SHAMAKHA

Shemakha is located at the foothills of the Big Caucasus Mountains Chain. The general elevation of Shemakha is 800 meters over the sea level. Shemakha, one of the most ancient cities in Azerbaijan, has been the capital of Shirvan since the 6th century. It was first mentioned by the greek astronomer and geographer Claudius Ptolemy in the 2 nd century A.D. Located on the Silk Road at the junction of caravan routes which linked Asia with Europe, Shemaka was an important political, trade and cultural center with bustling bazaars trading in silk, carpets, gold cloth, wool, and arms. Few cities have had such a magnificent and tragic past. The city has been destroyed many times by Arab, Persian, Mongol and Turkish conquers as well as by earthquakes. Consequently Shemaka has an overall modern appearance.

Once the capital of Shirvan, Shemakha attracted not only invaders that plundered it but was nearly destroyed over the centuries by repeated earthquakes (1902, 1872, 1859, 1828,1669 and 1667), the most recent shook Shemakha on November 25th, 2000 causing some material damage and a handfull of injured people.

In spite of all the seismic activity, some ancient buildings have survived, and are worth seeing. The Djuma Mosque, has been rebuilt several times, but it dates back to the 10th century, making it one of the oldest buildings still standing in the town and the oldest mosque in the Caucasus, occupying the site of an ancient sun worshipers temple.

Mild climate of this temperate zone, rich soil, abundant forests, alpine meadows are distinctive features of this part of Azerbaijan. The population of this district is basically dealing with viticulture, vine growing and wine making (Shemakha is famous for excellent wines produced both in wineries and privately at homes), cultivation of fruit and vegetables, cattle-breeding and carpet weaving. Visitors can tour carpet factories and local vineyards (which produce sweet fortified wines).

The wine tradition is quite old and the area even has its own grape variety, Matrassa used for excellent dry red wines. Local legend claims that the first french vines came from Shemakha! In fact the wine produced along the western Caucasus came a long way. As early as the late 15th century wines from this area were bought by some of the more demanding wine connoisseurs in western Europe: the Portuguese. Scores of traders, soldiers, priests and adventurers followed Portuguese expansion in Asia, creating a local market for the caucasian wines. A few bottles even reached the shores of Portugal itself.

Near Shemaka is the Yeddi Giumbez or seven cupolas which is the tomb of the Shirvan Khans. The half-ruined cupolas and crooked tomb stones bear witness to formidable earthquakes. Above the cemetery is the ruin of the Gulistan Fortress which dates from the 10-12th centuries. A few kilometres above Shamakhy there a number of picturesque "highland" villages such as Chuxuryurd with magnificent views of the Caucasus Mountains.