Shamakha is a rayon of Azerbaijan, and a town in the rayon.
The town is 70 miles west of Baku.  Shamakhy is famous for its traditional dance, the Dance of Shamakhy which bears some resemblance to traditional Persian dance.
Though Shamakhy has suffered from attack, earthquake and siege it remains rich in historical and cultural monuments, chief among them the Diri-Baba 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 Khanate 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 Djuma Mosque (10th century CE).