Silk Road and Azerbaijan

Having passed vast areas over several centuries, trade routes known as Silk Road have bound the East
and the West and left deep traces in the political, economic, and cultural developments in the countries
which they passed through. Cultural, scientific, educational, and spiritual values carried by merchants,
travelers and missionaries have been adopted along the way and blended with the local ones.

Azerbaijan was one of the main transit points on the Silk Roads and has made significant contribution to
its development. Among the exports of Azerbaijan the notable ones were oil, carpets, raw silk and silk
fabrics, cotton, weapons, salt, dried fruits, precious stones and jewelry, spices, natural dyes, pottery,
sturgeons and caviar and many other precious goods. Azerbaijani cities and ports were linked with
China, India, the Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, Iran, Egypt, Russia, North Africa and Europe.

These trade routes have left deep footprints in the modern identity of Azerbaijan and influences of
Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Far Eastern, Turkish, Persian, European and many other countries can
be traced in the local culture. Equally, traces of Azerbaijani cultural elements can be found in different
ends of the world.

Having passed different stages of religious, cultural and political influences, Azerbaijan has grown into
the diverse, multicultural and tolerant country it is today. This is where one can find a Zoroastrian
temple, synagogues, churches and mosques, taste gastronomic samples of the nomads and city
aristocrats, hear improvisational mugham and jazz alongside opera and ballet, experience a blend of
Oriental, contemporary and Caucasian architectural traditions in a very close proximity.

Silk Road clusters in Azerbaijan

Silk Road has played an important role in the formation of the Azerbaijani culture and elements of
different countries are shared in its music, literature, gastronomy, traditional games and festivities,
folklore and language. While this unique blend of cultural intermingling can be experienced almost in
any corner of the country, some regions specialize in certain areas more than others. Thus, Shamakhi
and Ismayilli are craftsmanship centers, Sheki is special for its gastronomical traditions, Qarabagh is the
cradle of Azerbaijani music, Ganja is a hearth of spirituality for devotees and Baku is a meeting place of
architectural, gastronomical, religious, and artistic heritage.

Thus, six distinctive Silk Road clusters have been identified in Azerbaijan.

Absheron cluster – the Silk Road hub of Azerbaijan

This cluster includes Baku and the Absheron peninsula with its coastal satellite settlements. The capital
of the country and the main cultural and commercial center, this port-city is a natural amphitheater
embracing Baku bay, the geographical shape of which protects the port from the strong winds and
storms of the Caspian Sea. For this reason, it has always been a peaceful haven for the trade ships
linking Central Asia and Europe, which has affected the flourishing of trade and cultural exchange here.
The archeological finds prove that Baku was actively involved in trade with Egypt and Roman Empire as
early as in the 5th century BC.

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Thus, Baku has developed as a commercial and cultural center linking the people of the steppe and the
west. It is an extraordinarily multicultural region, where Zoroastrian, Christian and Islamic influences,
traces of Sassanian, Arabic, Persian, Shirvan, Ottoman and Russian cultures have played a role in the
formation of the city. With rich oil resources, Absheron peninsula has been a major exporter of fuel for
centuries. The symbolic meaning of fire can be observed all around the country – it has granted
Azerbaijan its nickname ‘Land of Fire’, been reflected on the national coats of arms, architecture,
integrated into the customs and traditions and brought large numbers of fire worshipping pilgrims from
Iran, Central Asia, and India.

Oil
Today, oil is probably the first association with Baku. It was carried on camels, along with other exports
like food, salt, carpets etc. Merchants of Gilan would take Baku oil to Manqishlaq stop crossing the
Caspian Sea and from there, it would be transported to Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and other Central
Asian cities.1 Highly valued for its purity, Baku oil was used for lighting the streets, houses, mosques,
libraries and other buildings. Lubricates made of oil were used on the wheels of horse carriages and rubs
on metal surfaces to prevent rotting. In military, oil was irreplaceable. In battles, it was used for burning
torches or firing coal quickly and there is evidence of throwing burning Baku oil from catapults in
European wars.

By the beginning of the 20th century, Azerbaijan was producing more than half of the world's supply
of oil. The oil boom suddenly made Baku a center of attention and the unimaginable wealth gained as a
result transformed Baku from a small medieval fortress into an innovative fancy capital. Administrative,
social and municipal institutions were established which, in turn, made decisions about the city's
illumination, roads, streets, buildings, telephone stations, and horse-drawn trolleys. Gardens and parks
were laid out and hotels, casinos and beautiful stores were built.

Azerbaijan continues being a major oil exporter today and the second oil boom marked with the
“Contract of the year” (1995) has greatly influenced the modern face of the city with skyscrapers,
modern architecture and lifestyle.

Architecture
Until the discovery of oil, Baku was a small medieval city surrounded by thick fortress walls and outside
them, not much was happening. With the development of artillery in the 18 th century, fortress walls lost
their significance as a defense mechanism as they could be easily destroyed with cannons, therefore,
the city slowly started expanding beyond its walls. The process was pushed further with the
development of oil industry and the consequent oil booms.

The old part – Icheri Sheher is now the eye of the city and UNESCO World Heritage site with its
enigmatic Maiden Tower and fabulous Shirvanshahs Palace, as well as numerous caravanserais,
mosques, market squares, hammams and residential buildings. Many of these structures have reached
our days and continue functioning or have been repurposed.

Most buildings in Icheri Sheher are made of local limestone. This characteristic material in Baku is used
in most structures ranging from the most ancient till modern ones, thus, it harmoniously binds different
architectural epochs and styles. The plasticity of this material also enabled the local stonemasons reach
a high of mastery in their craft. A good example of this is the minaret Sinig Gala (Muhammad mosques)
1
Isayev, Elbrus, “Böyük İpək yolu və Naxçıvan” (The Great Silk Road and Nakhchivan), Baku – 2012

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of 1078-1079. The exquisite stone carving implemented here is similar to those found on Divrighi Great
Mosque and Hospital, the Bimarhane of Amasya, Sungur Agha mosque in Nighde, Yakutiyye Madrasa in
Turkey. Other examples of this craft can be seen at façade of the Juma Mosque, Sirataghli architectural
religious complex and Shirvanshahs Palace.

Figure 1 Divrighi Great mosque and hospital, Turkey

Figure 2 Bimarhane of Amasya, Turkey

Figure 3 Yakutiyye madrasa, Turkey

Just like in all Silk Road cities, caravanserais of the old town were mainly used for commercial purposes,
similar to modern-day hotels. They had bedrooms, cafeterias, animal barns, medical points, mosques
and other facilities. There were also passport check, customs and post offices. Often located in one day’s
travel distance from each other2, caravanserais were built close to the city gates along the main trade
routes.

The numerous hammams in Icheri Sheher are still favorite pastime escapes for many Bakuvians and
visitors of the city. Hammam culture spread from west to east along the Silk Road. Roman hammam
were famous in history. Later in the 4th century, they started gaining popularity in the Sassanid Empire.
As the concept of purity was central to Islamic culture, this culture spread across the Islamic countries all
the way to China.

As modern houses are equipped with private bathrooms, bathhouses today have a ritualistic and social
value today. Historically, hammams were a part of the ceremonies in many Turkic countries, especially
in Bukhara, Samarkand, Marv, Nishabur, Tabriz, Ardabil, Shamakhi, Baku, Ganja, Erzurum, Konya, Bursa,

2
Isayev, Elbrus, “Böyük İpək yolu və Naxçıvan” (The Great Silk Road and Nakhchivan), Baku – 2012

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Istanbul and other cities. They were decorated on holidays and festivities. Before weddings, families of
the bride and groom would rent the hammams for the entire family.

Gastronomy

Azerbaijani gastronomy is a unique blend of influences from Iran, Caucasus, Central Asia, Anatolia and
Far East. Local geographical conditions, available ingredients, religious and cultural aspects and trends
have shaped the gastronomy of Azerbaijan the way we know it today. As these travelers on camels
stopped at caravanserais and oases, they brought food from back home with them – or the knowledge
for making food – and they would prepare food the way they knew it. It was natural to share that food –
to break bread together as companions. That's how the gastronomic ideas spread along the Silk Road. 3

Thus, many flour dishes in Silk Road countries are a combination of dough and meat (sometimes cheese,
cottage cheese, and other ingredients). In Azerbaijan such food is popular mainly in Baku, Gakh and
Ganja regions. Typical meals in Baku are qutabs, gurza and dushbara. Gurza and dushbara are meat
dumplings. Similarly, among the Chinese favorites there is mantou, a steamed sweetened bread-like
bun. The term appears in Japan as manzu, meaning steamed bread with a filling; and in Korea as mandu,
a kind of ravioli filled with beef. Tibetans make stuffed dumplings in a variety of shapes and call them
momo. In Central Asia, manti is a small steamed pasta that may contain meat, cheese, or vegetables and
is served with yogurt or vinegar. Qutab is a crescent shaped stuffed flatbread with meat, herbs,
chestnuts, pumpkin, cheese or other fillings. Similar food is known in Crimea as chebureki, in Turkey as
gozleme, and in Italy as calzone. Noodles known as arishta in Azerbaijan are also used in other Silk Road
countries as pelmeni, manti, lagman, khanhal or khinkali, tutmaj, spaghetti etc.

Spices

Spices were among the most valued goods traded on the Silk Road and Azerbaijan was both an exporter
and importer. For example, nine sorts of anise were cultivated in Azerbaijan and exported to Oriental
countries both for cooking and medical purposes. Black pepper, which was originally brought to
Azerbaijan from India, was later also cultivated and exported from here. Other spices brought here from
India and China, and partially from Iran were cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and ginger, which later
became integral parts of Azerbaijani cuisine. Bay leaf and seeds were exported from Azerbaijan as
medical plants. The motherland of cumin is also considered Azerbaijan, which later started to be
cultivated in Central and Far East. The use of spices as treatment methods was very widespread. For
example, cinnamon was considered good for heart, stomach and head and helpful in curing epilepsy and
palsy. Nutmeg oil was recognized as treatment of diarrhea and vomiting, as well as of common cold. 4

However, the king of all spices was saffron. This plant had spread in Anatolia and India, but the most
valued one was saffron from the territories of Azerbaijan and Iran, which is considered its original
motherland. Best saffron was found in Baku.

3
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2002/06/26/the-flavor-of-the-silk-road/
b78111a7-f974-4816-90fd-68cce1125c0a/
4
Frankopan, Peter. The Silk Roads. New York, First Vintage Books edition, March 2017

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Shamakhi cluster – a celebration of craftsmanship
The cluster includes Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Aghsu, Goychay and Gobustan rayons. Among other elements,
traditional crafts such as silk and kelaghayi making in Basqal, coppersmith craft in Lahij, and blacksmith
craft in Demirchi village are the most notable.

Silk and kelaghayi making in Basqal

The settlement of Basqal is the modern silk and kelaghayi making center of Azerbaijan. For centuries,
Basqal was a trans-shipment point on the Silk Road connecting Asia with Europe. It was here that
Azerbaijan adopted and developed the technology of silk production, along with other exotic goods,
from the mysterious Orient. Thus, medieval Basqal, and several other cities like Sheki and Ganja,
became the center of the silk weaving industry in Azerbaijan. 5

According to historical sources, kelaghayi of Basqal was exported to India, Central Asia, Russia, Italy,
France and other countries where it was highly appreciated. Basqal master would buy raw silk from
Sheki, Gabala, Ordubad, Kutaisi and Samarkand but the dying and ornamentation would happen locally.

Kelaghayi is traditionally ornamented using batik – a method of dyeing in which patterned areas are
covered with wax, so they do not receive the color. The method originates from the Java island in
Indonesia, where it is used to transfer traditional ornaments on fabric. However, the technique has
spread all over the world, and while the techniques are more or the less the same, every culture has
developed its own range of symbolism and ornaments. Thus, famous batik motifs in China were dragons
and phoenix birds, in India peacocks, elephants and other animals, in Japan sakura blooms,
chrysanthemum, and butterflies, in Islamic countries calligraphy, and in colonial-era European fabrics
floral bouquets, European fairytale, colonial images such as houses, horses, carriages, bicycles and
European-dressed people. In Azerbaijan, the traditional batik ornaments on kelagayi is different styles of
buta, however, more recent trends have introduced other elements such as pomegranates, flowers,
geometrical patterns and even custom-made details.

Coppersmith craft in Lahij

Copper is a popular metal for making household utensils. Copper items made by Azerbaijani masters
were popular for the aesthetic and functional qualities and these items, therefore, have entered the
palaces along the Silk Way.

Blacksmith craft in Demirchi

Blacksmiths of Azerbaijan were famous craftsmen producing household utensils, arms and armory, tools
and other items which were traded across the countries of Silk Road. Especially, swords made in
Shamakhi known as shamakhiyya were highly prized in Anatolia and the Middle east. The tradition is still
alive in Demirchi (literally means blacksmith) village of Shamakhi.

Sheki cluster – a feast for the eyes and soul

Sheki is one of the most notable cities of Azerbaijan for its cultural heritage and a stop on the Silk Roads
since middle ages. The historical part of the city, which is a UNESCO heritage site, includes exquisite
palaces and caravanserais, mosques and hammams featuring elements of Oriental architecture in its
own characteristic style.

5
http://www.visions.az/en/news/437/6a2754a0/

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Architecture
Sheki is home to some of most exquisite architectural monuments in Azerbaijan. Sheki Khan’s palace
features elements of traditional architecture and materials brought from different parts of the world;
colorful glass from Murano island was used in traditional stained window technique – shabaka and
Venetian mirrors were inserted on the stalactite ornamentation of the balconies, typical for Islamic and
Shirvan architecture. The wall paintings inside have elements of flora and fauna characteristic of both
the local and exotic species. Rose and nightingales, peacocks, battle scenes are intricately painted on the
walls. Similar techniques and ornamentation are also found in Shekikhanovs’ house museum, although
in a more modest manner.

Yukhari caravanserai – is an 18th century structure which functions as a hotel. It is open to visitors
during day at 11:00-19:00.

Ashagi caravanserai – Is located 100 meters south to the Upper caravanserai. The 18th century building
is closed to visitors.

Gastronomy
Sheki is also a famous gastronomy destination in Azerbaijan with rich interesting traditions. Usually
served with tea, Sheki has varied confectionary types, the most popular one of which is Sheki halvasi
(sometimes also known as pakhlava). Halva is a common term used to describe various confection types
in Central and South Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Malta, North Africa and the Horn
of Africa. Similar sweets exist in other countries, such as China, though these are not generally referred
to as halva. While halva is made of whatever ingredients are typical for the region, the term usually
defines a hard either nut or flour-based paste-like substance. Sheki halvasi is made of rice-flour crust
and nut and sherbet filling. There are stories in Sheki regarding the halva's origins. According to one, it
was prepared by cooks of the Sheki khan who loved sweet desserts and ordered to make something
very sweet. As a result, the cooks prepared the halva and it became very popular in this region. Another
story assumes that it originates from Tabriz and was brought by Mashadi Huseyn, a merchant from
Tabriz.

Another type of halva from this region is the floss halva known as tel (literally – hair) halva. In Turkey a
similar type of confection is pishmaniye (Turkish) and in India there is a pistachio-based version of floss
halva often referred to as patisa or sohan papdi. In Chinese cuisine, a floss-like candy known as dragon
beard candy, is eaten as a snack or dessert.

One more popular type of sweets here is called barama shirni (silkworm), which can be translated as
silkworm sweet for their resemble with the iconic insect.

Various types of sweets were developed because of sugar was widely available. Sugar cultivation in
Azerbaijan is an old trade. According to the English researcher Mary Priscilla, the motherland of sugar
cane is south-eastern Asia and Pacific countries. Sugar cane has been cultivated in India for three
thousand years BC. In the Middle East, reeds began to be cultivated around the 3 rd century BC. e. It was
brought from India by the ancestors of the Arabs – the inhabitants of Ancient Arabia. From them, the
Persians learned to make refined sugar by repeatedly digesting raw sugar. The historian Pliny the Elder,
who lived in the 1st century AD, wrote: “Sugar is also exported from Arabia, but the most valuable is from
India. It is honey collected in reeds ... breaking teeth, at most the size of an Abella nut, only for
medicinal use.” The Arabs, using artificial irrigation, created vast plantations of sugar cane throughout

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the Middle Ages Arab world. In the 9-10 th centuries, during the period of the Arab conquests, the culture
of cultivation of sugar cane took root in Sicily and in Muslim Spain. In Europe, sugar became finally
known thanks to the crusaders from the 12 th century, who in the Holy Land encountered Arab caravans
carrying “sweet salt”. 6

Apart from the desserts, the specialty food in Sheki is piti a stew made of lamb, chickpeas, dried plums,
saffron and chestnuts slow cooked in the oven in individual crocks with a glazed interior. It is also known
in other parts of the South Caucasus, its bordering nations, and Central Asia, and is). Piti is particularly
popular in Iran, where it is mostly called abgoosht or dizi. There are so many variations from the
Balkans, Moldova, Georgia and Mediterranean countries that the name is more an idea of a recipe,
rather than a named stew or soup.

Ganja cluster – a spiritual and healing haven

Ganja cluster includes regions of Ganja, Barda, Naftalan, Gadabay, and Shamkir. The region attracts with
its religious architecture, healing oil, and gastronomic experiences. Ganja was also a sericulture center
and a main market for trading silk. Naftalan oil was legendary in the middle ages for its healing qualities
and was both transported to faraway lands on caravans and brought people here for different parts of
the continent hoping for a cure of their diseases.

Architecture
The cities of Ganja and Barda have several caravanserais, mosques and hammams that have reached our
days. The medieval city of Shamkir…

Gastronomy
Food is a great part of like in Ganja and the surrounding areas. Most meals are made of lamb and
vegetables. Also, some food is made of dough and fillings, similar to Central Asian mantu, Italian ravioli
and Chinese noodles.

Qarabagh cluster – the conservatoire of Azerbaijan

Qarabagh is a very special part of Azerbaijan. Dubbed as the Conservatoire of the Caucasus, it is also
associated with the glorious history of Qarabagh khanate, spectacular mountainous landscapes, and
exquisite horses.

Music
Music in Qarabagh is an essential part of ordinary life and the most talented musicians of Azerbaijan in
various genres usually come from this area. It is said that when walking in the city of Shusha, one could
hear music from everywhere: people would sing while working, in social gatherings, public holidays and
in every other possible occasion. Thus, Qarabagh is the homeland of some of the most famous ashiqs –
folk singer-poets, khanendes – performers of mugham, singers, composers and poets.

Mugham
The music of Azerbaijan has several major genres. Among them Mugham is instrumental in transmitting
Azerbaijani culture. Mugham is a highly complex art form that combines classical poetry and musical
improvisation in specific modes. It is a modal system, which unlike Western modes, is associated not
only with scales but with an orally transmitted collection of melodies and melodic fragments that

6
https://arzamas.academy/materials/1606

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performers use in the course of improvisation. Some of these melodies and plots of poetry are
commonly known in Central Asia, Middle East and India.

Three major schools of mugham performance existed in 19-20 th centuries mainly in Garabagh, Shirvan,
and Baku. The town of Shusha of Qarabagh was particularly renowned for this art. In the world mugham
traditions can be found in Iran, Afghanistan and some other Persian-speaking cultures.

Azerbaijani Mugham was added to the UNESCO Representative list of intangible cultural heritage in
2008. Also, a short selection of Azerbaijani mugham played in balaban (sometimes it was made of
mulberry branches) was included on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft as
representing world music, included among many cultural achievements of humanity.

Mugham is often mixed with jazz (also known as Mugham jazz). The famous Azerbaijani jazz musician
Vagif Mustafazadeh (1940-1979) is credited with fusing jazz with mugham. In recent years, interest to
jazz mugham has seen rise in many western countries, particularly in the United States, Austria and
Japan. In 1995, Jeff Buckley performed “What Will You Say” as a duet with Alim Qasimov at the Festival
de la Musique Sacrée (Festival of Sacred Music) in France.

Symphonic music is also based on the modal forms or scales of mughams, just as a mugham symphonies
are symphonies based on mughams and this genre was founded by Uzeir Hajibeyov (1885-1948), the
founder of Azerbaijani classical music, with his Leyli and Majnun opera – the first opera in the East based
on an Arabic folk legend. Mugham is often synthesized with world folk music samples.

Musical instruments
Instruments used in performing Azerbaijani mugham, as well as other folk music include the stringed
instruments the tar, the kamancha, the oud, and the saz, the double-reed wind instrument balaban, the
frame drum ghaval, the cylindrical double faced drum nagara, and the gosha nagara. Other instruments
include the garmon (small accordion), tutek (whistle flute), daf (frame drum), and qanun (vertical harp-
like string instrument). Art of crafting and playing with kamancha (2016) and the craftsmanship and
performance art of the tar (2012) are also included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Historical ancestors of these instruments traveled along the Silk Road, and on the way each country
adapted them to their artistic preferences and used local materials in their manufacturing. Therefore,
even though most of these instruments have different names and specifics in different geographies,
their roots can be traced down to original forebearers.

Thus, the qanun – a vertical form of harp, closely linked with Buddhism, is often used in performing
Azerbaijani, Arab, Persian, Turkish, Central Asian and some European traditional music. There were over
500 representations of harps in Central Asia embracing Silk Route sites from the Middle East, Europe
and most Turkic lands. They reveal complex musical interactions between Central Asia, China, India and
the west. Rabab is the historical ancestor of the oud and nay and sunray of that of balaban and tutek.
Together with oud and harp, the nay formed the main body of melodic instruments of courtly ‘chamber
music’ in the Middle East. The most popular chordophone of Khurasan was the pandore called tanbura
and the Turkish plucked chordophone – qopuz, the favorite instrument of Oghuz Turks, the ancestors of
Azerbaijan and a widely used symbol in Dada Qorqud epos. Membranophones were considered military

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instruments and among them the duhul (drum) and the naqqarat (small kettledrums) are still used in
traditional Azerbaijani music performances. 7

Ashiq music
Ashiqs are travelling bards who sing and play the saz (qopuz), a form of lute. Their songs are semi-
improvised around a common base. This art is one of the symbols of Azerbaijani culture and considered
an emblem of national identity and the guardian of Azerbaijani language, literature and music. Ashiq
performances combine music with dastans (epos), poetry and acting. Analogues of ashiq art can be
found in bakhshi in Turkmenistan, akin in Kirgizstan, bastakor in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, troubadour in
France (11-13th centuries), skald in medieval Scandinavia, minstrel in England, rhapsode in ancient
Greece and bard in Ireland and Scotland. Ashiq art of Azerbaijan is included in the UNESCO
Representative list of intangible cultural heritage.

Equestrian sport
Horses were instrumental in the development of Silk Road and one of the earliest commodities
exchanged to silk. China in 3rd century BC was not aiming to sell neither silk, nor the knowhow about
how it is made until they were forced to. The nomadic tribes were constantly intruding from the west.
One of way of stopping this intrusion was building the Great Wall of China and the other method was
engaging in trade relations with these tribes. Chinese explorers had told Emperor Wudi that there was a
special breed of horses of great stamina in the Fergana Valley, which would equip China with a
formidable cavalry. Delighted, the emperor allowed the trading of silk with the inhabitants of the
Fergana region, which led to what would become the Silk Road.

By then horses in Central Asia, Iran and Azerbaijan were an important part of life, military and culture. A
horse was an equivalent of what a sports car is today and keeping a horse was a considered prestigious
and believed to bring good luck. In almost all Turkic countries (except the Ottoman empire), the main
force of the army used to be the cavalry.

Azerbaijan was no exception. Qarabagh horses, one of the oldest breeds in Asia and have been bred in
the Caucasus mountains for many centuries. These incredible creatures are famous for their golden
chestnut color, well-developed skull and expressive eyes. Qarabagh horses are tall and flexible with solid
body structure and are mostly known for incredible endurance and strength they possess. Unique for
their beauty, elegance and loyalty, having a Qarabagh horse was considered a sign of taste and high
status in places like Bukhara, Samarkand, Hokand, Khorasan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Baghdad, Bursa, Istanbul,
Moscow and many European cities.

Gastronomy

Gastronomy of Qarabagh is directly linked to its mountainous landscape. Lamb from this region is
considered one of the best types in the whole country. Shepherds have learnt to use available
ingredients and their food mainly consists of fresh barbequed or stewed meat, which is often marinated
with herbs and spices. The most well-known ones are khash (or kalla-pacha), different types of
barbeques or kababs (e.g. dash arasi kabab). Similar recipes are also popular in different cultures in
Central Asia and the Caucasus.

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B. Lawergren, E. Neubauer and M. H. Kadyrov, Music and Musicology, Theatre and Dance, UNESCO

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Nakhchivan cluster – dances, fruits and salt
Dances
Yalli is a collective dance performed in Azerbaijan, when people hold hands and perform repetitive
synchronized movements. Some movements are inherited from the farming culture and resemble fruit
picking, herding and other activities.

In the Turkic community there are several types of dance. Similar to Yalli, in Anatolia and the Middle
East there is Khalay, in Uzbekistan Lezgi, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz people have Kara Zhorga, Crimean Turkic
people have Kaytarma etc. All these collective dances are very similar to each both 8 in terms of
choreographic features and the occasions when they are performed, which are usually wedding, holiday
festivities and other collective ceremonies.

Gastronomy

Favorable climate of Azerbaijan had it an ideal place for cultivating different types of fruits. Azerbaijan is
considered the motherland of pomegranate and red apples known as qizilahmad. While the
pomegranate was taken to Central Asia and China, qizilahmad alma became popular in Anatolia as
Amasya apples.

Fruits were eaten raw, dried, made preserves and used for many other purposes. Azerbaijan is proud of
a huge variety of fruit preserves known as murabba. Some fruit preserved such as almond, rose, ginger,
plum, quince, turnip and others were exported through the Silk Roads.

Nakhchivan is famous for its fruits; thanks to the abundance of sunshine and specific of soil, fruits here
are juicy and delicious. They are either eaten freshly picked, or are dried, made into preserves, jams and
other produces. The latter are also easily transportable, adding them to the list of popular Silk Road
exports.

Salt has long been a precious commodity—it’s been used to flavor and preserve food, and even as an
antiseptic, for example. But easily harvested salt was a scarce commodity in antiquity, so areas rich in
the mineral became important trading centers. Nakhchivan salt was an export produce.

8
http://twesco.org/en/2018/10/07/69/

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