Arched galleries
Two storeys round the yard.
Gulustan — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Matti Blume — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Interfase — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Interfase — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mona — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nick Taylor — CC BY 2.0 · Interfase — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Interfase — CC BY-SA 4.0
A huge stone caravanserai in the heart of old Shaki, known in Azerbaijani as «Yukhari Karvansaray», the Upper Caravanserai. It dates from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Shaki was an important stop on the trade routes, and part of it now works as a hotel. Caravanserais were built like fortresses with a single gate that could be closed in times of danger, making them impregnable. This one surrounds a broad courtyard with two storeys of arched galleries: the lower rooms were merchants' stores and shops, the upper ones lodgings for guests. Visitors pass through a massive wooden gate into a long vaulted passage, then into the courtyard planted with trees and fountains, a scene that recalls the old caravans. The town has a second, smaller caravanserai known as the Lower Caravanserai. Visitors can usually walk into the courtyard and take photos, and staying overnight costs the hotel's rates. It is a few minutes' walk from the Khans' Palace, along the old-town street lined with shops selling Shaki's famous halva and craft workshops.
Two storeys round the yard.
And a long vaulted passage.
A rare experience.
Old-town Shaki near the Khans' Palace
Yes; part of it works as a hotel, booked like any other, and it is best to reserve early in high season.
