Playing chess...

Ability to play chess well shows good thinking skills ;) people in East love chess playing and Sheki is not an exception...

Here is a photo of Sheki children chess school (Uşaq Şahmat Mäktäbi) and picture of the image on its wall...

Door

Dear All,

I could not come out with any interesting commentary to this post...I believe the best thing would be just to keep silence and leave you to look at this picture of a random door in Sheki...

Have a nice day :)

Girls of Sheki...

Girls in Sheki are just like any other girls anywhere: pretty, funny, witty, shy...Summer holidays started in schools now and almost all the exams are over in the universities so young people (who don't study in Sheki) are going back to see their families in Sheki...

this is a picture of a group of school girls who are having a day out...

...people and nature...

People of Sheki always look high at mountains to see if there is still snow on their tops...if positive then it means that the weather will still have some cool or cold days. If there is a lot of snow then people worry that floods can happen when it melts...

as you see on this picture it is already July but some snow is still there...

Rivers of Sheki...

Rivers of Sheki are very strange. I will tell you why…

As you can see on this picture the river is almost dry and one may wonder why it is so wide anyway…well in spring when snow melts in mountains, rivers of Sheki start floading and people wish that the rivers were wider and deeper and the floods wouldn’t harm people and animals. But unfortunately floods happen every year…

So I would call Sheki rivers "extreme" rivers as they are either dry or flooding :)

HAT

You may wonder why the title of today's post is written in capital letters. I will explain now.

The matter is that historically in Azerbaijan hats (caps) were worn by men not only for comfort or warmth reasons. There was another importance given to hats which was pride and honour. If some disgrace happened to a man he would say "Papağımı yere soxdular" i.e. "My hat got buried" (figuratively, of course). Man would wear hats the whole day and when entering the house would put it aside with care and respect.

When first opera was put on stage in Azerbaijan in 1908 there were some funny characters who were refusing to take off their hats or they would take two seats: one for them and one for their hats :)

Nowadays although expressions and respect are left men are wearing hats only when they feel cold or when they want to...one may find of course old men (especially in the regions) who wear hats with the same manner as their fathers and grandfathers did...

This is a photo of the workshop where hats (caps) are made in Sheki...

People behind the scenes...

There are always people behind the scenes that help things to happen. Sometimes they even do more than those who are called the organizers, managers, and people in charge. Sometimes they (people behind the scenes) are very shy and modest and if their managers are not attentive enough they might never get their piece of praise, appreciation or decent pay. Well of course there are extremely wise people on Earth who do not expect praises of people but believe that God sees all and everything that goes around comes around (meaning good things and hard work you do would always come back to you and your children)…

No matter what…this post is devoted to dedicated personnel of Sheki Khan Palace who work there for many years and greet and see off numerous visitors of the Palace…

Dancing...and...national costumes of Azerbaijan...

Azerbaijani people love dancing to their national music (we love dancing to any music of course but especially to the national one). Sometimes we dance so much in the weddings that we forget to eat and return home hungry…Also we have a saying “Mahnı sümüyümä düşür” that would sound in English somehow like “My bones move to this song”. We like listening to music although this has some drawbacks as well because in some parts of the city music in shops or other public places is very loud and one is obliged to listen to it even if he doesn’t want to, another issue here is an extremely loud music in the weddings, which is very annoying to most of the guests (young people do not care of course:)...they say that one of the reasons of this loudness is that musicians are able to hide bad quality or falsely music. I would also say that Azerbaijani language is musical as well, we have letters like soft “a”, “u”, “o”, “g” and “q” in the alphabet and intonation is a bit melodic…

Here is the photo taken in Sheki Khan Palace during the art event. This is a group of dancers showing a performance. Nowadays no one is wearing a national costume in every day life or even to some special occasions unfortunately. Only dancers and performers wear them…Usually the costumes for girls are very colorful and bright with lots of embroidery which I think is quite nice...

Have a good week!

...time to gather hay...

The happiest people are the ones that enjoy what they are doing in life...just like this man who doesn't bother about safety measures and is happy to hang back (drive back if you wish:) with collected (or gathered I am not sure) hay. Well maybe he is not that happy about the work that he does in life but he smiled for the photo. I prefer to think that it is the first option though :)

Have a good day! :)

Belissimo...

I am not Italian but sometimes when I see something very beautiful and something that touches my heart and makes me think like heaven is before me I feel like saying "Belissimo!! :)" I also raise my both arms in exclamation and pleasure. :)

Looking at this picture and landscape makes me feel like I described above...therefore this post is called "Belissimo!!!" :)

Craftsmen's Street

Here is a picture of the street where many craftsmen have their workshops...it is a very good location for them since in addition to being in one of the most beautiful parts of the city they are also located close to the hotel where many tourists are staying...very nice spot for a walk...

Also posting a photo of the interior of one of the shops...not sure if all the pieces have been created by this woman...these are embroidery in silk that Sheki is famous for...very detailed and hard work...

...to do or not to do...or is there the golden mean...

One day Sheki will decide to refurbish its estates and make everything new and shiny...

I wish there was a way and I am sure there is a way to keep the spirit of for example this bridge or these houses of Sheki...so that looking at them it would be always obvious that they are old and from XX or XIX century or earlier but that people of XXI century are taking a good care of them...

Sheki

This is a kind of picture that comes into one's mind when thinking or remembering Sheki. :)

This photo, the one from the previous post and also many photos ahead are a courtesy of our Head of office, Aygen, who had a recent trip to Sheki...

Six trees...

One day a person decided to plant couple of trees in one row...when he was doing this some people supported him, some didn't. It was also tiring at some point. But he decided to accomplish his deed...

As you can see on this picture the person did the right thing...trees are turning into a beautiful example of nature...

Have a good day! :)

Random house...

This is a photo of a random house in Sheki. It is an old house built maybe more than 100 years ago (dont know exactly but its architecture looks really old) but looking at its roof for example it is obvious that it has been refurbished and kind of modernized.

I am sure that the view from its second floor is great...

enjoy Friday :)

Gates of Sheki...

This is a picture of the gates of Sheki Caravanserai that I mentioned earlier in my blog.
The gates are wooden and can be opened if for example horses must enter...the open part that you see in the middle of the gates is actually the door to be used to enter and leave Caravanserai.

This style for gates is still used in Sheki but now usually the actual door part of the gates is made bigger, wider and higher for comfortable use.

Excuse me for the quality of the photo...

Tea sessions...

If there were an international statistics that involved data of Azerbaijan the world would know that Azerbaijanis drink tea more than anyone...We drink tea when we are thirsty, when we are happy, when we are sad, when we are bored, when we rest, when we are gathered together and in many other moments of our lives. We even have a proverb that would be translated like "Who counts the tea cups" meaning that a hostess should never ask if the guest wants more tea because it is obvious that there is no limit to tea enjoyment...

I am planning to have more posts on tea so more information on tea will follow on this blog...

This is a photo of samovar where water is boiled for tea. In Azerbaijan samovars nowadays are mostly used in open areas, in the gardens, where there is more space. In case you haven't come across a samovar, inside it there is pipe where one puts coal and burns it and outside that pipe there is a space where one pours water...after the water is boiled tea is prepared in a separate pot and put on top of samovar to get ready...and when tea is ready it is served...everybody sits around the table and enjoys tea and each other's company. Personally I love these moments of peace and pleasure...

Crossing the road...

This is a typical scenery when driving towards Sheki. It doesn't happen in the city itself because cattle of the city is taken out by shepherds outside the city to open areas...

So imagine driving towards the city and then you have to drive slower because sheep is crossing the road...impatient drivers start signalling and complaining: "Why are they so slow and look at me like sheep (meaning to look with no expression on the face...kind of stuck impression...) but then they say..."of course...these are actually SHEEP!" :)

Electrification...

The beauty of XXI century is that one can enjoy nature and live in cold and hot places comfortably thanks to electricity, gas and water distributions. Thankfully Sheki has all (excluding some of its distant villages where the situation should be also better soon inshAllah) and although with some interruptions and issues people are able to enjoy these necessities that are considered quite basic nowadays...

This is a photo of electric posts of Sheki...has it ever happened to you that you sit in the darkness sad in the evening at candle or oil lamp light because there is no electricity for some reason...and then all of a sudden electricity is back and everywhere is filled with joy and light? Believe me it feels great! :)

Have a good day!

Doqqaz...

As every city Sheki has avenues and streets...In addition to this there is a concept of a road or street that is called "doqqaz". Doqqaz is something that starts (has the beginning) at one of the main roads and then goes inside with many houses at sides of it. Doqqaz might end at some dead end or have a passage to some other main road. This is a photo of one of those doqqaz's.

Sheki people do not believe in addresses :) but say to a taxi driver: "take me to hamam doqqaz in gyshlag" or for example "take me to doqqaz where Long Hasan used to live". Therefore if you come to Sheki and ask the cab driver to take you to House # 5 at Some street, the driver could look at you with such an expression on his face as if he sees an alien before him....:)

Well if you decide to visit, local people will always tell you the peculiarities of the place you wish to see or go to ... and you will be at ease with taxis and might find out something interesting that only local people know...

Have a good day!

Door...

Hi. Today I am posting a photo of a usual door to the yard of one of the houses in Sheki. The flowers above the door and the whole scenery seemed very soothing for me and I decided to share it with you. You might recognize river stone walls/fences that I mentioned earlier in my posts.

If you open the door and decide to visit the family that lives behind it you will be treated at least to tea and the family will try keeping you for lunch/dinner as well. During lunch or dinner hostess will keep sighing deeply and saying that you are not eating enough...if you decide staying overnight then the best bed would be made for you...and the original owner of the bed would sleep on the mattress in some other room...these are the rules of hospitality...zealously protected by never tired older generations and questioned by ever tired younger generations...:)

Hope you are having a wonderful week end...

Ayten

International Children's Day

Yesterday was 1st of June, International Children's Day…

If you ask me in every family where there is a child every day is the child’s day…the priority, the thoughts, the plans - everything is about the child…

They say that once upon a time a king was invited to some gathering and the king said to make sure that there wouldn’t be anyone more important and mightier than he there and he was of course promised that. When the king arrived and made himself comfortable he saw that there was a child running around and everyone’s attention was at him, everyone was trying to please and delight him. And the king said: “Haven’t I told you that there shouldn’t be anyone mightier than I here?!….”…

Children’s Day is international because all children on this Planet are similarly beautiful, sweet and unique…and all of them need the same: love, peace, joy and care. God bless all of them.

Today is 2nd of June but since every day is the children’s day :) I am posting a photo of a child, my son, today. Sheki is still a very traditional place therefore families, women are very children oriented, parents especially mothers are very self-sacrificing and grandparents are very keen to help and take an active role in bringing up their grandchildren. All families not depending on their income strive to have at least two children and if there are two girls they would go for more in order to have an heir…hence when even only two families get together the place gets very noisy and crowded…since as you might have noticed for some reason children prefer not to sit or walk but run and jump and not to talk but scream and laugh and cry…there must be a reason behind this behaviour but I have no clue :)

Three Guyums...

I do not know how the jars or vessels that you see on this picture are called in English.

What you see is called “seheng” in Azerbaijani and also “guyum” in Sheki.

I am touching a linguistic subject here. The thing is that Sheki has a dialect which is very distinctive; many words are pronounced differently or have unique substitutes. It is the same case with these words…

Copper made guyums (I will stick to the dialect since I am from Sheki :) were used in the past to carry water from the springs home. They are very heavy (when empty (!) they weight between 5-10 kg) but very gracefully looking if I may say so. Women would hang them on their shoulder or even put it on their shoulder and bring the water home…young men would hide and watch young girls going to spring and elegantly carrying water in guyums. We have many folklore songs and poems on this romantic theme…

This is the photo of a fountain called “Three Guyums” located at “Gyshlag” area of Sheki. “Gyshlag” means a place to spend the winter. It comes from the past…As Gyshlag area is not high on the mountain but at its bottom it was warmer to spend the winter there i.e. at the bottom of the mountain…therefore people did so and called the area “gyshlag”.

The ornament that you might notice on guyums is called “buta” which means the universe…you can come across this ornament in many oriental works…buta is widely used in carpet weaving and in general in all arts in Azerbaijan…

You can see some posters in the background…market economy :)…I don’t like this mixture but I guess this is the demand of the reality…

Dome...

Today is 31st of May, last day of spring :( spring flew away so fast :( pity…I am thankful though for another beautiful spring in my life :)

Going back to posts....

I had earlier posts on Sheki Caravanserai. Here is another photo taken at the entrance hall of it…you might have noticed 8-angle shaped pool at the entrance, river stone pavement and walls and shebeke that I have mentioned before. I want to draw your attention to the dome of the entrance this time. Here is a closer shot of it. Quite a nice brick work, don’t you think?

Enjoy summer :)

Fathers and children...

First of all here is better photo of earlier post kindly forwarded to me by my friend Turkan. Unfortunately I do not have more information on meanings of the mirrors etc of the Palace at the moment…maybe sometime…

Pausing on the posts on Khan Sarayi for now…

Today I am posting a photo that I called “fathers and children”.

You can see two people on this photo, father who is counting/turning beads that are called “tesbeh” in Azerbaijani……usually older sometimes younger men too do it when thinking or idle…my father counts beads when he is thinking…that puts his mind and soul in piece…“tesbeh” has religious meaning as well I think but I don’t know the details very well so will not elaborate on that now….the other person is my little sister she is playing with the mobile…looking for some MP3 song I am sure…that is something that puts her in piece…the photo is taken on a picnic where families go to enjoy nature, make kebabs and also rest in the woods…the kind of pillows that you see on the picture are what we call “mutekke”, home made oriental pillows that are used when taking a nap or having a rest, one can also lean against them…

here they are…different generations enjoying life the way they choose to… someway similar…someway different…