Əshabi-Kəhf

Azerbaijan

LoginSave

Əshabi-Kəhf is a series of holy caves, locally believed to be the scene of a Koranic miracle in which seven pious men managed to evade their enemies by falling asleep for three centuries. For some Muslim visitors it is Naxçivan's top attraction, but the attractive rocky cleft setting has a quiet charm whatever your faith.

Əshabi-Kəhf is 20km east of Naxçivan City, reached by turning northeast off the main highway to Ordubad some 5km southeast of the airport. Buses (AZN2) depart from Naxçivan City bus station at 8.30am and 2pm, returning at noon and 5pm.

Several other countries have counterclaims as being site of the same legend.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Alinja Castle

    Alinja Castle

    6.04 MILES

    For those prepared to climb over 1500 steps up a mountain crag, one of Naxçivan's great highlights is the magnificent view from the sparse medieval ruins…

  • Möminə Xatun

    Möminə Xatun

    9.85 MILES

    Perfectly proportioned, if gently leaning, Naxçivan’s architectural icon is a 26m brick tower dating from 1186. It’s decorated with geometric patterns and…

  • Church of St Stephanos

    Church of St Stephanos

    17.71 MILES

    Jolfa’s tourist pearl is this stunning, Unesco-listed Armenian church, whose origins date back to St Bartholomew. On a wooded hill above the Aras River,…

  • Gəmiqaya

    Gəmiqaya

    19.13 MILES

    Naxçivan's antiquity of human habitation is witnessed by a series of Bronze Age petroglyphs near the summit of remote Mt Gəmiqaya, thought to date as far…

  • Batabat

    Batabat

    24.88 MILES

    In stark contrast to lowland Naxçivan's arid semideserts, the upland lakes of Batabat are set in high, rolling grasslands. They make for cooling family…

  • Cahan Kudi Xatun

    Cahan Kudi Xatun

    25.73 MILES

    Second only to the Möminə Xatun as Azerbaijan's most impressive medieval tomb-tower, the main 1320 mausoleum is a ribbed cylinder inlaid with ample 'Allah…

  • Duzdağ

    Duzdağ

    15.1 MILES

    In decades past, being sent to a Soviet salt mine was a synonym for horror. At Duzdağ, however, a former mine site has been converted into a curative…

  • Noah's Tomb

    Noah's Tomb

    9.6 MILES

    An octagonal tomb-tower with gilded roof-point stands just outside the small side gate at Naxçivanqala's south tip. It was built in 2008 but the brickwork…

View more attractions

Nearby Azerbaijan attractions

1. Alinja Castle

6.04 MILES

For those prepared to climb over 1500 steps up a mountain crag, one of Naxçivan's great highlights is the magnificent view from the sparse medieval ruins…

2. Naxçivanqala

9.55 MILES

Before 2006, the site of Naxçivan's 7th-century citadel was just a series of muddy undulations, almost indistinguishable from the nearby graveyard. It has…

3. Noah's Tomb

9.6 MILES

An octagonal tomb-tower with gilded roof-point stands just outside the small side gate at Naxçivanqala's south tip. It was built in 2008 but the brickwork…

4. Carpet Museum

9.72 MILES

A superb collection of carpets from the Naxçivan region are clearly labelled, illustrating a remarkable range of styles. The rugs are interspersed by old…

5. Heydər Əliyev Museum

9.81 MILES

If you're intrigued by extreme hagiographical reverence, Azerbaijan's many museums to former president Heydar Əliyev can prove sources of inspiration. And…

6. Möminə Xatun

9.85 MILES

Perfectly proportioned, if gently leaning, Naxçivan’s architectural icon is a 26m brick tower dating from 1186. It’s decorated with geometric patterns and…

7. Xan Sarayı

9.89 MILES

The former palace of the Naxçivan khans has been so enthusiastically restored that it might as well be new. It's an attractive structure, however, and…

8. Duzdağ

15.1 MILES

In decades past, being sent to a Soviet salt mine was a synonym for horror. At Duzdağ, however, a former mine site has been converted into a curative…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "azerbaijan/naxcivan/attractions/eshabi-kehf/a/poi-sig/1627378/358681",
  "destination": "Azerbaijan",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Azerbaijan",
  "position": "superzone"
}