Afternoon sunlight streaming through the ‘vitrage’ windows of the summer palace in Sheki projects a lustrous carpet of colour across the staterooms. In the 18th century, political meetings took place in these royal reception rooms and guests of Sheki Khan admired the intricate stained-glass craftsmanship, as well as the rich artwork on the walls and ceilings. The window panels (through which those inside could look out but not be spied upon) were designed to slide away, creating an open terrace with vistas over the garden, framed by two magnificent plane trees planted in 1530.

We were in awe at the skills of Azerbaijani master craftsmen, who glazed the facade of this royal summer house in 1792, employing the ancient technique of ‘shebeke’. This involves the precise manufacture of more than 5,000 tiny wooden pieces for every square metre of window. The wood from Pistachio trees is favoured because it does not twist or splinter, allowing finely carved interlocking pieces to create intricate geometric patterns. Pre-cut wafers of 1mm thin, coloured Venetian glass were fitted within this complex jigsaw, and assembled without using glue or nails.

Under the tutelage of Rasulov Tofig, one of the few people still practising this UNESCO Intangible Heritage Craft, all of our group then tried their hand at shebeke. It felt like solving one of those conundrum puzzles found in a Christmas stocking! Eventually, we all succeeded in making our very own mini stained-glass window.