A historical monument that the President mentioned at WUF13: a report on the cradle of Christianity in the Caucasus

Baku TV prepared a report about the church in the village of Kish in the Sheki district, which President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev mentioned during the opening ceremony of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).

Guide Gulnaz Rasulova, speaking about the history of the temple, noted that the Sheki district attracts the attention of both local and foreign tourists with its historical monuments, including sites included in the UNESCO list.

"One of such monuments is the church located in the Sheki village of Kish. It is considered one of the most ancient monuments that laid the foundations of Christianity not only in Azerbaijan but throughout the entire Caucasus. Research has shown that even before the construction of the church, this territory served as a religious center of Caucasian Albania.

During archaeological excavations, the remains of an ancient Lunar temple that existed before the church appeared were discovered here. It was on these ruins that in the 1st century AD, with the arrival of Saint Eliseus in Azerbaijan and his construction of the church, the foundation of Christianity was laid. Since local residents were already engaged in religious activities here, Saint Eliseus founded the first church precisely on this territory, which marked the beginning of the spread of the Christian faith," she added.