A half day of lite touring today, with free time offered in the afternoon. First off we visited the local bazaar which sold vast quantities of fine-looking, freshly picked produce as well as meats and entrails, economical clothing, and cheap household goods.

Next we bused up to the Summer Palace of Sheki Khans. Built in 1765, it is not actually a residence but a 4 room showpiece that was used for ceremonial purposes and governmental receptions. Almost all the rooms save the one used by scribes for their secretarial work are completely covered in elaborate painting; mostly floral, animal and geometric design, with the Ruler’s conference room showing macho scenes of hunting and war. All rooms have their southern-facing windows covered in fretwork screens with murano glass which on sunny days would create kaleidoscopes of colors inside. (No photography allowed so I snatched these interior pictures from the internet).

On the palace grounds there’s artisan studios with a ceramic workshop, a wooden screen workshop, even an art hotel. The creative space & all materials are provided free by the government to promote local artisans and encourage them to stay in Sheki rather than move to the big city.

We had a master give us a quick demonstration of the mosaic screenwork. It all slots together like a jigsaw puzzle without glue or solder. We tried our hand with the little square boxes on the table but it’s quite challenging getting the correct pieces in the right way. Of the 3 teams trying Lisa and I lost by a long shot. The screen on the wall behind the master has about 3000 pieces!

Afterwards we walked down in the now pouring rain to an old 18-19th C. Silk Road caravanserai that has been renovated into a hotel. They wouldn’t let us in as it had been rented out by a film company but we had a peak thru the little front door to just see the entrance courtyard so back to Google for an interior shot.

Lastly, a trip up the misty hill to visit the oldest Alban church in the Caucasus (1stC, with the tower added in the 5thC) in Kiş. Thor Heyerdahl, of Kon Tiki fame, conducted archeological research here in 2000-2003 and discovered remains under the church of pagan era burials and artifacts.

A special lunch was in store for us next: Shakh Plov, the national dish of Azerbaijan. The name translates to “King Pilaf” because it is a majestic and highly festive dish, often served at weddings and celebrations. It’s made with saffron rice, chestnuts, apricots, prunes, and beef, wrapped in layers of buttery lavash (like phyllo) and baked ~4 hours till cooked and crispy. It was another feast!

And that was all she wrote! Some people went for a look around town but I escaped with others back to the hotel for a nice afternoon of tea & a book until it was time for our last dinner in Azerbaijan. We’re off to Georgia tomorrow!