# Palace of the Shaki Khans, Sheki > A small two-storey 18th-century summer residence inside Sheki Fortress — and the main reason to come to Sheki. Every wall is painted; the windows are shebeke, coloured glass in wooden lattice fitted without nails or glue. Allow 30–45 minutes. Entry is 15 AZN for foreign adults (per Report.az, unofficial), open daily roughly 9:00–18:00. No photos inside. Web page: https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-khans-palace - City: [Sheki](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki), Azerbaijan - YesGo score: 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry (foreign adult): 15 AZN — new rate from 1 January 2026 reported by Report.az; previously 9–10 AZN - Online tickets: iTicket.AZ: QR ticket in the app or paper ticket from city box offices, 1–15 AZN by category, non-refundable - Student ticket: Only for students enrolled in Azerbaijan (iTicket.AZ rule) - Hours: Daily ≈ 9:00–18:00; some sources say from 10:00 - Closed: No weekly closing day — iTicket.AZ lists sessions every day - Photos inside: Not allowed; the façade, pool and courtyard are fine - Time needed: 30–45 minutes for the palace and courtyard - Getting there: From Sheki bus station, marshrutka up to Yukhari Bash (route numbers vary — check locally) or a taxi — ≈ 10 min - Address: Sheki Fortress, top end of Mirza Fatali Akhundov Avenue - Coordinates: 41.20441, 47.19760 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **18th century** — traditionally dated 1762; the Maddei-tarikh chronicle says building began in 1789/90 and was finished by 1797 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata Q1740560) - **2019** — listed by UNESCO as part of the Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace (no. 1549) (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; reserve description on iTicket.AZ) - **Shebeke** — coloured glass set in wooden lattice assembled without nails or glue covers most of the south façade (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **32 × 8.5 m** — footprint of the building; about 10 m high (source: English Wikipedia (Russian Wikipedia: 31.7 × 8.5 m)) - **2 floors** — each with a central hall and side rooms, divided by narrow iwans (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Hunts and battles** — painted in the upper-floor halls; flowers in vases below (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Abbas Kuli** — and masters from Shamakhi and Shusha — Mirza Jafar, Usta Gambar, Ali Kuli, Kurban Kuli — signed the paintings (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2 plane trees** — stand by the pool in front — already described as tall in 1834 (source: Russian Wikipedia (Kornilovich, 1834); English Wikipedia) - **2002–2004** — the last full restoration, backed by the World Bank (source: English Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia (work began September 2002)) - **Yukhari Bash** — the state historical and architectural reserve the palace belongs to (source: Russian Wikipedia; reserve description on iTicket.AZ) ## Palace of the Shaki Khans tickets and opening hours There is no official price list from the Yukhari Bash reserve online. Tickets are sold through **iTicket.AZ** at 1–15 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. Foreign adults pay **15 AZN**: Report.az (18.12.2025) says that from 1 January 2026 the foreign-visitor rate at the palace — as at the church in Kish — rose to 15 AZN. Older guides still quote 9–10 AZN, the pre-2026 rate. We haven't seen an official price list by category, so treat this as **unofficial**. The iTicket.AZ schedule shows the palace open **every day, 9:00–18:00**; some guides give 10:00–18:00, so arrive by 17:00 to be safe. Payment: carry Azerbaijani manat in cash for the ticket desk, the marshrutka and tea afterwards. If you'd rather pay by card, buy the QR ticket on iTicket.AZ before you go. > **No photography inside** Almost every source says photos are banned in the halls; one mentions a separate photo fee, so ask at the desk. Outside there are no limits — the painted façade behind the pool and plane trees is the classic Sheki shot. Inside, just look: the stained glass is at its best on a sunny morning. ## Is the Palace of the Shaki Khans worth it? Yes — it is the one thing in Sheki you shouldn't skip, and one of the finest interiors in the Caucasus. Be ready for how small it is: a couple of halls on each floor, seen in well under an hour. The value is density, not size: every surface is painted, gilded, mirrored or glazed. It is not worth a five-hour drive from Baku on its own if you hate long days. Make it a night in Sheki and pair the palace with the fortress walls, the [Upper Caravanserai](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-caravanserai) and the old Albanian [church in Kish](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/kish-church). If you only want painted rooms, [Shakikhanovs' House](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/shakikhanovs-house) is a quieter add-on. ## What the palace is and when it was built This was the summer residence of the khans of Shaki, and the only surviving building of the khan's court inside [Sheki Fortress](https://yesgo.io/azerbaijan/sheki/sheki-fortress). The winter palace, family houses and servants' quarters were gone by 1851; the palace, its pool and the plane trees remain. The date is disputed. The traditional one is **1762**, under Huseyn Khan Mushtaq, and that is what the reserve uses. Historians lean on the Maddei-tarikh chronicle, which says work began in 1789/90 and ended by 1797 under Muhammad Hasan Khan. Officials and petitioners were received downstairs; the khan's family and guests used the upper floor. ## What to see inside and out - **The south façade** — a mosaic of coloured glass in shebeke lattice, plus blue, turquoise and ochre tiles and peacocks flanking a tree of life. - **Upper-floor halls** — hunting and battle scenes, the richest paintings in the palace. - **Muqarnas vaults** over the iwans: gilded downstairs, set with mirror fragments upstairs. - **Shebeke from the inside** — when the sun is out, the coloured glass throws patches of light across the floor. - **Lower rooms** — flowers in vases and floral patterns by several different hands. - **The pool and the two plane trees** — stand behind them to fit the whole façade in one frame. ## How to get to the Palace of the Shaki Khans 1. From Baku: bus or minibus from Baku International Bus Terminal (Avtovağzal) to Sheki bus station — about 5 hours. 2. From Sheki bus station: a marshrutka up Akhundov Avenue to Yukhari Bash, or a taxi — about 10 minutes. Guides give different route numbers (11, 7, 22), so treat them as unofficial, check locally and ask the driver for "Xan Sarayı". 3. Get off at the fortress gate at the top end of Mirza Fatali Akhundov Avenue; the Upper Caravanserai is on the same avenue, an easy stop on the way back. 4. Walk through the gate and along the lane inside the walls — the palace is behind a fence with a pool and two plane trees, a few minutes on foot. 5. Buy a ticket at the entrance or show your iTicket.AZ QR code, and keep the camera away once you're inside. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Arrive by 17:00, well before closing - [ ] Cash manat for the ticket and marshrutka - [ ] Or an iTicket.AZ QR ticket on my phone - [ ] A sunny hour — the glass glows - [ ] Camera for the façade and courtyard only - [ ] An extra hour for the fortress and caravanserai ## 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) ## Upper Sheki in half a day The fortress, the Khan's palace, tea at the caravanserai, 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 > **Go first thing in the morning** The palace is tiny, and once day-trip groups from Baku reach Sheki the halls get crowded. Mornings are quiet, and the sun on the south façade gives the best light through the shebeke and on the outside. ## Good to know Several Sheki hotels are called Khan Saray — they are not the museum. Other khans' palaces exist in Bakhchisaray and Shusha; this page is about Sheki. Shakikhanovs' House, often called the winter palace, is a separate museum in the old town with its own ticket. ## Tips - Start at the fortress gate — the palace is a few minutes' walk inside the walls. - Afterwards, walk down to the Upper Caravanserai; you can see its arcaded courtyard without a ticket. - Save the Sheki halva and tea for after the visit — sticky fingers and painted walls don't mix. - A day trip from Baku works, but a night in Sheki lets you add the church in Kish. - Want more painted rooms with fewer people? Try Shakikhanovs' House. - Note the price and hours posted at the desk — official figures are hard to find online. ## Questions ### How much is the ticket to the Palace of the Shaki Khans? 15 AZN for a foreign adult from 1 January 2026 (per Report.az, unofficial). iTicket.AZ sells tickets at 1–15 AZN by category. ### What are the Sheki Khan's Palace opening hours? Daily, roughly 9:00–18:00 according to the iTicket.AZ schedule; some guides say it opens at 10:00. There is no weekly closing day. ### Can you take photos inside the Sheki Khan's Palace? No — almost every source says photography is banned in the halls. The façade, pool and courtyard are fine to shoot. ### How long do you need at the Palace of the Shaki Khans? 30–45 minutes for the palace itself. Add the fortress, caravanserai and Shakikhanovs' House for a half day. ### Is the Sheki Khan's Palace worth visiting? Yes — it is the highlight of Sheki for its painted halls and shebeke glass. It is small, so combine it with the rest of the old town. ### How do I get to the Khan's Palace from Sheki bus station? Take a marshrutka up Akhundov Avenue to Yukhari Bash (route numbers vary, so ask the driver), or a taxi — about 10 minutes — then walk through the fortress gate. ### Is there a combined ticket for Sheki museums? Some guides mention one for the Khan's Palace, Shakikhanovs' House and the crafts museum, but iTicket.AZ doesn't list it. Ask at the ticket desk. ### What is shebeke? Wooden lattice filled with small pieces of coloured glass, fitted together without nails or glue. The palace's windows are the best-known example. ### When was the Palace of the Shaki Khans built? Traditionally in 1762, under Huseyn Khan. A local chronicle dates the building to 1789/90–1797, and historians still debate it. ## How we checked We found no official Yukhari Bash reserve website with prices or hours. Hours and the absence of a closing day come from the iTicket.AZ session schedule for November 2026 — every day, 09:00–18:00; some guides give 10:00–18:00. The 15 AZN foreign-visitor price comes from Report.az's report on fees from 1 January 2026 and matches the top price on iTicket.AZ; the 9–10 AZN in guides is the pre-2026 rate. There is no official breakdown by category, so prices are marked as verifying. The construction date is disputed — 1762 by tradition and Wikidata, 1789–1797 by the Maddei-tarikh chronicle — so we show both. The combined ticket appears in one guide only and is not on iTicket.AZ. Guides give different marshrutka numbers (11, 7, 22), so none is stated as fact. ## Sources - iTicket.AZ: Sheki Khans’ Palace — Yukhari Bash reserve description, prices and sessions, sale rules, 02.11.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Palace of Shaki Khans / Дворец шекинских ханов; Wikidata Q1740560 - Azerbaijan Guide (azerbaijanguide.az): Sheki Khan Palace, updated April 2026 — unofficial prices and hours - Travel Cost Calculator: Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace — unofficial prices, photo rule, marshrutkas - WhichMuseum: Palace of Shaki Khans — unofficial prices and hours - Museum of Wander: What to see in Sheki — photo ban, marshrutkas 11 and 7 - Report.az: Azerbaijan introduces new museum fees for foreign visitors, 18.12.2025 — 15 AZN for foreigners from 1 January 2026 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.