Public and civil erections.
!he fact that Sheki has from the immemorial been the center of handicrafts and
trade, accounted for its laout and architectural monuments. !he to(n (as linked to trade
centers both of other Azerbaijanian khanates and foreign countries. !his accounted for a
great number of markets and caravansaries here. Most of them (as located along the arterial
line of the to(n (hich served to link o%%osite gates and thus dre( attention to the Palace of
Sheki khans. !he arterial line (as at the same time a commercial center (ith its o(n
commercial net(ork, selling %roducts of craft and (eaving industries. ;ith an interesting
//
to(n %lanning structure, the arterial line combined three main as%ects of the to(n= the
Palace, located in the to% of the to(n (ithin the bounds of the fortress) caravansaries, u%%er
and lo(er, stretched out the street) finall Juma*mos&ue, in the beginning of the street.
At %resent, just t(o caravansaries out of five, active in the /0*/1 centuries, have
survived 2 u%%er and lo(er.
Gike ever(here, the caravansaries of Sheki, designed for sheltering caravans or
travelers, (ere built to com%l (ith their intended use. !he general laout is as follo(s=
(ell organized courtard surrounded b rooms 2 cells for (afarers. Gocated (ithin the
bounds of the to(n, the t(o caravansaries had, in addition to lodging for the night,
commercial %remises as (ell.
A distinctive feature of the u%%er caravansar is that this structure (ith area of
8999mO skillfull blended (ith the relief of localit, determined b the %ro6imit of a river
(ith stee% slo%es. Des%ite the difference of building altitudes from 0m to /B m, reflects
%erfectl the local color to blend (ith surrounding buildings and thus ensure a functional
comfort. there is a beautiful vie( of tiled roofs of Sheki houses against background of green
mountains from the (indo(s of cells. !he main facade of the caravansar looks out on the
river to a%%ease visitors (ho take %leasure in the murmur of (ater. !ra%eziform of out(ard
contours and three*storeed structure of the building on the side of >!rade street@ are also
accounted for the relief of the built u% site.
"ombination of brick and river cobblestone, t%ical for the architectural of the
region, also im%arts a %articular color to the caravansar. !he design of the building
%rovided for three stories on the south*eastern side and t(o stories on the side of the
courtard.
'ichl decorated arch of the main entrance is %laced in the corner of the building, at
the level of the third floor due to the declivit of the relief. !(o ro(s of horizontal
segmentations divide the surface of the main facade into three belts. A lo(er belt (ith the
height of t(o stories gro(s into (indo(s inside the arched o%enings. 5rick arches rest on
massive %ilasters and are of semicircular form. !(o u%%er belts confirm the lo(er s%ace and
the building as a (hole. !heir surface is framed (ith arched (indo(s located strictl above
the lo(er tier, the difference is that (indo(s of the middle tier have no arches 2 beads to set
off (indo(s of the u%%er ro(.
!he design of the internal s%ace is un%retentious. "ells of identical dimensions are
overla%%ed b vaults. :uthouse loggias, %ool and related verdure blend (ith general
/3
com%osition of the building to %rovide comfortable and beautiful interior. 5esides, there is a
s%ecial microclimate in the building to kee% %remises cool in hot summer*time. !here are
u%(ards of 799 rooms in the caravansar. At %resent, it is used as a hotel.
!he lo(er caravansar has 3B3 rooms des%ite its area ,099mO- is greater than the
u%%er one. !he laout is similar to that of the u%%er caravansar. 'ectangular courtard (ith
truncated corners, CC60Cm, is surrounded b alternating arched a%ertures of avans) a %ool
is in the middle of the courtard. Aour entrances lead to the courtard from four corners.
Such a structure of the entrances accounted for truncated form of the corners of the
rectangular building. Suffice it to close all four doors, and the caravansar gro(s into a
im%regnable fortress. 4n general, the Sheki caravansar (ere designed to serve as fortresses.
.ote that the facade is also characterized b horizontal segmentation (hich divide the
surface of the (all into three tiers framed (ith arched (indo(s.
:f interest is the fact that the above*mentioned caravansar of the /< centur, active
in Sheki, are largest on the entire territor of Aranscaucasia b their laout, dimensions,
conveniences.
5ath*houses of Sheki, like other countries of feudal $ast, served not onl for bathing
but meeting*%lace for the residents of the to(n to discuss the latest ne(s and e6change
o%inions. Aling (ith these, bath*houses (ere to %erform Sharia*sti%ulated functions, i.e. so
called >gusul@, ritual ablution in s%eciall designed %ools. A number of medieval bath*
houses still o%erate in Sheki.
!he so called >Agvanlar@ bath*house of the /1 centur is notable for traditional
structure of medieval bath*houses. 4t consists of t(o large rectangular rooms, divided b
four %lons into several smaller ones. A grou% of rooms serve as cloak 2 room and is called
>chol@ ,>outside@-, or >bair@, another grou%, consisting of a hall and subsidiar %remises,
called >icheri@ ,>inside@-, is designed for bathing. !he t(o t%es of s%ace are united into the
sstem of subsidiar %remises. A cloak*room is su%%lied (ith all conveniences, including
niches to kee% clothes and toilet*bathing articles. Halls are overla%%ed b domes (ith
s%ecial lanterns, (ater (as delivered through earthen %i%es from the ancient (ater reservoir.
!he building of the bath*house is buried into the ground, so just domes above t(o large
halls are seen.
5 analog (ith the above*mentioned bath*house, >Gslag@ is com%osed of t(o
large halls divided b %lons into smaller %lots.
/7
:f interest are also bridges in Gurdjancha and #hanabad rivers ,/1 centur-, built of
baked brick in combination (ith cobblestone, like most erections of the region.
!he anlsis of the above*listed architectural monuments, (hich form an insignificant
%art of architectural heritage of the region makes us to infer that throughout its centur*long
histor the to(n of Sheki, silk(orm breeding and commercial center of Azerbaijan, has not
lost ancient traditions of %o%ular construction (hich found their %arallel in numerous %ublic
and cult buildings, %alace erections and residential houses. Survived buildings are
illustrative of the highest engineering master, skilful use of local building materials,
%eculiar methods of architectural design.
!his ancient land, located in the (onderful region of Azerbaijan, attracting numerous
tourists from all over the (orld, is sure to be inscribed on the international tourist itineraries.
Main task no( is to %reserve historical environment of Sheki, %rotect it against negative
effect of contem%orar develo%ment %rocess. Aor this to ha%%en, it is essential to revive
%reviousl seething life in this architecturall abundant to(n, bring the s%irit of Middle
Ages back, turn nearl monuments, including >Mother of "hurches@ 2 #ish tem%le, into the
center of tourism.
!hus, our major mission is to %rotect our centur*long architectural*artistic national
(ealth, %ass it over to the generations to come.
'eferences
/. 5retanitski G., Datiev S., Mamikonov G., Motis D. 2 .ukha
,Azerbaijan- 2 Academ of Architecture of the DSS'. M., /1B0, <3 %.
3. Mammadzadeh #.M. "onstruction art of Azerbaijan. 5aku, >$lm@, /107,
77B %.
7. Mammadova G.H. "ult architecture of "aucasian Albania. 5aku, >$lm@,
/11<, 3B0 %.
B. Mammadova A.J. Political histor and historical geogra%h of "aucasian
Albania ,7 centur 5.". 2 0 centur A.D.-. 5aku, >$lm@, /108
C. Moses #alankatuiski. Histor of Albanians. #.Patkanov, St. Peterburg,
/00/, %.0
8. Piriev I.H. :n historical geogra%h of Azerbaijan. 4n= >Historical
geogra%h of Azerbaijan@, 5aku, >$lm@, /10<
/B
<. Salamzadeh A.'., Mammadzadeh #.M. architectural monuments of Sheki.
5aku, >$lm@, /10<, /70 %.
0. Dsenov M., 5retanitski G.S., Salamzadeh A.I. Histor of architectural
of Azerbaijan. M., /187, 718 %.
1. Aatullaev Sh.S. !o(n building and architecture of Azerbaijan, /1*earl 39
centur. Stroizdat, Geningrad, /108, BC8 %.






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