The Albanian Church at Kish, near Sheki

Kish is an old village near Sheki, at the foot of the Greater Caucasus. Its old stone church is one of the main monuments of Caucasian Albania, an ancient state that once covered much of what is now Azerbaijan. Today the church is a museum.

This page is only about the church and the village around it. The Khan’s Palace and the town of Sheki have their own pages. Facts here come from azerbaijan.travel and from the Kish reserve, run by the Reserves Management Center.

Where it is

Kish lies about 5 km from Sheki. Both the tourism board and the reserve give that figure. The church stands in the village itself.

The tourism board says minibuses 15 and 25 run regularly from Sheki to Kish. It also lists taxis. With a car and driver, Kish fits easily into a day in Sheki.

How old is it?

The sources do not agree, and the gap is large.

The tourism board says the core of the building is thought to date to the 1st century AD. The reserve’s ticket page says the same. It calls Kish the mother of the Albanian churches.

The reserve’s own description gives a later date. It says the church was built in the 12th century. Both sit on the same official website.

What all sources agree on is that the site is far older than any church. Digs found a place of worship under the altar. The reserve and the tourism board both date it to around 3000 BC.

We cannot settle this. It is fair to say that people have prayed on this spot for thousands of years. The open question is the age of the walls you see today.

Inside the museum

The church has been a museum since 2003. The tourism board says it now works mainly as a museum of Caucasian Albania.

Two things stand out.

• Bronze Age pottery. It was found in digs in the early 2000s by a joint team from Azerbaijan and Norway.
• Graves under glass. Old graves are shown in vaults with glass covers. The tourism board notes skeletons up to two metres tall.

The reserve adds a note on the village. Some historians think the Udi language was the main one here until the 19th century.

Key facts

Fact	Detail
Distance from Sheki	About 5 km
Oldest finds under the altar	About 3000 BC
Church core, per tourism board	1st century AD
Church, per reserve page	12th century
Museum since	2003
Hours listed by the reserve	09:00 to 18:00

Hours and tickets

The reserve lists hours of 09:00 to 18:00. It names no day off. We read that on 5 October 2026.

Tickets are sold on the site and online, through the Reserves Management Center at heritage.org.az. We do not print prices. The reserve sets its own.

Rules on photos inside are not published. Ask at the door before you take any.

The village around it

Kish is worth a short walk after the museum. The tourism board points to two stops.

YER gallery. Up the hill in Upper Kish, the photographer Sanan Aleskerov shows his work in a quiet courtyard. He has taken part in more than 50 shows in 12 countries.

Kish Adasi. On an island between two arms of the Kish river there is a summer spot for rest. It has cottages, places to eat and picnic areas. Horse rides into the hills start from the village, with guides.

The trail over the hills

For hikers, Kish is one end of a marked trail to the village of Bash Goynuk. The tourism board publishes the route.

Trail figure	Value
Distance	14.6 km
Climb	1,200 m
Descent	1,100 m
Time given	7 hours 50 minutes
Highest point	2,040 m

The board calls it long and tiring, though well marked. It suggests starting from Bash Goynuk and ending at Kish. May to September is the best time. There is only one spring, so carry 1.5 to 2 litres of water each. No permit is needed. If you meet border guards, show your papers and explain your route.

In winter the board warns it is hard to finish in one day. Do not set out without camping gear. Our page on walking and hiking in Azerbaijan has general advice.

Arranging it

RH Travel can add Kish to a day in Sheki, with a driver and a guide who can talk you through the dates. For the trail, we can drop you at Bash Goynuk and meet you in Kish. Send us your dates and we will plan it.