20 September - oil workers day in Azerbaijan…

As a foreword let me start with telling that there have been cases when people that have never been and vaguely heard about Azerbaijan would ask questions like…“is that true that once one lands in Azerbaijan he/she smells oil right away?”…or “does oil really run down the streets in Baku?”…what to answer to questions like this? Just “no” or maybe it would be more fun to answer “yes” :)

A year or so ago I came across a modern art exposition of one of foreign artists who gathered the spills of oil in suburbs of Baku in her show room and made a story and exposition around this theme…I must confess that the smell in the room was the smell I knew and it was a very “native” smell :)

But let me mention in this post today that I am not sure about the smell one feels landing in Baku since I am used to it and won't be able to comment and also no, the oil does not run down the streets in Baku and never did.

Caspian suffers from pollution (just in case if you never heard before Caspian happens to be the biggest lake in the world) and some suburbs of Baku are still polluted too…But as I mentioned before things come in a “package”; thus oil comes with smell and radiation but transforms into strategic product and wealth....

Going back to oil workers day...People that are involved in production exploration exploitation etc and turning oil into strategic product are the assets of the industry and not only. I want to mention my father, Nadir Qiyasov, who is not only knowledgeable and experienced geophysicist but I would say talented professional who seems to know every inch of Absheron peninsula. He got his initial education in Oil Academy in Azerbaijan and he and his fellow students are/unfortunately by now many of them were precious assets of the industry and the country overall.

My post today is devoted to my dear father and to all oil workers of Azerbaijan who turn oil (definition of oil in Wikipedia - naturally occurring, toxic, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, and other organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface) to black gold and well-being of their country and people…

this is how oil exploration looked in early XX century...

late XX and early XXI century...

Things that make me smile...

Once in an airport in Italy we approached one desk which had a sign “will be back soon”…Of course we were not quite sure what “soon” meant exactly for the person who left the sign…we made a joke that if this sign were in Germany most probably the person would mention in how many minutes he/she plans to be back but since we were in Italy “soon” was good enough :) besides Azeris have quite a philosophical approach to notion of time anyway :)

Yesterday when I was driving home on one turn there was something like a sign seeing which it was more or less clear that there were construction works going on and I should choose another road…but no…I still decided to try…why? a) maybe they just forgot the sign there, b) maybe there is still some naaarrow road that I could use, c) maybe workers would agree to move their truck for a second :) so that I pass (last time this worked). So I drove and saw that it was not the case the road was completely closed. Behind and in front of my car there were many other cars with drivers who for above or some other reasons also ignored the signs and had to turn back now…You see…Does something like this happen in other places? Or people are so organized that they wouldn’t look for “just in case” opportunities and obey to the signs? Not the case here :) They should have made it impossible to drive in…making clear that they mean it! :)

Often I hear people around me complaining that this is Azerbaijan and everything is possible here (mainly accentuating the negative of course). But I think we shouldn’t ignore the facts that this is a) south b) crossroad of east and west c) country with complex history that left its impact on generations…and everything comes in a “package” you see :) I think you would agree that mentality, behavioral patterns and way of thinking is different if you compare south to north, east to west, big country to smaller country etc etc etc…we are all very similar and different in many ways and all unique and fun :)

Below photo I took in one of the parks outside Baku…I guess these are shoes of the gardener or some other worker (very neatly paired)…most probably he has different shoes that he is wearing on tiles (not to dirty them) and while taking care of trees etc…but he did not bother to take them with him but left there to come back later (quite typical too I would say) :) the scene made me smile and I thought I’d share it with you…Photo is called “I’ll be back”...hope it makes you smile too :)

Be well…

Sky and not only...

When driving to or from Sheki one can witness how climate zones substitute each other…it happens mildly naturally and very beautifully…if Baku area is a desert by nature (maybe nature played a little irony when creating areas like Baku and its suburbs…desert on its outside if I may say but so rich with natural resources in its depths...) starting from Shamakhi nature becomes greener then turns into rich forests of Ismailli and then there are Oguz, Gabala and Sheki competing to offer fresh air, tranquility and natural food products for people escaping the capital. Somewhere between Shamakhi and Ismailli we always make a last stop to enjoy air before driving in to industrious Baku. Unfortunately I didn’t take photos of beautiful forests that are getting ready for autumn but when we were closer to Baku and there were less and less trees I noticed that sky was very fascinating...it got me inspired to write this post, make some photos to share with you (excuse me for the quality I took the photos on my phone from the car window with my younger son sleeping on my lap:) and think to myself goodbye peaceful and lovely Sheki and hello hectic and ambitious Baku...

too big to capture on camera...

no matter how many photos I took it didn't seem enough to convey the beauty...

Ramadan...

Wishing you happy Ramadan from Sheki...photo a courtesy of Hema K...

Where is the best place to be for Ramadan holiday? Guess my reply would be..."yes, Sheki :))"...But honestly if you happen to be in Sheki for Ramadan holiday you would definitely get the spirit of the holiday. This year we are lucky to have a long weekend for Ramadan what means that many people could travel...including I (thus writing this post in Sheki :)...

I was not fasting but my parents were...Days in August are very long and it was amazing to see them and many other people not drinking and eating from early morning until around nine in the evening...and getting together for breaking the fast is always a great experience...(even though I wasn't fasting it is a great time to share)...

Tradition says that on Ramadan holiday everyone should help the poor ones, visit close relatives of those who lost their dear ones during that year...visit cemeteries and remember the ones that are not with us...and visit and wish happy Ramadan to all elderly and not only relatives and friends that have been fasting...Since we are in Sheki on our way to my uncle's house we saw many people that were on their way to visit someone else...here and there you would hear people wishing happy Ramadan to each other and my uncle tried to stay at home most of the day today since so many people are coming to visit...he in his turn together with my father went to congratulate their aunt who is one of the oldest in the family...last and not the least traditional bakery is made and shared with everyone who visits...great time to be together :)

Happy Ramadan and all the very best from Azerbaijan...:)

P.S. My earlier posts on Ramadan can be found here and here.

Expecting guests...

Traditional Ramadan sweet bakery (ovma)...

Traditional Ramadan kind of porridge (yayma) to everyone who comes...

My cup of tea...

Is there anything new that I can see in Sheki if I go there every year? No, I don’t mean new developments I mean visiting the same places…call me sentimental but as an energizer there are places that I would definitely visit each time even if I don’t have a new guest with me …such as Karavansaray…why? Because I feel good there :) because its walls talk history and because it has always got delicious and very traditional cup of tea waiting just for me :)

My earlier posts on Karavansaray (Caravansaray) can be found here, here and here.

Below was a great catch for me - I took this photo just at the entrance to Karavansaray...someone else's çay dəstgahı i.e. tea set waiting...click to make the image bigger...

People...Countries...Destinies...Azerbaijan - Turkey...

Dear Ayten,

Last night when I was searching Sheki in google I found your blog. Sheki is my grandparents land. They came to Istanbul ca.1897. My father, he was born in Istanbul, always wanted to go there and to find relatives. And his dreams came true. He came with the first plane from Istanbul to Baku. With some key words which he heard from his father he found his family. After this visit he made our family tree. I lost my father 3 years ago. I remember when he was at the hospital one day he said : I wish to breath the clean air of my mointains. He loved his fatherland with passion. I wanted to share this with you.

Lots of love

I received above letter last month...and got a permission to share it with you...

...As a background I must mention that back in Soviet times (more than 70 years of XX century) communicating with Turkey was forbidden. It had a name Pan-Turkism and people that dared even to think about Turkey/Turks were/could be imprisoned...For Azeris who were very close with Turks geographically, culturally, ethnically and first of all historically this prohibition meant to say the least an unnatural and hard thing to live with...

People in Sheki (and overall in Azerbaijan) have warm feelings about Turkey and Turkish people...Almost every household watches Turkish television and people speak quite ok Turkish (especially kids:). Azeri and Turkish are from the same Turkic group of languages. I heard many Turks say that Azeri reminds them Anatolian Turkish...But there were times when people were listening to Turkish radio secretly with threat to be heard...They were missing their friends and very often family members who could never come back or visit Azerbaijan as they were in Turkey when the borders got closed. (this is how group of people or a person can decide about the destiny and life of whole nations)...

One of those people who always loved and longed for Turkey was my grandfather. My father says that he would always talk about and remember Turkey and dream about the days when it would be possible to travel freely.

I don't know if he believed that it would be at all possible...Would he believe then if he were told that one of his grandsons would be a professor in one of the universities in Turkey and that one of his great-grandsons would be studying in Ankara and that his sons, grand children and
great-grandsons (and daughters:) would be visiting Turkey often and would have Turkish friends visiting them in Baku and Sheki...and that in summer 2010 Turkish President would pay a visit to Sheki...

Life is strange and amazing at the same time...there are people that make it strange and those who make it amazing, those who put the artificial borders and those that are forever free in their spirit and dreams...

My post today is devoted to my grandfather, Shakir Qiyasov, to grandfather of my reader in Turkey and to all those who had to suffer from intrigues and plans of «people in charge»...May they rest in peace and may their descendents always live in better times...

My grandfather Shakir Qiyasov...Man of wisdom and kindness who had no sentiments about Soviet Union…

P.S.

This is my 200th post. Only and already 200. It feels as if I wrote so many posts...and their number is only 200. Well...they say the quality is more important than quantity...:)...modest me :)...Thank you for visiting my blog, reading it and leaving your thoughts and comments. Life and You are my inspiration! Be well and best wishes from Azerbaijan! :)

Summer heat...

Summer is not only about holidays but also one of the most active and anxious periods of the year for many families in Azerbaijan. This is when entrance exams to universities take place. If you visit the families that have boys or girls taking this exam very often you might get the feeling that as if it is the whole family that would be taking the exam. Everybody is very nervous and worried. To me this anxiousness of course passes to poor those who need to take the actual exam although everyone is also advising them to be calm and concentrated…All conversations are about the tasks, subjects, tutors and universities. Anticipation and excitement are reaching its peak on the day of the exam and when the results are announced.

What was good about Soviet times was that studying at school was a must. School program was quite thorough and no matter how far in the village anyone lived everyone was attending the classes. As a result everyone was literate. What was bad about Soviet times was that it left behind a tradition of corruption in the process of enrollment to universities. In early 90s Azerbaijan switched to test system what gave equal opportunities to everyone. I know people that had to choose universities according to their financial position and those who were trying persistently their luck knocking on the doors of the universities that had “barricade” with slogan “show me the money…” Children of these people are now able to choose the universities where they think their heart and abilities belong to. All they have to do is to study hard to pass harsh competition since studying and getting higher education continues to be popular around the country. As far as I heard this year two out of seven entrants who got the highest score of 700 are originally from Sheki!! Well done to everyone!!!

Congratulations to everyone who got what they wanted and good luck to everyone!!!

My other post about my distinct teachers can be found here.

I don’t have a relevant photo to this post...

I took below photo in Kish village of Sheki. We asked the girls a question and got a witty answer which I am afraid is untranslatable to English since it involves a phrase in dialect (which is very distinct in Sheki). The answer made us laugh (very natural for Sheki which is famous for its jokes and obviously this character runs in the veins of everyone there:). I asked the girls if I may take their photo. One decided to leave the other decided to pose. The other two didn’t care. Talking about freedom to make own choices and decisions…

P.S. For those who speak Azeri I am mentioning our dialogue with girls. “A qızlar, Kişə nətəri gedək?...”......“Habıra Kişdir, daaa!!”...bu sözlər əla intonasiya və əlləri ilə ayaqlarının altında olan torpağı göstərməklə müşayət olundu :)

When art talks about the country...

Yesterday we went to personal photo exhibition of a good friend, Fakhriyya Mammadova.

Today with her permission my post will be written around one of the photos she has made.

It often happens that one wanders around the exhibits and some of them excite you, the others make you smile, think, relax etc...

There is this photo that you will see lower that talked to me...first I liked the colors, then I realized that its theme is so close to me...in awhile I knew that I want to share it with you...

You might have heard that there are places on this planet where gas emissions come out of earth and those parts of land are constantly in fire...these kind of areas exist close to Baku and one place is called Yanardag i.e. Burning Mountain. They say that this was the reason why Zoroastrians from India stayed in Azerbaijan when they were crossing the country...where it could be more natural to worship the fire if not here...

Centuries passed...you won't see people worshiping fire at Yanardag now but you would see tourists and native people that visit Burning Mountain and places alike to watch the fire and let it mesmerize them...some people would go, look at fire, take photos etc and leave; for Azeri would be also very natural to look for a place to sit and watch the fire for awhile thinking about everything and nothing...the only thing that would be lacking for a complete happiness at that moment would be...yes...tea :)) (could be unexpected for a foreigner but veeeery natural for Azeri. You can find my other posts on tea here and here:).

Well...what might seem a bit unusual and awkward thing to do for others is quite a comfortable thing for art person...this is how I imagine Fakhriyya ended up taking a photo of an after tea ceremony in Yanardag. This is purely my interpretation of the photo which maybe is far from reality but then when it comes to art one never knows when reality gives up to imagination...

Be well...and arty :)

Nizami Ganjavi...

There are things, events and people too grand for just a post...to talk about them in detail one would need to do a thorough scientific work...

This post is devoted to Nizami Ganjavi...one of grand figures of literature...Nizami Ganjavi belonged to XII century when people had no mobiles to communicate, computers to search for information and airplanes to travel...I can picture Nizami Ganjavi sitting calmly in his house in Ganja and creating his jewels one by one...no rush, no haste, no interruption...just him and his talent, wisdom and poetry...what a blessing...

Nizami Ganjavi is best known for his "Khamsa", five long poems, five enduring masterpieces...: "The Storehouse of Mysteries", "Khosrow and Shirin", "Leyli and Majnun", "The Book of Alexander" and "The Seven Beauties". I won't talk about these works here...I think one should "talk" about these works creatively, poetically, for instance creating ballets based on these stories as Qara Qarayev did creating his ballet "The Seven Beauties"...I would just say that if Europeans remember Romeo and Juliet story of Shakespeare seeing someone deeply, truly and madly in love...then Azeris and many other people in the East would remember Leyli and Majnun written by Nizami Ganjavi...

Six years ago my husband and I met a professor in British Library who was writing a book about Nizami and his works. When I noticed her book I exclaimed with excitement: "oh, I come from the same country as Nizami..."...and she said "well, he wrote in Persian so for us he is a Persian poet"...I started to tell that he was born and comes from the city in Azerbaijan, Ganja...that he was/is Ganjavi etc, etc...but didn't seem to convince her very much...did I have to...I don't know...I am free to think that he was Azeri :)...people like Nizami belong to the whole universe anyway...all we can do is read and enjoy his poetry and share the pride...

Be well :)

Artistic portrayal of Nizami Ganjavi on a carpet...
Nizami Ganjavi monument in Baku...created by sculptor Fuad Abdurahmanov (who was originally from Sheki) in 1949.

Bahram Gur, sculptural fountain, considered as first one in Baku is devoted to epic hero of Nizami Ganjavi's "The Seven Beauties". Created by sculptors Albert Mustafayev, Qorxmaz Sucaddinov and Aslan Rustamov (my father in law) in 1960s.

Shirvanshah Palace the landmark of Baku...

Going back to my previous post on landmark of Baku, Maiden Tower (Qız Qalası) I need to mention another important historical landmark of our capital...Shirvanshah Palace that dates back to XV century....

Shirvanshah Palace was built during the rule of Shirvanshahs in Azerbaijan (861-1538) when capital of Shirvanshah was moved from Shemakha to Baku.

Palace of course shared hard times of Azerbaijan...museums and art struggle and thrive together with countries you see...Nonetheless broad walls of Shirvanshah Palace stood proudly to all mischief of history and reached XXI century to witness Azerbaijan of today that is able to protect its heritage and pass it with care to future generations...

Recently pieces that were kept in fund of the Palace were put on display and walking through the rooms of the Palace is even more interesting and educational now...For some reason I also have a feeling that exhibits "live" if they are displayed and viewed...in return they breathed new life into the Palace and take the visitors to more ancient times of Baku and Azerbaijan in general...

Enjoy the tour...

Its all about fruits now in Azerbaijan...part II

Since its all about fruits now in Azerbaijan this also implies that season of "mürəbbə" is officially open. I have mentioned "mürəbbə" ealier on this blog here. It is a sweet preserve to be served with tea but its not a jam...this preserve is not jammed; fruits stay whole and "undamaged". Well prepared mürəbbə should keep the colour and flavour as much as possible and convey the special taste of THE fruit. Well my post is not really devoted to mürəbbə today. Those of you who is interested in Azeri cuisine please visit Farida's Cookbook here.

Yesterday I popped in to bazaar where I bought some fruits and took below photo. I only had my four year old son with me who is too young to help me with load and bargaining :).

I am all for equal rights and woman emancipation if you wish but I kind of still expect men to offer help to carry heavy bags and open the doors for ladies. Fortunately this is still the case in Azerbaijan (mostly:) and few women would get offended at extra attention they usually get. There is of course that fine border when being extra polite to women can become extra familiar and this is something to be handled...But...when I was offered help yesterday and my hesitant offer of tip was interpreted as offence and old man at parking said couple of kind wishes/praises in addition to thanking for the coins he received (his usual habit:) I kind of felt good and thought to myself that being a gentleman never harms and does not belittle any man or woman. In modern life when all rights and obligations have mixed up and men and women work shoulder to shoulder I am not sure if hierarchy etiquette allows men to stay gentlemen and women feminine. Well personally I hope that men would continue to be confident/strong enough to stay gentlemen and women confident/comfortable enough to stay feminine. These are the thoughts I wanted to share with you today...:) 

Be well :)

Maiden Tower (Qız Qalası) the landmark of Baku...

Has it ever happened to you that anywhere you travel you make sure to see all or most of the landmarks of the place, take photos and listen to historic facts...and realize at some point that you have spent much less time looking analyzing learning enjoying historic places of your own home city and country.

When we say Paris - Eiffel Tower comes in front of our eyes, we remember New York and recall Statue of Liberty, we talk about London and imagine Big Ben...most probably every city has the place, the landmark, the symbol that associates with it mostly...more people talk about it, more they mention it, more that symbol stays in the memories...becomes the city’s landmark...associates with it.

In Soviet times it used to be popular to spend vacations outside of Azerbaijan thus many Azeris knew much more about resorts of other Republics or Europe (for those who could travel) etc than Azerbaijan. Last ten years or so many Azeris started to kind of rediscover their country, its regions, history, geography, «treasures» that are here to explore, cherish and enjoy (this is my personal opinion:).

Baku's landmark is Qız Qalası - Maiden Tower. Hereby I want to start, continue, join, enforce the process of associating Qız Qalası (Maiden Tower) with Baku - Baku with Maiden Tower (Qız Qalası)...

Maiden Tower of XII century or possibly earlier is one of UNESCO's World Heritage places. It continues to be a theme for many scientific works and thoughts and is a distinct tower to enjoy beautiful views of old and modern Baku and Caspian. For those interested to know more about the tower here is the article on Maiden Tower.

I am posting a photo that I borrowed from above mentioned article with of view of Maiden Tower in 1860 but I also want to share with you the video devoted to International Art Festival “Qız Qalası” that took place in May this year and hosted artists from different countries who worked in the Old City inspired by views and architecture of Maiden Tower. Enjoy and remember to visit Maiden Tower next time you are in Baku :)

Its all about fruits now in Azerbaijan...

I must have mentioned earlier that Azerbaijan is blessed to have nine climate zones out of available eleven...thus different regions are famous for having different fruits and vegetables that are particularly delicious and special. Traditionally each fruit/vegetable is expected to be available in a particular season of course...With development and modern life fruits and vegetables started to get imported from everywhere...and are available the whole year...At the same time there is more and more information about genetic engineering that is getting more advanced around the world...Older I grow, more I hear - less I want to buy a fruit that travelled from far away and continues to look perfect...buying strawberries from a near village gives me not only more taste but also more comfort; and eating that strawberry I hope that engineering in food products won't reach regions of Azerbaijan...

Well...fruit season started with strawberries and cherry plums here (not sure if cherry plums grow everywhere, it can be sweet and sour; we have a particularly delicious sort that is called peyvənd alça/alycha; the sort that has rich sour-sweet taste) and continues with sweet and sour cherries and apricots etc etc etc.

Wishing you a healthy and delicious summer! :))

Strawberries everywhere...
Cherry plums...

Closer look to cherry plums...

28th of May - Republic Day in Azerbaijan

28th of May is celebrated as Republic Day in Azerbaijan. This is the day when Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was declared in 1918 and Act of Independence of Azerbaijan was adopted. This was the first Democratic Republic in the Orient...Republic that lasted then for 23 months only....

Azerbaijan declared its independence for the second time in 1991.

My posts on this date: in 2009 here and in 2008 here.

I was thinking today what I would write this year...History shows that people always fought for their borders and land, for their right to have identity, to be independent. Globalization might be an interesting neologism but unfortunately historically there were always the ones who tried to repress and the ones that had to struggle (in addition to many other things). Its year 2010. Azerbaijan Republic is gradually building up. It is representing itself internationally independently; and its citizen and/or native Azeris are still learning sometimes to love, respect and be proud of their Republic.

Today I am posting a photo of Azeri passport. On many borders I saw customs officials who were curiously examining my passport...often they never saw one or never heard of a place called Azerbaijan...surprise, surprise, the person carrying this passport didn't look any different :)

"Land of Fire", situated on cross roads of East and West, rich with natural resources and motherland to talented people, Azerbaijan, as any other Republic is striving for peace and wellbeing on its territory...and...further. So be it! Happy Republic Day! :)

Have you seen a rainbow this year?

Recently I came across a beautiful question...«have you seen a rainbow this year?»...Rainbow that reminds of childhood, happy and cheerful moments. I think anyone who sees a rainbow smiles at this beautiful phenomenon of nature. The question implied that until a person is able to notice rainbows, to raise his/her eyes to see and enjoy, to smile to this event of nature that means that the person continues to live and is able to gladden his heart and soul. Soon after I heard this question my relative in Sheki, Turkan Mustafayeva, shared with us above picture that she took from her balcony. The view from their balcony is beautiful. They are blessed to see gorgeous mountains before them...currently buried in rich and deep green foliage...I am thanking Turkan for sharing with us this amazing instant of nature...and hope you will enjoy it too...:) 

P.S. After I made this post I received a nice note from my another relative originally from Sheki, Arifa Salayeva, who reminded that one should make a wish when sees a rainbow "when you see a rainbow, draw or make a small cross on the ground, after doing this you may then make your wish"...

Also she recalled a beautiful poem/song that I want to share with you too:

somewhere over the rainbow
skies are blue
and the dreams that you dare to dream
really do come true...:) 

“Zhiguli” or part of our history...

There are different ways how a person looks at everything…as they say “glass can feel/seem/look half full or half empty…”

Nowadays it is very popular to complain…we often complain about everything starting from weather and continuing with anything…as if better we live more we complain…

As most of you know Soviet times were all about “Zhiguli”s or “Lada cars”…People were happy to have/to be allowed to have a car…nowadays there are no restrictions…cars everywhere…after being happy for awhile that there are no restrictions and there are new opportunities everyone started to complain that cars are too big, streets are too narrow, traffic jams are too irritating…etc etc…

Well…Zhiguli on below pictures belongs to the neighbor of my in-laws…looks like he is not getting depressed that his car is not the fastest and the biggest on this street...but loves the car he has got…his glass must be half full…hopefully…:)

Why “Zhiguli” on this blog? Because it is a part of our history…we might not always like our history but it is what it is with all the good and the bad…hopefully today we (can) create a better history for tomorrow…each of us…

Be well :)

9th of May...

Today I want to write about 9th of May...

9th of May is celebrated as Victory Day in World War II (1941-1945) in post-Soviet countries. Soviet era left behind many ambiguous memories but there is one thing that everyone remembers with pride about our general past. People of all 15 Republics fought together shoulder to shoulder against fascism during WWII and gained victory with their blood and lives. This memory has no regrets and second thoughts. This is the history that everyone is proud to be a part of. There are fewer and fewer veterans among us. 9th of May is their day. Today each and every “post-Soviet” person remembers veterans and victims of World War II and celebrates victory. My post on 9th of May that I wrote back in 2007 where I mention Ahmadiyya Jabrailov, one of famous veterans of Sheki, can be read here.

There was this wish that was quite popular in Soviet times...people were wishing to each other “peaceful sky”...This is still quite relevant nowadays in this uncertain world...and very relevant to Azerbaijan that is in cease-fire situation...

I took below pictures today...when walking with my kids in Baku...I thought to myself that I would post them and remember and thank all veterans of World War II and everyone else who acts for peace and justice, for this peaceful sky...Thank you! Happy Victory Day!!! 

Many countries are celebrating 9th of May as Mother's Day...well I guess there is something that unites people in many countries of the world today then...since every mother prays for peace on Earth...Happy Mother's Day!

Traditions...Backgammon...

Backgammon game is called “nərd” in Azerbaijan. Just in case for those who don’t know dictionary says “backgammon is a game for two people played on a board with pieces moved according to throws of the dice”.

Behind this definition there is a lot of passion, excitement, heat for many men and quite often women in Azerbaijan who love to play backgammon. What happens usually is that after a good meal and a cup of tea many friends would continue tea ceremony playing backgammon...When game heats up often tea is forgotten, pieces are struck harder on the board (with loud sound to stress good chances of the dice) and winner is anticipating how he would be teasing his friend later saying “well, one day I will teach you how to play backgammon”. And then of course the other player wants to even the score and the excitement continues...Depending on temperament of the players game would be accompanied with laughter, teasing, jokes and stories about previous victories of the players (needless to say that every player insists that he is The professional). My father is playing less backgammon nowadays but I remember very well how he and his close friend would play a game or two at our place and we girls would run in to the room now and then and ask “so, who is winning” and of course the answer from both would be “why are you asking? don’t you know?” We didn’t know but would play up to them and choose one or the other to support or tease...these are very warm and kind memories of my childhood that I cherish very much...

It is still very common to see here and there people playing backgammon in the parks or local tea houses in Azerbaijan. I am not personally a backgammon player but I think that it is the game that can distract from routine and troubles as well as give an opportunity to interact and socialize...something that is happening less and less with games turning into virtual and socializing becoming cyber...

Some pictures on backgammon...

My cousin, Qiyasov Shahin, is specializing in creating beautiful pieces of backgammon from different sorts of wood. With different ornaments and shades depending on type of wood and complexity of work all pieces are handcrafted in his studio in Sheki. Shahin's pieces are in many local and foreign private collections. He can be contacted by following emails f_kh_g@hotmail.com; qiyasli@gmail.com or via this blog.

Shahin's backgammon...

I am not sure if you can see on this photo but actually there are backgammon sessions going on there. I took this photo last summer while in Sheki and since then the photo was waiting for its time to be shared with you...:) Couldn't go closer...feeling kind of shy :)) local mentality you see :)

This is one of my favourite pictures that I took in Kish village of Sheki back in year 2007. You can read my post on this photo here but today it fits perfectly to this post too :)

Spring...peaceful spring...

It’s April. Spring is almost here but not quite yet...everyone is so much looking forward to it...it is already proven by now that sunny and pleasant weather affects people positively...thus people must be at least a little bit happier when sun rays wake them up in the morning...in March when I travelled to Sheki for Novruz I saw mountains giving in to spring; trees ready to blossom; neat gardens of Sheki waiting to wake up and people excited to see days getting longer and warmer...Isn't it beautiful...

Although they say that we live in era of individualism and egocentrism I believe that war and terror in one part of the world can not mean full peace for somewhere else...at the end of the day a person is a part of the family, country, of planet Earth...I hope that there will be less violence and killings in the world and people around the world including every parent who has his/her son serving in war zone would be able to enjoy their spring...cause without peace there is no spring...

Peaceful spring everyone...:)

mountains giving in to spring...
(photo taken on the road to Sheki, apologies for the quality)
Everything and everyone looking forward to spring...

Mountains...

neat gardens of Sheki...

people...

March in Azerbaijan...

Dear readers, although its already April I still want to go back and write about March...

...

March is all about holidays in Azerbaijan. We are celebrating Women's Day and continuously welcoming :) Novruz i.e. spring. Novruz is a holiday when people are kind of uniting with nature...since spring is coming, nature is awakening and spring equinox is happening and people are only joining this celebration...no holiday could be more natural than Novruz...

Thus four weeks in advance of actual Novruz we celebrate Tuesdays of water, fire, wind and earth...then celebrate Novruz eve and Novruz day itself. People cook numerous Novruz deserts (March is period of vitamin deficiency thus Novruz pastries are all about butter, nuts, sugar and spices to keep people going (now...who can dispute wisdom of ancestors...)) Gogal, shekerbura and pakhlava are pastries that are found on every table, semeni (growing wheat) sign of Novruz and prosperity of coming year is also there. Everybody is visiting each other and there are many, many other traditions that I hope to mention next year :) But for this year I want to stop here, wish everyone happy spring and post some Novruz photos that I have been collecting to share with you :)

getting ready for festive dinner...spring ash (plov)...every season has its own plov in Sheki and each is delicious in its own way...

Novruz must haves: fried nuts and wheat...

Novruz must have: semeni - growing wheat, symbol of Novruz - sign of well-being;
that cake in a form of gazelle was quite popular in Sheki formerly, not the case nowadays but still very cute to have on the table...not easy to keep children off it though :)

Another symbol of Novruz, pastry called gogal (gogal means round, small bread) that also has spicy filling in this case, is perfect for breakfasts and not only...crispy and delicious...this photo I took on my mobile in my mom's kitchen...God bless her... My favourite pastry of Novruz, pakhlava, as you can see photo was taken after we tried pakhlava :)...mom couldn't convince us to wait until its properly cooled... Pastries of Novruz: shekerbura and pakhlava...
Novruz must-haves: nuts etc...
decorated semeni :)

Khojaly (Xocalı) massacre...25-26 February 1992...Azerbaijan...

...Another year has passed. Azerbaijanis are remembering victims of Khojali tragedy. More than 600 innocent people including old people, women and children killed...victims of cruelty, politics, aggression. The event became the largest massacre in the course of Dağlıq Qarabağ (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict...

Where do people find all the anger to kill another human, a child...where do they find all the hatred...how do they order to proceed...how do they all live with all that responsibility on their shoulders...

May all victims rest in peace...

P.S. You can find my last year posts on Khojali tragedy here and here.

Novruz..."Su Çərşənbəsi"..."Water" Tuesday...

February is considered the toughest month in Baku in terms of weather. "Tough" implies a day or two of snow when many Bakuvians look out of their windows and take a deep sigh for all the

things they could potentially achieve if not the snow :). Sheki as it should be in mountainous areas is covered with snow for much longer and heavier during winter and usually nobody complains that much. Actually religious and older people in Sheki consider inappropriate complaining about the weather..."who are mere mortals to complain about the weather"...

Baku also has strong "khazri"s (north/cold wind coming from Caspian (Caspian is called Khazar in Azeri)) in February when its almost impossible to walk and wind finds its way anywhere no matter how well everywhere is closed and anybody is buttoned up...

Thus in all this wind and cold when February is still trying to show its character we have first Tuesday of Novruz called "water Tuesday". It's like first warble of birds that one can't really hear yet but wants to hear. It's like a sign of beautiful spring to come. Four weeks in advance of Novruz first Tuesday reminds us to start enjoying anticipation of a greener (but not burnt with sun) and warmer (but not unbearably hot) nature.

Here is what I wrote on "water" Tuesday last year, post that actually talks more about our spring holiday Novruz and how we celebrate awakening of nature, starting from water.

Qircana (Qirjana) river of Sheki
P.S. Let's not waste the water...

To blessed memory of Leyla khanum Akhundzada...

Last week art community (and not only) of Azerbaijan suffered big loss – Professor, art critic, supporter of many artists in Azerbaijan, curator of numerous exhibitions and projects, including "Aluminium", International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Baku Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan pavilion in Venice Art Biennale, promoter of modern art in Azerbaijan, Leyla khanum Akhundzada, tragically died in a road accident.

This gentle, full of charm and charisma khanum was the professional who was using every opportunity to grow and develop...not only personally but developing, guiding and creating opportunities for people - many artists around her...painters, sculptors, photographers and many more...anyone who had something special to say...show...create...

She was one of rare I would say personalities in Azerbaijan who was not complaining about things that still need to change and develop but saw and noticed, listened and heard, brought up and supported talents, turned ideas into projects, opportunities to realities, knew history, literature and art of her country and was not only the critic, artist, curator, mentor but true cultural ambassador of Azerbaijan. Such an untimely death...

The only thought that somewhat soothes the pain is that Leyla khanum was lucky to leave behind students, projects and ideas...Fortunately her friends and colleagues surrounded her with love, friendship and respect when she was around them...she knew that we all loved her...

Allah rəhmət eləsin...May she rest in peace...

"Beşik"...old-fashioned...no...vintage cot...

There is a saying in Azerbaijan “aşıq gördüyünü çalar” what translates as - “aşıq”, a musician that plays the instrument called “saz”, sings what he sees, meaning that people talk about what they see or what is “close” to them.

Thus I will continue the subject of children and motherhood and traditions in Azerbaijan :)

Today I will be talking about “beşik”, kind of swinging bed (cot) used for babies in Azerbaijan historically. How long ago? Well, I was a baby in late 1970s and we didn’t have “beşik” in our house in Baku but to bring up children in Sheki “beşik”s were still used then and earlier.

To use “beşik” mothers had to kind of fasten the baby to “beşik” for safety reasons and since babies were swaddled (as everyone believed that swaddling was the proper thing to do as babies wouldn’t wake themselves when moving their hands)…Today in era of democracy and liberalism people might consider “beşik” as the first try to bind and limit babies thus infringing their rights :)

“Beşik” has a kind of accessory where babies can pee and poop, what is very considerate and comfortable; women then had quite a lot to do in their households and diapers were not invented yet (don't ask me how the accessories looked/worked since it is a bit complicated to describe but everything was well thought through and working!) “Beşik”s are quite low and they were comfortable when women would sit on the floor and swing “beşik”s, as well as breastfeed the babies without unwinding them.

Nowadays “beşik”s are mainly kept as family relic and used very rarely (I am not sure about all the regions but I think this is the case for Sheki)…

It was not easy to find picture of “beşik” in internet, this is what I was able to find.

I must say that beautifully made “beşik”s are real pieces of art....and...history...

Greetings from Azerbaijan...

My dear readers,

Greetings from Baku, Azerbaijan…

After quite a lengthy pause I am happy to be back blogging. While I was away many important things took place. First of all we have all welcomed year 2010…New beginning, new hopes, new plans, new achievements, new joy. Let me use this opportunity and wish all of you Happy New Year!! May this year be healthy, peaceful and wealthy! :) …

Unfortunately life is not always about holidays and festive season. On 20th of January Azerbaijan remembered victims of Soviet Army massacre of 1990. My post of last year devoted to this date can be found here…

We have a saying in Azerbaijan “bir göz ağlayır, bir göz gülür” what translates as “one eye is crying, one eye is smiling” what means that good and bad are often side by side in life…While in sadness or grief happiness might knock on the door and vice-versa…

Between New Year holidays and 20th of January…on 16th of January…I became a mother for the second time. As you would imagine I am still very emotional about the “journey” that women make to become a mother. This joyful and happy occasion that is at the same time tiring and involves quite a bit of pain, I believe is one of the most if not the most amazing miracles of life… We were leaving the hospital on 20th of January, day of mourning in Azerbaijan. It was the day covered with sad memories, the day when people that had courage to say “no” to invasion and “yes” to independence as well as innocent victims were remembered...I was of course full of joy, happiness and gratitude that both the baby and I were going home in good health to begin new page in life of our family. There were also babies born on that day - babies that mean new life, future for Azerbaijan and not only. They are born no matter peace, wars or invasions and no matter what kind of wild apocalypses are predicted - and prove that life continues. We mothers hope and want to believe that they will grow to a better world and play their role in making the world safer, healthier, cleaner and kinder. Wishful thinking?? :)…well...it would be unnatural to hear something else from the woman who gave birth...13 days ago :)…

Be well…and "see" you soon :)

This photo is a courtesy of my relative in Sheki, Vusala Mustafazadeh, who displays her photos on http://mustafazadeh.wordpress.com/. Just wanted you to see how beautiful Sheki is in winter...as well...:)...