Albanian Church Ancient Caucasian Christianity
Discover the Kish Albanian Church outside Sheki, one of the oldest surviving Christian churches in the world, built by the ancient Caucasian Albanian people whose distinctive Christianity predated both the Armenian and Georgian churches and left traces throughout northern Azerbaijan.
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Village of Kish
Travel to the village of Kish near Sheki where the Albanian church sits within a small settlement, the rural setting appropriate for what is believed to be one of the first churches built in the Caucasus, constructed in the 1st century CE according to tradition by Saint Elisha, a disciple of the Apostle Thaddeus.
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Church Exterior
Examine the simple stone exterior of the Kish Albanian Church where the architectural form represents early Caucasian Christian building tradition before the distinctive styles of Armenian and Georgian church architecture had fully developed, the plain walls hiding the historical significance within.
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Ancient Foundation Layers
See the archaeological evidence within the church where excavations have revealed foundation layers from multiple periods of construction going back to the 1st century CE, the building having been modified and rebuilt over two millennia of continuous Christian use at this site.
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Norwegian Excavation Exhibition
View the exhibition created with Norwegian archaeological assistance explaining the Caucasian Albanian civilization — the mysterious ancient people of northern Azerbaijan who spoke a unique Caucasian language, practiced a distinctive form of Christianity, and left few written records.
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Burial Site Below Floor
Learn about the burial site discovered beneath the church floor where ancient remains and funerary objects were found, the practice of burial within sacred spaces connecting this early Christian community to the broader world of late antique Christian funerary practice.
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Surrounding Forest Walk
Walk the forest surrounding the ancient church where the natural setting of old trees and mountain scenery creates a contemplative atmosphere appropriate to this site of extremely ancient Christian worship, far predating the great cathedrals of Western Europe.