Discover the beautiful Shamakhi town and its picturesque surroudings on a full-day private tour

Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located 28 metres below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world and also the largest city in the world located below sea level. Baku lies on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, alongside the Bay of Baku.

Juma Mosque of Shamakhi or Juma Mosque of Shamakhi is a mosque in the city of Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. The construction date of the mosque- 743-744 relies on the research of a geological commission coming from Tiflis, which was led by prince Shahgulu Qajar. This date was defined with Arabic ligature on the facade of the Juma Mosque, stating the year 126 according to the Islamic calendar as the establishment year. Just in this period the construction of new religious buildings – mosques – was begun in the territory of Azerbaijan. The historical appearance of ancient Islamic architectural monuments was related to Arabs’ governance and the spreading of Islam in the territory of Azerbaijan. Juma Mosque of Shamakhi is considered the first mosque in the Caucasus after the cathedral Juma Mosque of Derbent, which was constructed in 734.

Shamakhi is the capital of the Shamakhi Rayon of Azerbaijan. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. It is famous for its traditional dancers, the Shamakhi Dancers, and also for perhaps giving its name to the Soumak rugs. Eleven major earthquakes have rocked Shamakhi but through multiple reconstructions, it maintained its role as the economic and administrative capital of Shirvan and one of the key towns on the Silk Road. The only building to have survived eight of the eleven earthquakes is the landmark Juma Mosque of Shamakhi, built in the 10th century.

Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory is an observatory in the Caucasus Mountains in Azerbaijan. It is named after Nasreddin Tusi (Shao). It is located on the eastern slope of Pirqulu, at an elevation of 1500 m. It has 150–200 clear, cloudless nights per year.

The Diri Baba Mausoleum – is a mausoleum of Sheikh Diri Baba, located in Qobustan (town) of Gobustan Rayon of Azerbaijan. The mausoleum was described in diaries of K. de Bryuin and A.Oleariy, and also in a work of B.Dorn. The mausoleum stands in a square located on a glyptic cliff. The building is two-storeyed. The first store has a hall covered with an ogive, which has a passageway to an octahedral cupola from a small vestibule. Stairs leading to the hall of the second store have been carved on the cliff. A spherical cupola with a pointed top has squinches decorated with plant ornaments.

Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum – is a cemetery located 1,5 km south of Shamakhi where three mausoleums from “Yeddi Gumbaz” group are still saved. Other mausoleums of the group are partly destroyed and are without a cupola or walls. The mausoleum belongs to the beginning of the 18th century. This architectural monument was built for a family of Mustafa khan – the last khan of Shamakhi. The name of the architect – ustad Taghi – is also known due to a ligature on the mausoleum. The monument belongs to Shirvan-Absheron architectural school.