Kish

For other places with the same name, see Kish (disambiguation).

Kish (Kiş) is a town in Sheki Rayonu.

Albanian Church in Kish

General Information

Kish is a town of 7,000 that is about 5km from Sheki. It is a bumpy ride on the narrow cobblestone roads, but well worth it to visit the beautiful Albanian church and this picturesque mountain town.

Get in

By bus

It is possible to take the number 23 or 15 bus from the new bazaar in Sheki. It costs 0.2 manat to go from the new bazaar to Kish.

By taxi

It costs about 4 manat to get to Kish via taxi from the city of Sheki.

See

• 1 Albanian Church (Church of Kish). This church is fabled to have been started by the first century apostle Eliseus, who converted the site from a pagan temple to an apostolic church. The sites around the church were excavated from 2000 until 2002, and the remains of bodies found within the present church walls, which date back to the 5th century, are on display in the church courtyard. Prices are as follow; for a citizen of Azerbaijan 40 qapik; for a group of college students 30 qapik; for students from Azeris elementary to high school 20 qapik; for foreign citizens 80 qapik; for videotape recording of the visitors 4 manat, for photo privileges 2 manat. (updated Nov 2017)
• 2 Gelersen Goresen. This is a set of ruins for a fortress built by a Sheki Xan many years ago to resist invasions coordinated by the Persian Shah. You can get to this fortress by first going to Kish village via either the 15 or 24 bus (the 24 is faster though because it puts passengers off closer to the mountains). Then hike two and a half kilometers north to a large hill with the ruins of the fortress on the top. It is a perfect area to have a picnic lunch on a summer day. (updated Nov 2017)

Eat

• There is a newly constructed Cafe next to the Albanian Church in Kish. They can be contacted at +944 506310246. The owner of the cafe also administers the Albanian Church, so it is possible to speak a little English with her. They serve tea with a plethora of jam (if you just want tea though, it will cost 1 manat). In addition to tea, they have soup and kebab.
• It is possible to eat at one of the tea houses in Kish. If you are a woman, make sure to ask for a private room in order to keep from disturbing local customs.

Drink

A Cultural Note In general, it is forbidden for females to enter such establishments. Drinking in general is also taboo for women in the regions of Azerbaijan.

Tea Houses (Çay Xanalar)

Çay xana (found throughout Azerbaijan) serve tea, local beer (piva) - draft at 50 qapick/glass or bottles at 70 qapick/bottle or vodka (araq) at 2 manat/bottle.

Sleep

The manager of the Albanian church facility, Ilhama, runs a small place where people can stay. Her phone number is +944 177 98833. It costs 10 manat per night and half pension for another 10 manat.