Ceramics is one of the most ancient and widespread crafts in Azerbaijan. The first samples of this craft belong to the Neolithic era and the archeological finds show that this craft was developed in almost every major city of Azerbaijan. Today it is the city of Sheki which has kept the traditions alive and where traditional pottery is still a part of daily life.
Sheki’s historical center has been recently inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The combination of geo-climatic location of this ancient city, offering an array of raw materials – clay, timber, river stone, etc. and the rich traditions passing down through generations have facilitated the development of different crafts, including pottery.
The Center for Ceramics and Applied Arts was created to revive the art and craft of ceramics, bring up a new generation of artists, and popularize the different types of clay and ceramic traditions from this region in the world. The First International Ceramics Symposium was held at the ABAD Center for Ceramics and Applied Art in Sheki in 2019.
Today, one can experience pottery in Sheki visiting the small potters’ shops or workshops, the central bazaar and the Center for Ceramics and Applied Arts, or enjoy the specialty food piti in a clay pot, visit Sheki Museum of Ethnography, and admire the architecture of the city featuring ceramic tiling and red bricks.
