Şamaxi

Şamaxi lies in the foothill country of Shirvan, where routes between the Caucasus interior and the Caspian world supported an important town. Markets connected agricultural production with crafts and long-distance trade. Silk and other regional goods helped give Shirvan commercial significance, while merchants and travelers linked the town to neighboring Iranian and Caucasian centers. Its position also exposed it to the ambitions of rulers seeking revenues and control over movement.

Şamaxi served as a capital of the Shirvanshahs during the Middle Ages. The Safavids took the town in 1500–1501 and made Shirvan a directly governed province in 1538, with Şamaxi as its capital. In 1721 the city was sacked amid rebellion and many inhabitants were killed. Its silk trade and location on routes across the Caucasus tied local fortunes to wider political and commercial struggles.