Orthodox Architecture. Azerbaijan: Ancient mosques and a caravanserai in Sheki and an Albanian church in the village of Kish

About five years ago, I accidentally got into Illusion for a Turkish film, the name of which I don’t remember now. What most of all sunk into my memory were the winter views of the provincial Turkish village where the action took place. The Middle East suddenly appeared before me not bright and serenely cheerful, but everyday, gloomy, chilled. There was some kind of revelation in this, as happens at a party, when everyone has dispersed, and the host has offered you to stay, and you no longer see the external gloss of the holiday, but the inner way of the family, real life. Since then, I really wanted to see something like this with my own eyes.

The opportunity to realize this small dream presented itself as unexpectedly as the sale of Aeroflot tickets to Azerbaijan. Having left the coast of the Caspian Sea from chilly and windy Baku inland, to Sheki, I decided to get to the mountain village of Kish, famous for its ancient Albanian church. And here's what came out of it.

The search for a Russian-speaking native in the sleepy Sunday of Sheki led me to a short, dry aksakal, who stood in front of me and wrinkled his forehead tensely.
- How? Kish? I don't know this...
“The Albanian church must be there,” I said.
- Ah-ah-ah! Whoa! - the old man was delighted. - Whoops! Kschsch - it's over there, you need a minibus.

Clattering with chains, the minibus, but in fact the old GAZ bus, crawled out along the rolled snow road from Sheki and, groaning and sneezing, rolled into the mountains. On the way, I saw a minibus lying in a ditch, convincingly refuting the tourist myth that locals in their cars do not fly off the road under any circumstances - they are so dexterous. Also how they fly. While I was in Azerbaijan, the local Internet was full of news about such sorties on slippery and very dangerous mountain roads.

The journey did not last long, in just twenty minutes the rattletrap with a hysterical roar reached the final stop - a small platform on the mountainside. A couple of shops and a slippery path leading up. The rest was hidden in a light haze.

Climbing up the path, I saw exactly what I was going to see around me, and a joyful presentiment overwhelmed me.

Pay attention to the transparent canopies at the bottom of the picture and under the southern wall of the temple. Beneath them lie the bones of the ancestors of modern Azerbaijanis, Caucasian Albanians. This, in a way, is also a surprise: to dig up the bones of ancestors and leave them lying open to all winds - somehow it seemed to me not in our way, not in the Caucasian way.

Those who read Leonid Solovyov's outstanding book "The Tale of Khoja Nasreddin" remember the characteristic character described in The Enchanted Prince: the water dispenser. The most honest and accurate peasant was appointed as the distributor of water from the village ditches, who made sure that everyone got a fair amount of precious moisture from the bay source. Now this process, thank God, is somewhat automated.

An interesting school poster: the poster, judging by the signature of Heydar Aliyev, is relatively new, but the school uniform is still Soviet-style.

Church in the village of Kish - a Christian church, X-XII centuries in the village of Kish, 5 km north of the city of Sheki in the territory of modern Azerbaijan.

According to the Armenian historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi, in the 1st century A.D. e. Saint Elisha, a disciple of the Apostle Thaddeus, arrived at a place called Gis, where he built a church and preached Christianity. The church soon became "a spiritual center and a place of enlightenment for the people of the East." Near the place of Ghis, Saint Elisha was killed by unknown persons near the pagan altar.

According to the modern Armenian historian Samvel Karapetyan, the geographical position of Kish does not correspond to the description of Kaghankatvatsi. S. Karapetyan believes that Gis should be identified with the village of Bum in the Gabala region of Azerbaijan. According to a Georgian chronicler, in the 10th century the population of Kish adopted Georgian Orthodoxy and built this church. The Church of the Holy Mother of God was turned into the residence of the Georgian bishop, functioning until the 17th century.

By the time the Russians arrived in the Caucasus, Kish was one of the villages whose population continued to recognize themselves as Udins. According to Robert Heusen, the Udi language seems to have dominated the region until the 19th century, and the Armenian population is relatively recent. Although many Armenians settled here fleeing the Turkic-Mongolian invasions, even more Armenians moved to the region after the arrival of the Russians in the early 19th century.

In 2000-2003, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs financed a joint project of the Azerbaijan University of Construction and Architecture and the Norwegian Humanitarian Enterprise for archaeological research and restoration of the church in Kish. The excavation was led by Dr. Vilayat Kerimov of Baku University, and the archaeological adviser was J. Bjernar Sturfiel, director of the Thor Heyerdahl Research Center in Aylesbury, England. Radiocarbon analysis of various objects found at the work site showed that the cult site found under the altar of the church dates back to approximately 3000 BC. e., while the existing church building was erected around the XII century (in 990-1160 AD).

The existing church building cannot be dated to the time of St. Elisha, but archaeological finds show that the church is located on an area that has been used for worship since ancient times. It is unlikely that Saint Elisha built a church in the modern sense of the word. If such a historical figure really existed, then he most likely erected only an altar or used an existing pagan structure.

Bjernar Sturfiel told Azerbaijan International magazine that there is clear evidence that this church was built as a dyophysite church. Excavations have shown that the church has traces of two periods of use, with two different corresponding floor levels. According to Sturfiel, the architecture of the apse of the original church building indicates a Dyophysite Christology, and since the Georgian Orthodox Church was the only Dyophysite church in the Caucasus in the late medieval period, it is reasonable to assume that the church was originally built as Georgian and later occupied by Monophysites. Researcher Bernard Storfel notes that the opinion of Farida Mammadova that the church in the village of Kish was the main one at the end of the 1st century A.D. e. is not worthy of scientific attention, is not confirmed by archeology, and the earliest church buildings in the world belong only to the 3rd century.

JJuzer writes: asketic-travel
About five years ago, I accidentally got into Illusion for a Turkish film, the name of which I don’t remember now. What most of all sunk into my memory were the winter views of the provincial Turkish village where the action took place. The Middle East suddenly appeared before me not bright and serenely cheerful, but everyday, gloomy, chilled. There was some kind of revelation in this, as happens at a party, when everyone has dispersed, and the host has offered you to stay, and you no longer see the external gloss of the holiday, but the inner way of the family, real life. Since then, I really wanted to see something like this with my own eyes.

Clattering with chains, the minibus, and in fact the old GAZ bus, crawled out of the rolled snow road and, groaning and sneezing, rolled into the mountains. On the way, I saw a minibus lying in a ditch, convincingly refuting the tourist myth that locals in their cars do not fly off the road under any circumstances - they are so dexterous. Also how they fly. While I was in Azerbaijan, the local Internet was full of news about such sorties on slippery and very dangerous mountain roads.

Climbing up the path, I saw exactly what I was going to see around me, and a joyful presentiment overwhelmed me.

In the photo, it seems as if smoke was drawn from the right. It was before my very eyes that fog did not descend on the village, as it happens in cities, but fog crept in, as it happens in the mountains. Literally a minute passed, and visibility was reduced to hundreds of meters.

In such conditions, it was out of the question to see the church from afar, as travelers who have already visited Kish write. But the church was not my only goal, and I simply delved into the labyrinth of tangled village streets and wandered through them until I came across Alik. Alik is a local resident. About forty, thin, undersized, in sweatpants, a sheepskin coat and a cap. Of course, Alik's brother works in the market a stone's throw from my house in Moscow. At first, Alik offered to come visit for tea (I ask from the bottom of my heart), then he walked me to the church, because in my wanderings I went to the opposite end of the village.

Probably the least you expected to meet Thor Heyerdahl here! Nevertheless, it is he, a great friend of the Azerbaijani people. Having studied the monuments of Caucasian Albania, Thor Heyerdahl put forward a bold theory that the Norwegians are descendants of the Caucasian Albanians. Azerbaijanis are very flattered by this theory, because it is nice to have such a nice and prosperous people as Norwegians as younger brothers.

Thor Heyerdahl visited Azerbaijan and Kish itself and participated in supporting the restoration of the church, until the end of which he did not live very long.

Here is the church itself. Its appearance has been the subject of fierce controversy since it underwent a major restoration a few years ago. Many argue that due to the excessive zeal of the restorers, the historical appearance of the church and the original details of the decoration were destroyed. It is difficult for me to judge this, I can only give a link to a photograph showing the appearance of the church before restoration.

Previously, it seemed to me that such fun with bones was primarily characteristic of Catholics: the Parisian catacombs, the army of Palermo mummies led by the charming little Rosalia Lombardo, Czech and Polish ossuaries ... However, a couple of years ago in Murom I had a chance to visit the ossuary of the male Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery , and now in the Caucasus I came across this strange decoration.

Cozyly curled up, a Caucasian Albanian smiles benevolently from a stone bag at the entrance to the church. All Azerbaijanis with whom I had to communicate on this trip reported to me in detail that, firstly, all (all!) Caucasian Albanians were two meters twenty centimeters tall, and secondly, they were blue-eyed blonds. Both of these remarks are quite remarkable.

As for growth, Caucasians like to embellish their stories with “absolutely accurate” figures, such as the growth of Albanians, the speed that the son of a local oligarch developed in his BMW a month ago before hitting a pole, the amount that dad-oligarch paid for this BMW , the weight of the cloth of the giant record-breaking flag fluttering over Baku, etc. All these bright and stupid figures are carefully stored in the people's memory, passed from mouth to mouth with impeccable accuracy and are never questioned. Let it be obvious that the whole nation could not have been 2.20 m tall - it does not matter, it is said 2.20, then 2.20. And don't argue.

About blondes, too, interesting. The point is not whether the Albanians were blondes or were not (apparently, they were), but the pride with which Azerbaijanis speak of the anthropometric perfection of their ancestors (and many other Caucasians too). I used to think that local beauty standards should be determined by the type of appearance that prevails in a given area at a given stage in history. That is, if everyone is small and narrow-eyed (dark-haired and hook-nosed or black and curly), then the local perception of beauty is formed within the framework of this particular type.

An no. Every now and then one had to hear dramatic confessions from the Chinese, Thais, Arabs, Turks, many representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia, Central Asian Turks on the topic of how imperfect they are in comparison with European people. This thought was most succinctly expressed by one bilious Turk, whom I met on a November trip. Once, at dinner, he, in his usual gloomy way, said, looking at his wife sitting next to him: "My wife is a freak ... Yes, I myself am a freak. Strictly speaking, we Turks are all freaks."

But the Azerbaijanis were lucky: their ancestors were blue-eyed blondes, two-twenty tall.

However, back to the purpose of the trip. Here is the inside view of the church. Now there is something like a museum. The museum, frankly, is very poor, you can’t even call it an exposition, rather, illustrative material on the theme of Caucasian Albania. Controversy regarding the damage caused by the restoration also affects the interior of the church, which is also said to have been badly damaged.

When I went outside, I saw that the fog had almost dissipated, and the slopes of the mountains became visible again.

Typical gate with a small door.

The young man did not just squat down in the middle of the street. He dragged a huge log to a high hillock, which would later be sawn up and go into the oven. But the path is not yet complete, and the young man sat down to rest before dragging the log further down the street, then fifty meters down, then another side, and then up another high icy hillock. I just followed in his footsteps, it happened, it was not an easy path. There are still flaws in the patriarchal life in the fresh mountain air.

A solid village fence has little in common with the country picket fence we are used to.

An interesting school poster: the poster, judging by the signature of Heydar Aliyev, is relatively new, but the school uniform is still Soviet-style.

My walk is coming to an end. I walked out onto the path leading back to the bus stop. On the opposite slope, the village cemetery is widely spread.

There is already a mashrturka downstairs, it comes from the Sheki market, and someone brought fresh food, and someone brought fresh news.

An old tradition of building public water sources in a modern design. A commemorative granite slab with an engraved text is visible in the upper right corner.

Well, at the very stop, the last vivid impression of Kish is the men's salon. It is here that the Kish beauties acquire hairstyles according to the latest Kish fashion.

How to get there
Minibuses-buses No. 15 (on besh) and No. 23 (yirmi uch) go from the northern part of Sheki to Kish. Travel time - 15-20 minutes, interval - also 20-25 minutes. The fare is 20 gapiks (about 8 rubles). In good weather, the church is said to be visible from the road. In bad weather, you can follow the signs or ask the locals about the Albanian church - Alban Mebadi. Entrance to the church 2 manats (about 75 rubles), shooting - the same amount.

Tourist paradise
All those who have visited Sheki wish only one thing - to visit these places again

Ainur Talybova
Baku

Sheki residents do not respond to compliments about the beauty of these places. Are you used to it? Everyone likes Sheki. Everyone admires him, and almost everyone praises him. Sheki is a true tourist paradise, the tourism center of the northwestern region of Azerbaijan. And today it is the most popular place where almost the entire flow of foreign guests visiting Azerbaijan is sent.

Lovers of relaxing in nature are well aware of this place. Marhal is considered the most popular holiday destination. Very quickly gained fame in the 80s of the last century, Markhal became a must-visit place for both locals and guests. In summer, residents of Sheki and surrounding areas come here in search of coolness. In recent years, catamarans have also appeared on the man-made lake that has rushed here. Kind of entertainment.
Marhal is beautiful in all seasons. Even if you are not going to spend the night here, you should at least breathe in the intoxicating air of these places and enjoy the enchanting landscape. Not far away - just 7 kilometers away - there is another miracle of Sheki - the Khan mountain plateau, where you can continue your journey.

Khan Plateau

As the name suggests, this is the place where the residence of the Sheki khans was located. They say that with the onset of heat, the Sheki Khan moved to this plateau with his family, servants, pets and remained there until the onset of cold weather. According to stories, a glass channel was even laid from there, through which milk was delivered to the Khan's palace.
The plateau is located at a very high altitude and therefore no trees grow here. But the air is saturated with the heady aroma of mountain flowers, especially thyme. In clear, sunny weather, the surrounding areas are clearly visible from here. Going to the Khan plateau, beware of the wolfhounds that guard the flocks. Better go to the shepherd - he will protect you from dogs, and treat you with bread and cheese, pour fragrant tea from thyme brewed right on the fire. Those who wish can take food, a tent and spend the night here.

In just a few minutes spent here, you realize what the vain city life deprives us of. Only by breathing in the pure mountain air with full breasts and seeing the blush on the cheeks of the shepherd, you understand the wisdom of the Sheki khan, who chose this piece of paradise as a resting place.
The Khan plateau is located 15-20 km north of Sheki. It is better to get to these places with virgin nature by horse or jeep. The only road on the Khan plateau passes through Markhal, where the issue of transport can be resolved. It doesn't matter if you don't have your own car. A local guide will provide you with a safe ride to the forest spread out on a steep slope. And while driving in his car, you can observe the unique landscape, see squirrels, other forest animals and, if you're lucky, even a frightened bear cub. This fascinating trip will give you real pleasure and unforgettable impressions. Worth a try.
Guides recommend climbing the Khan Plateau during the summer months when there is relatively little rainfall. The mudflow formed after the rain sweeps away everything in its path - shrubs, trees and even large boulders. Neither pass nor drive until the tractor arrives and clears the way. The people of Shekin hope that the situation will change and these places will become even more attractive for tourists if a cable car is laid from Markhal to the Khan plateau or a funicular is built. Although fans of extreme sports are quite satisfied with mountain trails.
Adventures do not end with a trip to Marhal and the Khan plateau. After all, on the way back we are waiting for another trip that increases the level of adrenaline in the blood and which is a sin not to make. But more on that later. And now about one more attraction that you should definitely visit.

"Place of Mustafa bey"

Sheki residents also call this place "Mustafa bey's camp". Who is he? Everyone asks this question. One of the kind of Sheki khans in the early twentieth century. In those days, this area was his personal property, where he rested with his family during the summer months. After the Bolshevization in 1920, a pioneer camp famous throughout the Soviet Union operated here for many years. Now it is a private recreation center. Compared to other similar places in Sheki, prices are very low: only 6-8 manats per person, including breakfast. A real find if you want to escape from the city noise, breathe clean air and enjoy the beauty of the dense forest.
The Gulkhali quarter, where the “place of Mustafa bey” is located, is the point from which the laying of Sheki began. This quarter is also famous for other places of interest - here is the house in which the founder of dramaturgy in the East, writer, poet and playwright Mirza Fatali Akhundov (1812-1877), was born and grew up, and the monument of the XV century, the Gulkhali Mosque, from which only the minaret remains today.
It is impossible to get around Sheki in one day. Those who want to have a good rest and explore the city should spend 3-4 days on this. Where to stay? The choice is quite wide. You can stay in hotels scattered throughout the city and its environs, and in modern cottages, and in the houses of local residents who are ready to provide services to tourists heading to Kohne Gala. Tourists can also use the Caravanserai Hotel, where you will enjoy a real botanical environment. This ancient hotel was placed at the disposal of guests coming to Sheki after restoration work carried out in 2002. It is designed for 75 people, but in the summer it is very difficult to find a free place, unless you have reserved it in advance.

Horse breeding and hunting

How else can you spend time in Sheki? Horse and sports lovers can witness traditional horse races as well as equestrian games. The Sheki Horse Breeding Center keeps and breeds horses of various breeds. You can enjoy their beauty and even ride them.
Sheki is also one of the largest hunting grounds in Azerbaijan. Fans of hunting here can apply to the Hunters Club, which has the permission of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan. By registering, you can hunt some animals - a wild boar, a tour and others, the list of which is established by the same ministry.

Historical monuments

In the 1st century Sheki was one of the largest cities in Caucasian Albania. The name Sheki was one of the eleven administrative units of the Albanian state, located in the northwest. This is confirmed by numerous historical and cultural monuments belonging to Caucasian Albania.

caravanserai

On the bank of the Gyurjanchay River, which flows right in the middle of Sheki, the main shopping and business centers of the city are located. There are many bazaars and caravanserais in Sheki. it has been a city of handicrafts and trade since ancient times.
Caravanserais are buildings common in the feudal East. Every traveler who has visited Sheki pays special attention to them. In the Middle Ages, they played a big role in the formation and development of this city.
In the XVIII-XIX centuries. in Sheki there were five large caravanserais - Isfahan, Tabriz, Lezgin, Armenian and Teze (New), in which merchants arriving from distant countries stopped. Here the safety of their cargo was also ensured. Merchants placed their goods in the cellars, traded on the ground floor, and lived on the second floor.
Only two caravanserais have survived to this day, which date back to the 18th century and are known as Ashagi (Lower) and Yukhara (Upper) caravanserais. They were built by local craftsmen. Now the Yukhara caravanserai is used as a hotel. The dome located at its entrance is considered one of the largest in the Middle East.
The "House of Tea" in this caravanserai is perfect in terms of the tea service customary in Azerbaijan. Sheki halva, famous Sheki sweets, a variety of jams and lemon, which helps to regulate blood pressure after eating a large amount of sweet food, are served here with tea in “armudu” glasses. Add here the waiters who speak English with a Sheki accent, and you can easily imagine the whole flavor of the situation.

Albanian temple of Kish

The Albanian temple of Kish is included in the list of UNESCO world monuments. This temple, located in the village of Kish in the Sheki region of Azerbaijan, dates back to the 1st-5th centuries. and is considered one of the earliest temples in Transcaucasia. Kish is an ancient village located 6-7 km from Sheki on the banks of the river of the same name.
This temple is visited by almost all local and foreign guests arriving in Sheki. Don't be discouraged by the closed doors of the local museum - its caretaker is a local resident who has irregular working hours. You can knock on his door at any time and ask him to open the doors of the museum.
According to our guide Nasib Mukhtarov, in each of the villages scattered on the slopes of the mountains you can see monuments dating back to the early Middle Ages. Let's get acquainted with some of them.

Bideish Temple

It is located in a mountainous area 8-10 km from the village of Bideish. Built of hewn large square stones, the temple is surrounded by greenery. According to the architectural style, it refers approximately to the 7th-8th centuries.
The area where the Bideish Temple is located is of indescribable beauty. The temple stands in a clearing surrounded by forests and mountains. Our guide says that during the excavations carried out here, huge earthenware jugs were found underground. There is a lot of work to be done to study the history of this temple and the territory on which it is located.

Fazyl village

During the archaeological excavations carried out in the 90s of the last century and lasting for several years in the village of Fazyl, the necropolis of Tepebashi, dating back to the ancient period, was discovered. Scientists have found evidence of human habitation here as early as the Bronze Age - in the III millennium BC. The finds testify to the conduct of ancient rituals, reminiscent of the rituals of shamans.
The electricity supply to the village was interrupted, and we descended into a mound resembling a labyrinth with candles in our hands. Despite the hot summer weather, there is an icy cold inside. Everywhere large and small bones of people and animals. Just like in horror movies.
The Tepebashi necropolis, where the burial mounds are completely preserved, is the first labyrinth museum in Azerbaijan.

Fortress "Gelersen - Gorersen"

It is located on a steep rock on the top of Mount Garatepe on the western bank of the Kish River, 8 km from Sheki. This fortress of strategic importance was founded in the 15th century by the ruler of Sheki, Alijan. Subsequently, or rather, during the reign of Haji Chelebi Khan (1739-1775), this fortress played a very important role in the history of the entire region.
Haji Chelebi Khan - the founder of the first independent Sheki Khanate, a prominent statesman of Azerbaijan in the 18th century. This is a person who is proud of the people of Sheki. Haji Chelebi Khan was one of the leaders of the people's liberation war against the Iranian Shah Nadir. Having executed the governor of Nadir Shah Melik Najafgulu in 1743, he proclaimed Sheki an independent state and refused to obey the Shah.
In response to the ultimatum of Shah Nadir Chelebi, Khan replied: “Gelersen - goerer-sen” (literally: “You will come - you will see”), gathered aksakals, prominent people of the city, their families and took refuge in a high-mountainous fortress near the village of Kish. They say that it was after this that the fortress began to be called “Gelersen-gorersen”.
The path to the fortress, although not long, but exhausting. The fact that you are at a strategic point on a steep cliff, you understand only after, out of breath, you get to the very top. From the fortress opens an amazing view of the surroundings.
Only here you realize what Haji Chelebi hoped for when he opposed the powerful Nadir Shah. Twice, in 1744 and 1745, Nadir's brother Ibrahim Khan set off with a 20,000-strong army to suppress the rebellion in Sheki, but both times he was unable to capture this fortress. Although two years later Gadzhi Celebi voluntarily left the fortress and stopped fighting, it is said that he did so, realizing the futility of further resistance. Struck by the steadfastness of Haji Chelebi, Nadir Shah left him the title of Sheki Khan. Since then, the saying "Haji Celebi was a great man" appeared.
Today, the Gelersen-Görsen fortress welcomes everyone who comes here to get acquainted with local attractions and just relax. So the name of the fortress "You will come - you will see" still retains its relevance, but in a completely different sense. In a word, Sheki is a true find for lovers of historical excursions. All those who leave these places wish in their hearts one thing - to visit Sheki again!