Shamaki

The city of Shamakhi with its nearly 40,000 inhabitants is located 120 km west of the capital Baku. The historic town is a favorite destination for tourists on their journey from Baku to Sheki.

The city’s main attractions are the Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum and the Jummah Mosque.

Shamakhi has been affected by several heavy earthquakes during its history. The worst earthquake in 1667 claimed around 80,000 lives. The last major earthquake took place in 1902 and also damaged the Jummah Mosque. Shamakhi is located at the breaking point of three earth plates.

Jummah Mosque Shamakhi

One of Shamakhi’s most popular attractions is the Jummah Mosque, built by Abu Muslim in 743. It is the oldest mosque in the entire South Caucasus region. Within a short time, the Jummah Mosque was nearly destroyed by earthquakes three times: 1859, 1887, and 1902. The last one, in particular, had damaged the historic structure so much that it had to be rebuilt between 1905 and 1910. In 2009 the mosque was reconstructed again.

Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum

1.5 km south of the city center there is the second attraction of Shamakhi: the Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum. It was created at the beginning of the 18th century in honor of the family of the last Khan of Shamakhi, Khan Mustafa.

Trips to Shamakhi