The past, the present and the future of the “Sheki-Ipek” JSC

Sericulture in our Republic has ancient history. According to Sharov N.N. /1/ sericulture in Azerbaijan began to develop in the V century A.D. However, one can hardly to agree with this opinion because as some pre-revolutionary analysts of the Azerbaijan agriculture history, some Soviet historians and results of the archeological dig conducted on the territory of Azerbaijan show sericulture dates not from the V century but from the earlier period. For example, A.Dekonski /2/ stated: “…. Mil steppe has been one of the richest centers of culture for a long time. So, silk has been exported from Bilhan (Beylagan), a part of Alban principality in 320 B.C.”. According to A.Natroyev’s statement even during the first centirues of the new era sericulture was extended to Khorasan, Azerbaijan, Tabaristan and other parts of Persian Empire /3/.

Several Arabian historians, geographers and travelers certify that breeding of silkworms has been spread widely in Azerbaijan in the IX-X centirues population of Shemakha, Barda, Sheki, Gandzha and some other regions of Azerbaijan has been engaged in sericulture /4/.

Barda, Shemakha, Sheki and Gandzha cities became famous both by quantity and quality of produced silk in the XI-XII centirues.

In the XII-XIV silk produced in Azerbaijan was one of the main kinds of goods in trade. Shemakha and Sheki cities were the main centers of the raw silk and silk goods trade at that period. These cities reserved this position till the beginning o f the twentieth century.

 Sheki (Nuha before 1968), a city in sublection of the republic, is situated at a distance of 370 km from the capital of the republic, on the Southern slopes of the Great Caucasian mountains. Sheki is one of the most ancient cities of republic Azerbaijan. This city was called Nuha earlier. This name of the settlement is quanted with Nicha mentioned in Ptolomai’s “Geographical teaching” written in II century. The date of foundation of Sheki due to its antiquity is still not determined. Sheki was one of the important cities of Caucasian Albania. During the dissemination of Christianity in the IV century Sheki was one of the religions centers of Albanian. In the seventh century Sheki was occupied by Arabians. In the ninth century the Arabian Caliphate weakened, the independent government has been established in Sheki which passed to subjection of the Shirvanshakh’s government.

Sheki became a center of raw silk production in Caucasus. Favourable geographical conditions created great opportunities for rich people for producing and sale of silk as well as for the development of sericulture in Sheki.