Shamakhi

Top Places To Visit in Shamakhi

Before learning the top places to visit in Shamakhi you should know the rich history of this town and then you will understand that this city has played a crucial role in Azerbaijan’s history for many years.

Shamakhi is a town located  135 km west of Baku on the southeast foothills of the Greater Caucasus and has a population of over 97 thousand people. Shamakhi town is the administrative center of the district. Shamakhi district is a top center of Azerbaijani winegrowing. Surrounding hills produced famous wines and cognacs. Shamakhi wines are popular not only in local markets. They have also been getting awards at international exhibitions for quite a long time.

The present Shamakhi district is the center of the ancient Shirvan, the former state of Shirvanshahs, a historical area of Azerbaijan. The name of the town was first mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. In the IX century, Shamakhi became the capital of the State of Shirvanshahs’ and was an important cultural and trading center

The town has a glorious but tragic history -sadly, earthquakes, fire, and invasions have left virtually nothing visible to remind the visitor of Shamakhi’s past importance. However, Shamakhi residents always found the strength to restore the town and their lives. Presently, there are plenty of antique remainders around Shamakhi. Below is the list of the top places to visit in Shamakhi:

1. Diri Baba Mausoleum

On the way from Baku to Shamakhi, there is Maraza village known for its unique monument – two-storied mausoleum-mosque of the 15th century called Diri-Baba, located across from the old cemetery. For a long time, the local residents have kept the legend that their imperishable Saint Diri-Baba had been buried. However, many other legends and mystical details are connected with this landmark. Therefore, since the 17th century, it attracts pilgrims and simply curious visitors. The originality of this structure is that the architect “built” the tomb into the rock. The impression is that the tomb is suspended in the air.

2. Juma Mosque

Juma Mosque of Shamakhi or Friday Mosque of Shamakhi (Azerbaijani: Şamaxı Cümə Məscidi) is a mosque in the city of Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. The construction date of the mosque is dated from the governance period of Caliphate’s vicar in the Caucasus and Dagestan, Arabic commander Maslam ibn Abd-al Melik, brother of Umayyad caliph Valil I (705-715), by whom Shamakhi was chosen as the residence. In these years Arab governors, strengthening towers of this ancient city with the rich cultural heritage, began the construction of new structures in its territory. Arabs attached great importance to Shamakhi, which is visible from the great architectural appearance of the Friday Mosque.

3. Silent Lake

If you are a nature lover and you have decided to visit this incredibly breathtaking city, you must definitely see the Silent Lake, hidden between the mountains. Silent Lake Shamakhi situates 125 km from Baku and can be reached very easily from there. It’s a fantastic place to get rid of the hustle and bustle of the big city, to relax, and to have a great time with your family and loved ones. This paradise has paths with awesome views of surroundings which is a fantastic opportunity to try quadricycle or cycling, to play tennis, or just to have a walk.

4. Shamakhi Observatory Center

Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory is an observatory in the Caucasus Mountains in Azerbaijan. It is named after Nasreddin Tusi (Shao) (Nəsirəddin Tusi adına Şamaxı Astrofizika Rəsədxanası). It is located on the eastern slope of Pirqulu, at an elevation of 1500 m. It has 150–200 clear, cloudless nights per year.

5. Shirvan Vineyard

Viticulture is one of the oldest and traditional industries in Azerbaijan. In the middle of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, vine-growing and wine-making was developed on the basis of industrial principles, and the wines of Azerbaijan were recognized all over the world due to their high quality. Back in the Soviet period, Azerbaijani wines were repeatedly awarded gold, silver medals, and honorary diplomas at international exhibitions and competitions.

In those years, Shamakhi District was one of the largest wine-growing regions in Azerbaijan. The high-quality wine was produced in the vineyards of one of its villages called Meysari.

Vine growing in the Shamakhi region today is undergoing a new era of development. “Shirvan Wines” LLC was established here in 2014 to set up the vineyards and produce organic wines.

A wine factory with an area of 4398 square meters was built in the vineyard within the wine complex of “Shirvan wines” LLC, which was put into operation in 2018 and supplied with equipment of the French company “Pera”.

The plant aims to achieve an annual wine production of 1.4 million liters. Also, taking into account the tourism potential of the region, the goal of the enterprise is to organize touristic tours to the complex and, eventually, contribute to the winery tourism in our country.

The Shirvan wines, created from the unity of rich tradition and modern technologies, are made from local and foreign grape varieties, grown in Meysari village, and differ in their unique taste and aroma.

The three types of wine named “Sadaf”, “Marjan” and “Makhmari”, are produced under the brand of “Meysari” from the 2017 wine harvest.