On the Silk Road

Heading inland, at the foot of the wooded Caucasus Mountains, lies Shaki, one of the most important stops on the historic Silk Road. This little town is well worth a stop of a couple of days to savour a more relaxed pace of life. The local gem is the Palace of the Khan of Shaki, famous for its ornate façades and, above all, for its ‘shebeke’ windows – exquisite mosaics of wood and coloured glass, crafted entirely by hand, with the pieces fitted together without the use of nails or glue. For a complete immersion in the trading atmosphere of the past, you can stay overnight in an ancient medieval caravanserai converted into a hotel, but not before visiting one of the artisan bakeries in the town centre to sample ‘Shaki Halva’, a local sweet made from rice flour, walnuts and sweet syrup flavoured with saffron.