# Shakikhanovs' House, Sheki > Shakikhanovs' House is Sheki's second khan's palace: a two-storey 18th-century home of the khans' descendants, now a small museum with murals from Nizami's poems, angels on the ceiling and shebeke windows. Allow 20–30 minutes. iTicket.AZ sells entry at 1–10 AZN, open daily 9:00–18:00. It sits in the old town outside the fortress walls, a 10–15 minute walk downhill from the Khan's Palace. Web page: https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/shakikhanovs-house - City: [Sheki](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki), Azerbaijan - YesGo score: 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: iTicket.AZ: 1–10 AZN by category; guides quote 5, 9 or 15 AZN for foreigners (unofficial) - Online tickets: iTicket.AZ QR ticket in the app or a paper one from city box offices, non-refundable - Student ticket: Only for students enrolled in Azerbaijan (iTicket.AZ rule) - Hours: Daily 9:00–18:00 - Closed: No weekly closing day — iTicket.AZ lists sessions every day - Photos inside: Not allowed, according to two guides; the façade and courtyard are fine - Time needed: 20–30 minutes for the house and courtyard - Address: 21 Hikmet Alekberzade Street — old town, below and west of the fortress - Getting there: From the Khan's Palace, ≈ 10–15 min downhill on foot; from the bus station, marshrutka to the caravanserai and a 10–15 min walk - Payment: Bring manat cash; to pay by card, buy the ticket online on iTicket.AZ - Coordinates: 41.20270, 47.19030 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **18th century** — built in the second half of the century for relatives of the Shaki khans (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; iTicket.AZ description) - **Nizami** — heroes of his Khamsa — Layli and Majnun, Khosrow and Shirin, the Seven Beauties — cover the main hall (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2019** — part of the UNESCO site Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace (no. 1549) (source: Russian Wikipedia; UNESCO World Heritage Centre site documents) - **Angels** — winged girls on the main-hall ceiling — a motif found in no other Sheki monument (source: Russian Wikipedia; Visit Silk Road) - **2 floors** — each with three rooms and two small corridors (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **6 rooms** — plus 4 corridors, two staircases and two balconies (source: Russian Wikipedia; iTicket.AZ; AZERTAC) - **Shebeke** — multicoloured lattice windows on the façade; only the upper second-floor grilles are original (source: Russian Wikipedia; Visit Silk Road) - **Mud brick** — unfired clay walls keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter (source: Russian Wikipedia; iTicket.AZ) - **2012–2013** — full restoration, November 2012 to August 2013 (source: Russian Wikipedia; AZERTAC) - **Yukhari Bash** — the state historical and architectural reserve the house belongs to (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) ## Shakikhanovs' House tickets and opening hours The Yukhari Bash reserve publishes no official price list. Tickets are sold through **iTicket.AZ** at 1–10 AZN depending on category — a QR ticket in the app, or a paper one from city box offices. They can't be refunded or exchanged, and the student rate is only for students enrolled in Azerbaijan. What a foreign adult actually pays varies by source: 5 AZN in several English-language guides, 9 or 15 AZN in Russian tour listings. Treat it as **unofficial** and carry 10–15 AZN. The iTicket.AZ schedule shows the house open **every day, 9:00–18:00**, so aim to arrive by 17:30. It is a separate ticket from the Khan's Palace; we found no combined ticket on iTicket.AZ. Payment: bring Azerbaijani manat in cash, in small notes. Visa and Mastercard work in Baku and in larger Sheki hotels, but small museums, marshrutkas and tea houses usually want cash. If you'd rather pay by card, buy the QR ticket on iTicket.AZ before you go. ## Is Shakikhanovs' House worth it? Yes, if you liked the [Palace of the Shaki Khans](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-khans-palace) and want more. The murals here are different — scenes from Nizami's poems, individual portraits, angels on the ceiling — and the rooms are usually quiet, because day-trip groups from Baku often skip it. Twenty minutes is enough, and it costs little. It is not a reason to travel to Sheki on its own, and it is plainer outside than the Khan's Palace. If you only have an hour in Sheki, spend it on the palace and the fortress walls. With half a day, add this house on the walk down through the old town. > **Probably no photos inside** Two guides say photography is banned inside, as it is at the Khan's Palace; the ticket page says nothing either way. Ask the attendant at the door rather than sneaking a shot — the rooms are small and staff stand close. The shebeke façade and the courtyard fountain are fine to photograph. ## What the house is and who lived here This is a palace-style house built in the second half of the 18th century for relatives of the Shaki khans; the iTicket.AZ description ties it to Mohammad Hussein Khan. It blends a local Sheki home with a palace: long, two storeys, three rooms per floor, mud-brick walls. Winter rooms with bukhari fireplaces are downstairs; the guest floor upstairs holds the best paintings. After the khanate was abolished, the family's descendants kept living here until the house was left empty and fell into decay. It was restored between November 2012 and August 2013 and is now a museum within the Yukhari Bash reserve and the UNESCO-listed historic centre. ## What to see inside - **The upper main hall** — heroes from Nizami's Khamsa painted like miniatures: Layli and Majnun, Khosrow and Shirin, the Seven Beauties. - **The angel ceiling** — winged girls on the plafond, a motif you won't see elsewhere in Sheki. - **Mirrored stalactites** along the top of the walls, with a ref shelf below for festive dishes. - **The painted fireplace** at the centre of the hall, framed by niches and built-in cabinets. - **Flowers, animals and birds in vases** inside the niches; the remaining walls carry a net-like pattern. - **Shebeke windows** — larger panels than at the Khan's Palace; only the grilles in the upper part of the second floor are original. - **The courtyard** — the white façade, painted eave and small fountain make the best outdoor photo. ## Is this the Sheki Winter Palace? Many maps and guides label it the **Winter Palace**, and OpenStreetMap calls it "Shakikhanov (Winter) Palace". There is some logic: the ground floor with fireplaces was the winter quarters, and the house was a year-round home for the khan's family. The khans' actual winter palace stood inside [Sheki Fortress](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-fortress) and was demolished, with the rest of the court, by 1851. If locals look blank at "Winter Palace", ask for Şəkixanovların evi — the Shakikhanovs' house. ## Shakikhanovs' House vs the Khan's Palace | | Shakikhanovs' House | Palace of the Shaki Khans | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Home of the khans' descendants | The khans' summer residence | | Built | Second half of the 18th century | 1762 by tradition; 1789–1797 per the local chronicle | | Location | Old town, outside the walls | Inside the fortress | | Murals | Nizami scenes, portraits, angels | Hunts, battles, flowers in vases | | iTicket.AZ price | 1–10 AZN | 1–15 AZN | | Hours | Daily 9:00–18:00 | Daily 9:00–18:00 | | Photos inside | No (two guides) | No | | Time needed | 20–30 min | 30–45 min | Prices and hours from iTicket.AZ for November 2026; photo rules are unofficial. Only time for one? Pick the palace. Time for both? See the palace first and save this house for later. ## How to get to Shakikhanovs' House 1. From Baku: bus or minibus from Baku International Bus Terminal (Avtovağzal) to Sheki bus station — about 5 hours. The nearest airport with regular flights is Baku (GYD); Gabala (GBB) is closer but has few flights. 2. From Sheki bus station: a marshrutka up Mirza Fatali Akhundov Avenue to the [Upper Caravanserai](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-caravanserai), or a taxi — about 10 minutes. Guides give routes 11, 12 and 17 from Teze Bazaar and 22 from near the Juma Mosque; treat the numbers as unofficial and ask the driver for "Karvansaray". 3. From the caravanserai, turn west off the avenue into the old-town lanes towards Hikmet Alekberzade Street — about 10–15 minutes on foot. 4. From the Khan's Palace: leave through the fortress gate, walk down Akhundov Avenue and turn into the old town — about 10–15 minutes, all downhill. 5. Look for a white two-storey house with rows of shebeke behind a fence; the entrance is easy to miss between ordinary homes. Buy a ticket at the door or show your iTicket.AZ QR code. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Arrive by 17:30, well before closing - [ ] 10–15 AZN in small manat notes - [ ] Or an iTicket.AZ QR ticket on my phone - [ ] The local name saved: Şəkixanovların evi - [ ] Camera for the façade and courtyard only - [ ] Khan's Palace first, this house second ## Sheki's palaces and khans' houses compared Every palace in Sheki rated by YesGo. - [Sheki Fortress](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-fortress) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free; museums inside extra - [Palace of the Shaki Khans](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-khans-palace) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 15 AZN for foreigners (unofficial) - [Shakikhanovs' House](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/shakikhanovs-house) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · 1–10 AZN (iTicket.AZ) ## Both khans' palaces in half a day The fortress and the Khan's Palace at the top, down to the caravanserai, then Shakikhanovs' House and a stroll through the old town. 1. [Sheki Fortress](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-fortress) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free; museums inside extra 2. [Palace of the Shaki Khans](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-khans-palace) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 15 AZN for foreigners (unofficial) 3. [Upper Caravanserai](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-caravanserai) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Courtyard free (unofficial) 4. [Shakikhanovs' House](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/shakikhanovs-house) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · 1–10 AZN (iTicket.AZ) 5. [Sheki Old Town (Yukhari Bash)](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-old-town) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; museums on the way charge > **Come in the afternoon** Day-trip groups from Baku rush the Khan's Palace in the morning and often don't make it down here. After lunch the painted hall is usually empty and you can look as long as you like. Just don't leave it past 17:30, or you may find the door closed. ## Good to know Shakikhanov is also a family name — poets and public figures from the khan's line carried it — so searches throw up biographies and family trees. This page is about the house museum in Sheki. "Winter Palace" in Sheki means this house; the building of that name inside the fortress no longer exists. ## Tips - See the Palace of the Shaki Khans first — the differences in the murals here stand out more afterwards. - On the way down, step into the courtyard of the Upper Caravanserai; it is almost on your route. - Save the local name, Şəkixanovların evi, on your phone — the entrance is in a side lane with a small sign. - Don't come from Baku for this house alone; it is an add-on to the palace and the [old town](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-old-town), not the main event. - Carry small manat notes — a tiny museum may not have change for a large one. - Note the price and hours posted at the door; official figures are hard to find online. ## Questions ### How much is the entrance fee to Shakikhanovs' House? iTicket.AZ lists 1–10 AZN depending on category. Guides quote 5, 9 or 15 AZN for foreigners — unofficial figures, so bring 10–15 AZN in cash. ### What are the Shakikhanovs' House opening hours? Daily, 9:00–18:00, according to the iTicket.AZ schedule. There is no weekly closing day; arrive by 17:30. ### Is Shakikhanovs' House worth visiting? Yes, if you enjoyed the Khan's Palace and want more murals — the scenes, portraits and angel ceiling are different, and it's quieter. With only an hour in Sheki, choose the palace. ### Where is Shakikhanovs' House? At 21 Hikmet Alekberzade Street in Sheki's old town, below and west of the fortress, outside the walls. ### How do I walk from the Khan's Palace to Shakikhanovs' House? Leave through the fortress gate, walk down Akhundov Avenue and turn west into the old town — about 10–15 minutes downhill. ### How do I get there from Sheki bus station? Take a marshrutka up Akhundov Avenue to the Upper Caravanserai, or a taxi — about 10 minutes — then walk 10–15 minutes. Route numbers differ between guides; ask the driver. ### Can you take photos inside Shakikhanovs' House? Two guides say no, as at the Khan's Palace. The façade and courtyard are fine; check with the attendant. ### Is Shakikhanovs' House the Sheki Winter Palace? It is often called that — its ground floor was the winter quarters. The khans' real winter palace stood inside the fortress and was demolished by 1851. ### How long do you need at Shakikhanovs' House? 20–30 minutes. With the Khan's Palace, the fortress and the caravanserai, plan half a day. ## How we checked There is no official Yukhari Bash reserve website with prices or hours. Hours, the absence of a closing day and the 1–10 AZN range come from the iTicket.AZ page (28 sessions from 3 to 30 November 2026, 09:00–18:00). The price for foreigners differs between sources — 5, 9 and 15 AZN — so all prices are marked as verifying. The photo ban comes from two independent guides and is not stated on the ticket page. Sources differ on the owner: relatives of the khans (Wikipedia) or Mohammad Hussein Khan (iTicket.AZ). Wikidata's coordinates almost match the Khan's Palace and look wrong; we placed the house using Russian Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap — outside the walls, about 650 m in a straight line from the palace. Walking times come from Visit Silk Road and our own map estimate. Marshrutka numbers are unofficial. ## Sources - iTicket.AZ: Shakikhanov's house — description, address, prices and sessions, sale rules, 02.11.2026 - iTicket.AZ: Sheki Khans’ Palace — prices and sessions for comparison, 02.11.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Shakikhanovs' Palace / Дом Шекихановых; Wikidata Q15039321 - AZERTAC: report on the visit to the restored Shakikhanovs' House, August 2013 - Visit Silk Road: Shekikhanovs’ House — location outside the walls, buses, surviving shebeke - Travel Melodies and Bucketlistly: Sheki travel guides — unofficial fee, hours and photo ban - Travel Cost Calculator: Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace — unofficial fee - OpenStreetMap: location of the house museum and Hikmet Alekberzade Street --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.