Shamakhi or Shamakhy (Azerbaijani: Şamaxı) is a rayon of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and a town in the rayon. It is the historical center of the region of Shirvan. The town is 70 miles west of Baku. It has more than 20,000 inhabitants, among them Azerbaijanis (95%) and Russians. Once Shamakhy was famous for its traditional dancers, the Shamakhi Dancers. Though Shamakhy has suffered from attack, earthquake and siege it remains rich in historical and cultural monuments, chief among them the Baba Zinda near the settlement of Maraza. In its history eleven major earthquakes have rocked Shamakhi, but each time it was reconstructed by its inhabitants due to role as economic and administrative capital of Shirvan and one of the key towns on the way of the Silk Road. The only building to have survived eight of the eleven earthquakes is the landmark Juma Mosque (8th century CE).
