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Gilahli Mosque Minaret, Sheki

Slender brick minaret of the Gilahli Mosque with a wooden lantern balcony and red roof above a steep lane
Photo: Ludvig14, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free — you view it from the street, there's no ticket desk (unofficial)
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
None published; visible from the lane at any time, best in daylight
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
15 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Going inside
Climbing the minaret isn't possible or at least not confirmed — no visitor rules found
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time needed
10–15 minutes on site, plus an 8–10 minute walk from the Khan's Palace
Getting there
≈ 0.6 km on foot from the Khan's Palace, east along Giləhli küçəsi
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Payment
Nothing to pay here; carry manat cash for marshrutkas and taxis in Sheki
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Address
Giləhli küç., Gilahli (Kulekhli) quarter, Yukhari Bash reserve
Coordinates
41.20332, 47.20403YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

1749the mosque was built under Haji Chalabi Khan of Shaki, per an inscription dated 1162 AH
SourceEnglish, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia
13.5 mheight of the minaret, the only part of the mosque still standing
SourceEnglish, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia
Freeit stands on a residential lane and is seen from outside; no ticket desk
2 sourcesSheki DMO visitor mapOpenStreetMap — unofficial
1805Haji Shamseddin Bey built a new mosque on the same site, later known by his name
SourceEnglish, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia
1930sthe neglected mosque was pulled down, leaving only the minaret
SourceRussian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia
2019part of the UNESCO site Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace (no. 1549)
SourceEnglish, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia
2001listed as a national historical and cultural monument (Cabinet decision no. 132)
SourceEnglish, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia
≈ 0.55 kmin a straight line east of the Palace of the Shaki Khans
SourceWikidata and OpenStreetMap coordinates, YesGo calculation
6 × 12 msize of the lost prayer hall, with four wooden columns holding the ceiling
SourceEnglish, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia
≈ 20 stepsthe stairway inside the shaft up to the muezzin's platform
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaAzerbaijani Wikipedia says more than 20

What is the Gilahli Minaret?

It's the minaret of the Gilahli neighbourhood mosque, and it's all that's left of it. The mosque went up in 1749, was rebuilt in 1805 and was demolished in the Soviet years. The 13.5 m tower of fired brick stands on the north-eastern edge of old Sheki, above the gorge of the Gurjana river, inside the Yukhari Bash reserve and the UNESCO-listed historic centre.

You'll see the name spelled Gilahli, Gilehli, Gileyli or Giləhli in Azerbaijani — it comes from the quarter, which locals connect with settlers from Gilan in Iran. After 1805 people called the mosque after Haji Shamseddin Bey, who rebuilt it and was buried beside it in 1815.

Set your expectations: this is a quick stop, not a sight with an inside. There's no mosque left to enter. What you get is a slender shaft with patterned brickwork, a roofed wooden muezzin's platform at the top and a stretch of old stone wall — on a quiet residential lane ten minutes' walk from the Palace of the Shaki Khans.

How old is the Gilahli Minaret?

The key date is 1749. All three Wikipedia articles cite a stone inscription naming Haji Chalabi, son of Gurban, as the builder in the Islamic year 1162. The inscription surfaced in the early 20th century and was photographed in 1936 by the researcher A. Alaskarzade; where it went after that is unknown.

In 1805 Haji Shamseddin Bey put up a new mosque on the same plot, which is why some write-ups call the minaret early 19th century. The tour operator Advantour dates it to the 16th–17th centuries, but no other source backs that up, so we go with the 1749 inscription.

The mosque was closed in the Soviet campaign against religion, a family lived in it in the 1930s, and it was then torn down. The minaret survived. The river later washed away the graveyard beside it; Shamseddin Bey's headstone is now in the Sheki Museum of History and Local Lore. The minaret was listed as a monument in 2001 and became part of the UNESCO site in 2019.

What to look for

  • The brick shaft — it tapers towards the top, with bands of brick laid in relief. The pattern reads best on an overcast day rather than in hard sun.
  • The muezzin's platform — up top under a wooden roof that keeps off rain and sun, reached by an inside stairway of about 20 steps.
  • The base — the lower part of the supporting wall is river stone and the upper part red brick, and you can see the change from the lane.
  • The old walls — a stone enclosure about 2 m high and a 27 m stretch of the mosque's own wall give you the outline of the lost courtyard.
  • The drop to the Gurjana — the minaret stands a few metres from a cliff edge, 20–23 m above the river. There's no railing, so keep back.
  • The Eight-sided Minaret — another lone brick minaret, from the 1880s, about 150 m north on Abdurrahim Bey Hagverdiyev Street. It's easy to see both on one loop.

How to get to the Gilahli Minaret

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on footdestinationStreet view

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On foot

More tips

  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 towards Yukhari Bash, or a taxi — about 10 minutes to the gate of Sheki Fortress. Route numbers differ between guides, so ask the driver for "Xan Sarayı".
  3. From the Khan's Palace, head to the north-eastern corner of the fortress walls, the junction where Akhundov, Molla Vali Vidadi and Giləhli streets meet — about 150 m.
  4. Turn east onto Giləhli küçəsi and follow it for about 450 m. The minaret is on your left, behind a stone wall. That's about 0.6 km from the palace, 8–10 minutes on foot (measured on OpenStreetMap — unofficial).
  5. To loop back, walk 150 m north to the Eight-sided Minaret on Hagverdiyev Street, follow that street west to Molla Vali Vidadi Street and drop back down to the palace.

Is the Gilahli Minaret worth it?

Yes, if you have a spare half hour in Yukhari Bash and like poking around old neighbourhoods. Giləhli Street is everyday Sheki — high garden walls, fruit trees, hardly any visitors — and the minaret is genuine 18th-century work. Just don't expect much beyond the brickwork and the wooden platform at the top.

Skip it if you're on a day trip from Baku. Your time is better spent on the palace, the Upper Caravanserai and the church at Kish. And ignore claims that this is Sheki's tallest minaret: one tour operator says so, but the Juma Mosque minaret is twice the height — 28.5 m against 13.5 m.

Payment: there's nothing to pay at the minaret itself. For the marshrutka and taxis, and for tea afterwards, carry Azerbaijani manat in cash — Visa and Mastercard work widely in Baku, but small places in Sheki usually want cash.

Sheki's minarets compared

Gilahli Minaretyou are hereMosque of 1749, rebuilt 180513.5 mOnly the minaretGiləhli Street, north-east of the old town
Juma MosqueSources disagree28.5 m (one source: 24 m)A working mosque with its minaretDabbagkhana quarter
Godak Minaret1811–1812, per inscriptionNot publishedMosque with a short minaretSarı Torpaq quarter
Eight-sided Minaret1880s, per inscriptionNot publishedOnly the minaretHagverdiyev Street, near Gilahli

Based on English, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia and the official website of the President of Azerbaijan (24 m for the Juma Mosque minaret). All four lie within the Yukhari Bash reserve.

Before you go: checklist

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Mosques and churches in Sheki compared

Every place of worship in Sheki rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Gilahli Mosque Minaretyou are here4415 minFree—
Juma Mosque4320 minFree33 min walk
Round Temple4030 minFree outside; museum fee not published10 min walk
Church of Kish331 h15 AZN for foreign visitors5.2 km

Upper Sheki with the Gilahli Minaret

The fortress gate, the Round Temple, the Khan's Palace, the Gilahli Minaret and tea at the caravanserai. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Sheki Fortress40 min · Free; museums inside extra
  2. 3 min walk from the previous stopRound Temple30 min · Free outside; museum fee not published
  3. 3 min walk from the previous stopPalace of the Shaki Khans45 min · 15 AZN for foreigners (unofficial)
  4. 10 min walk from the previous stopGilahli Mosque Minaretyou are here15 min · Free, viewed from outside
  5. 16 min walk from the previous stopUpper Caravanserai30 min · Courtyard free (unofficial)

5 places · about 3 h 12 min with walks · 32 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Palace of the Shaki Khans

Sheki, Azerbaijan

45 min · 15 AZN for foreigners (unofficial) · 10 min walk

Sheki Old Town (Yukhari Bash)

Sheki, Azerbaijan

1 h 30 min · Free; museums on the way charge · 10 min walk

Round Temple

Sheki, Azerbaijan

30 min · Free outside; museum fee not published · 10 min walk

Sheki Fortress

Sheki, Azerbaijan

40 min · Free; museums inside extra · 11 min walk

How to do it right

  • Pair it with the Khan's Palace — Giləhli Street starts a few minutes from the palace.
  • Show the written name Giləhli küçəsi to a taxi driver or passer-by; the English spellings mean little locally.
  • Stay on the lane: the walls around the minaret are people's yards.
  • Carry on north to the Eight-sided Minaret for a short two-minaret loop.
  • Finish with tea at the Upper Caravanserai, downhill from the palace.
  • Curious what the lost prayer hall looked like? Its plan reportedly followed Sheki house design, so Shakikhanovs' House gives you an idea.

Questions

What is the Gilahli Minaret in Sheki?

A 13.5 m brick minaret, the only surviving part of a mosque built in 1749 in the Gilahli quarter of old Sheki. It is a listed monument and part of the UNESCO-listed historic centre.

How old is the Gilahli Minaret?

The mosque dates from 1749, under Haji Chalabi Khan, according to its inscription, and was rebuilt in 1805 by Haji Shamseddin Bey. One tour operator says 16th–17th century, but no other source supports that.

Where is the Gilahli Minaret?

On Giləhli küçəsi, about half a kilometre east of the Palace of the Shaki Khans, at the edge of the Gurjana river gorge.

How do I walk there from the Khan's Palace?

Head to the north-eastern corner of the fortress walls, then go east along Giləhli Street for about 450 m; the minaret is on the left. Around 0.6 km, 8–10 minutes.

Is there an entrance fee?

No. You view the minaret from the street and there's no ticket desk. This is unofficial — no visitor rules are published.

Can you climb the Gilahli Minaret?

There's an inside stairway of about 20 steps to the muezzin's platform, but no source confirms that visitors may go up. Plan on seeing it from outside.

Is it the tallest minaret in Sheki?

No. One tour operator claims so, but the Juma Mosque minaret is 28.5 m per Wikipedia (24 m per the President of Azerbaijan's website), against 13.5 m for Gilahli.

How long do you need there?

10–15 minutes on site and an 8–10 minute walk each way from the Khan's Palace. With the Eight-sided Minaret nearby, about half an hour.

Is it the same as the Gileyli Mosque in Baku?

No. Baku's Gileyli Mosque is in the Old City and much older. The Sheki monument is a separate 18th-century mosque of which only the minaret remains.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia: Gilahli Mosque in Sheki; Wikidata Q5306451
  • Russian Wikipedia: Минарет мечети Гилейли — dates, builders, height, stairway, enclosure, Kulekhli quarter, 1930s demolition
  • Azerbaijani Wikipedia: Giləhli məscidi — 1162 AH inscription, 1805 rebuilding, minaret masonry
  • Sheki Destination Management Organization visitor map (azerbaijan.travel) — Gilehli Minaret, Godek Minaret
  • English Wikipedia: Juma Mosque in Sheki, Godak minaret, Eight-sided minaret
  • Official website of the President of Azerbaijan: article on the Sheki Juma Mosque — 24 m minaret
  • Advantour: Sheki — Kulekhli quarter, 16th–17th century dating, tallest-minaret claim
  • OpenStreetMap: Giləhli küç., minaret position and the walk from the Khan's Palace, 02.11.2026
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 02.11.2026 ·
How we checkedThe 1749 date and the 13.5 m height agree across the English, Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia articles; only Advantour dates the minaret to the 16th–17th centuries, which we don't adopt. Advantour's claim that it's the tallest minaret is contradicted by the Juma Mosque minaret — 28.5 m per Wikipedia, 24 m per the President of Azerbaijan's website — so we show both figures. English Wikipedia lists the mosque as active, while the Russian and Azerbaijani articles describe it as demolished with only the minaret left; the English infobox also gives coordinates in Baku, so we used Wikidata and OpenStreetMap for location. The distance and walking route from the palace are our own calculation from those maps, not walked on site. No ticket desk or opening hours appear on the tourist map or in map data, so free outside viewing is unofficial. No source confirmed whether the minaret can be climbed. Payment advice matches our other Sheki pages: cards in Baku, cash in Sheki.

Top YesGo picks: Sheki

Upper Caravanserai

Sheki, Azerbaijan

30 min · Courtyard free (unofficial)

Juma Mosque

Sheki, Azerbaijan

20 min · Free

Shakikhanovs' House

Sheki, Azerbaijan

30 min · 1–10 AZN (iTicket.AZ)

Church of Kish

Sheki, Azerbaijan

1 h · 15 AZN for foreign visitors

All places: Sheki →