Az Abrau Museum

Az Abrau Museum – a museum dedicated to the wine-making history of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus. The museum is located in the city of Shaki, in the north‑west of the country, 350 km from Baku. It was opened in June 2023.

History

The museum was opened in June 2023 on the basis of the Shaki Wine enterprise after the plant’s reconstruction in 2021. The museum is situated on the premises of the modern Shaki Wine plant. The building was constructed in 2004–2008. At the official opening of the plant on 18 November 2008, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev took part and launched the plant. Until 2021 the enterprise operated under the “ASC” brand, and in 2021, after privatization, the Caucasus Wine History Museum was created here. At the opening ceremony of the museum and the plant, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Alakbarov participated.

Exhibition

The museum presents a rich exhibition dealing with the history and culture of wine‑making and viticulture, and wine production methods. Among the nearly 500 exhibits are original wine bottles, a collection of labels, paintings and photographs, video materials and artifacts discovered during excavations, as well as reproductions of unusual wine vessels.

The museum displays various items reflecting the development periods of wine‑making in Azerbaijan from the early Bronze Age to the late 19th century – up to the era of German colonisation. The museum contains photographs, video materials and stereoscopic photographs. There is also a small cinema hall for showing historical and artistic films. One of the museum’s valuable exhibits is one of the first photographs of grapes taken by Sergey Prokudin‑Gorsky in 1905 in the vineyards of the Caucasus.

The museum has four exhibition halls. The first contains miniatures by the painter Alexander Dümaya depicting the city of Nuxa (the old name of Shaki), which he created after coming to the Caucasus together with the French writer Jan Pyer Muane in 1849–1850. The second hall shows the development of viticulture and wine culture in both Europe and the Caucasus. The third hall is devoted to the history of winemaking in Azerbaijan in the 19th century and to the period when German colonies were established. The fourth hall discusses the modern era of winemaking in the country and region and future plans. Through panoramic windows it is possible to observe the bottling process of beverages and become acquainted with all stages of the production of still and sparkling wines.