Sunday, October 19, 2014 Cloudy and cool – 66 degrees F
Today was our day to see the sights in the town of Sheki, Azerbaijan which is one of the oldest settlements in the country. Our first adventure of the day was the outdoor market. The coach dropped us off and we explored on our own. The people were friendly and invited us to try some of their produce. I love the outdoor markets around the world! They’re so vibrant and full of life and reveal so much about a culture.
A man asked me to take a photograph of an older man sitting behind some fruits and vegetables. The second man smiled and held up a pomegranate. I took his picture and showed it to him, then he smiled broadly and gave me his pomegranate. I was touched by his kind gesture.
After a fun time at the market we drove up a hill on the other side of the city to the Khan’s Palace from the 18th century which had an excellent view of Sheki in the valley among the hills. The fall leaves were beautiful despite the overcast sky.
Our coach drove us up the hill to the walled fortress that surrounded the summer palace of the khan. The medieval wall gave an ancient feeling to the site. Within the compound, there are several museums, craft buildings, and a church as well as the Khan’s mosaic covered palace.
We visited the craft shop of a woodworker who made the lattice windows of the palace using old techniques of fitting carefully cut wooden pieces together around the stained glass like a jigsaw puzzle. We were informed that the Venetian glass was imported from Murano and placed within the intricate wooden pieces.
We had a little time to visit the shops along a street filled with interesting buildings constructed of large stones.
That’s our driver playing the drum in a music shop. He was having a good time waiting for the group to finish shopping. Then we had lunch in a charming local restaurant which had a lovely outdoor garden in the back for summer dining.
We ate a delicious soup and stuffed vegetables. Dessert was sweet walnut baklava and chai in a glass – Turkish style. Then we were taken to a silk factory and shop. Sheki is famous for its production of silk carpets and fabrics.
We had the afternoon free to rest or explore Sheki on our own, so one of my tour mates and I walked around the neighborhood of the hotel. It’s a lovely city with friendly people and interesting architecture. There seemed to be many hotels, restaurants, shopping, and sites to visit.
We saw several “wedding cars” decorated for the festivities. Marriages seem to be a major event in this part of the world.
In the evening, we had dinner at an authentic old caravanserai which was renovated some years ago and is currently a hotel and restaurant.
During dinner, we heard a trio play Azeri folk music called mugham on traditional instruments. It was so much fun! Sheki was a great place to visit.
