For more information on the culture of Azerbaijan:
http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Azerbaijan.html
The above link is a very detailed website containing information on all aspects of cultural and social life in Azerbaijan. The topics include information on etiquette, religion, gender roles, higher education and various sects of familial life including marriages, inheritance, and child care. This website not only covers the information that is relevant still today but will cover past political, economic and ethnic issues and/or policies that have allowed this country to become what it is today. The information on this website is especially relevant for someone conducting research on the country.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/azerbaijan.html
This second link shares many of the same topics as the first link. The differences between the two resources lie in who should use the links and the depth of the information listed. This second website would be a fantastic resource for travelers because the focus is more on current trends in etiquette when dining, receiving gifts, meeting with families or attending business meetings. This resource is also an easier read, each proper greeting or bit of information is listed by bullet points and can therefore be a quick and easy reference.
http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Azerbaijan.html
The above link is a very detailed website containing information on all aspects of cultural and social life in Azerbaijan. The topics include information on etiquette, religion, gender roles, higher education and various sects of familial life including marriages, inheritance, and child care. This website not only covers the information that is relevant still today but will cover past political, economic and ethnic issues and/or policies that have allowed this country to become what it is today. The information on this website is especially relevant for someone conducting research on the country.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/azerbaijan.html
This second link shares many of the same topics as the first link. The differences between the two resources lie in who should use the links and the depth of the information listed. This second website would be a fantastic resource for travelers because the focus is more on current trends in etiquette when dining, receiving gifts, meeting with families or attending business meetings. This resource is also an easier read, each proper greeting or bit of information is listed by bullet points and can therefore be a quick and easy reference.
This map shows the ethnic distribution of people throughout Azerbaijan and neighboring countries. By using this map, we can see that the predominant ethnicity in Azerbaijan is Azeri and we have small sections with groups of Armenian, Avar, Tsakur and Lezgin peoples. Knowing that various people inhabit various areas of this country, we can better understand their social, political, or economic ties. While we can use this information to understand all aspects of culture, it will most help us understand social arrangements of culture such as language, food, dress, or familial life.
File:Caucasus-ethnic en.svg. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caucasus-ethnic_en.svg
In 1960, many countries were highly urbanized including the United States, China, & India. At this point in time, Azerbaijan was barely on the map when it came to urbanization of the country. Most of the country remained rural. The statistics for urbanization at this point in Azerbaijan rivaled that of Ethiopia and Malaysia. Over the years, Azerbaijan continued to progress however, at a slow pace. While cities like Baku are quite urbanized, most of the country today remains rural. As you can see in the below figures, Azerbaijan once rivaling Ethiopia and Malaysia, has now been surpassed by both countries in urbanization and can now be more closely compared to Zambia and Israel (in terms of urbanization).
In a speech given by Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan in 2014, he stated that over the last 10 years poverty has reduced from 49% to just 5.3% aver repeatedly raising wages and pensions. Look at the figures below, you will see that the level of poverty in 1995 was actually already quite low compared to many other countries on the map. Now compare that to the data gathered in 2008. In 2008, the dot over Azerbaijan representing poverty is just a tiny pin hole. While many other countries have reduced their poverty level through the years, less have reduced their poverty lines down to this level.
Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the official opening ceremony of the 4th Baku International Humanitarian Forum. (2014, October 2). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://en.president.az/articles/13038
Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the official opening ceremony of the 4th Baku International Humanitarian Forum. (2014, October 2). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://en.president.az/articles/13038
Being that much of Azerbaijan's population lives in rural areas, having modern, improved sanitation may be difficult to come by. Having improved sanitation will help prevent the spread of disease, ultimately helping the population thrive. Improved sanitation consists of things like flush/pour toilets, ventilation, sewer/septic access. The two figures below show the improved sanitation rates in rural Azerbaijan. In 1994, Azerbaijan's rural parts had access to improved sanitation in percentages comparable to Papua New Guinea. In 2010, even greater access to improved sanitation had reached rural parts of Azerbaijan and it rivaled that of rural parts of North Korea and Macedonia.
We all depend on agriculture for food and other resources. While many countries become less dependent on agriculture as they develop, others use this to their advantage and grow their agricultural domain in order to supply food and resources to others. Looking at the two figures below, we can see that from 1992 to 2009, the percentage of agricultural land in Azerbaijan grew slightly. By adding more agricultural land to their country, Azerbaijan will be able to provide more food for themselves and in turn make money selling that food to neighboring countries.
Religion in Modern Day Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has a rich religious history and today, is predominately occupied by followers of Islam. Muslims account for over 93 percent of the country’s population (Azerbaijan n.d.a) (see figure 1). While the vast majority of the population consists of Muslims, the country is also home to some followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. This rich history can be attributed to various rulers over what is now Azerbaijan (Religion in Azerbaijan n.d.). The history of these religions moving into Azerbaijan begins around the 3rd century B.C. with the introduction of Zoroastrianism brought by the Iranians who later adopted many local features of cultural Azerbaijan. Judaism and Christianity were introduced from the 3rd-4th centuries A.D. The most ancient Jewish communities (mountain Jews) arrived in Azerbaijan and remained on the border lands, preserving their religion and traditions while still maintaining a close relationship with the locals. After the introduction of Christianity, this religion remained a strong influence through the 10th and 11th centuries before experiencing great turmoil in the 1800s. Even today, we are still seeing churches become reestablished following abolishment during the 19th and 20th centuries. Islam, the dominant religion today, was the last of the Abrahamic religions to reach the area in the 600s. Many of the regions of Azerbaijan converted to Islam peacefully, others by force of the government. The spread of Islam continued through stages into the 1900s. (History of Religions n.d.)
Social development has been affected by religion in this country, however, it is quite possible that politics and government (Soviet rule) have actually affected social development more so by way of religion. During the 70 year period of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan, practicing Islam was banned. Many families would practice Islam in the privacy of their own home. However, if out in public during these years, people would not be able to pray during their prayer times or wear traditional dress, such as head coverings. When the Soviet Union was no longer in power in 1991, Azerbaijan began an Islamic revival that has reshaped the relationship between social development and religion. It is now common to find young people observing Muslim traditions in public and women who dress in accordance with Islamic tradition (Valiyev 2005). The adherence to traditional dress is one part of social development that differs in this Islamic country from others. Most women in Azerbaijan do not wear a traditional head covering. Of those who do, many only cover their head and neck and will color coordinate their scarves (see picture 1) with their outfits instead of wearing a traditional solid black scarf. In addition, the practicing of Islam is both based off of free-will and familial pressure. The adherence to Islam ranges from those who consider themselves Islamic, but do not practice (simply a part of their heritage), to those who are devout (Najafizadeh, 2012).
Mecca is the center of the Islamic world (see picture 2). The Prophet Muhammed and the religion of Islam was founded in this sacred city of Saudi Arabia. Muslims pray towards the city and are encouraged to take a pilgrimage to the city at least once in their lifetime (Mecca n.d.). While the importance of Mecca is known throughout the world, it is not the only sacred place to the Islamic faith. Many other sacred places exist and some of those are in Azerbaijan. Tazapir is a mosque serving as a religious center to the whole of the Caucasus and is located in Azerbaijan. It is home to the Caucasian Muslim Office (see picture 3). Many other sacred places exist in Azerbaijan and include many monuments and tombs of those who have been important in Islamic history. Three of these site have become places of pilgrimage including Aza piri which was a popular city consisting of art, trade and wine. Today, three gravestones (two without inscription) remain (Azerbaijan n.d.b).
According to an article by Shahla Sultanova (2013), Azerbaijan is the most secular Muslim country in the world. Azerbaijanis tend to take religious ceremonies and fasting the least serious among Muslim Nations. This attitude stems from their history under Soviet rule, during which they were officially an atheist Soviet republic. While they have since embraced Islam, their secular traditions have not diminished. The government does understand that Azerbaijan has an Islamic heritage but actively reinforces the secular orientation. Religion is not taught is public schools, mosques must be registered with the government, and there are controls over the selling of religious reading materials. In this same article, the chairperson of Baku’s non-profit Religious Research Center asserts that many of the people in Azerbaijan did not grow up with religious tradition due to the government rule from the Soviets. This leads much of the population open to questioning Islam.
The presence of religion in Azerbaijan today reminds me much of the attitude towards religion in the United States. While many people in the country are devout, it seems at the vast majority (especially young people) tend to use religion as a means of exploring their heritage rather than an identifier of the self. In addition, many people use this heritage of religion for morals, but do not necessarily feel the pressure to be a devout follower. In Azerbaijan, this attitude towards having a secular state, most likely stems from the 70 years under Soviet rule where religion was not emphasized.
Azerbaijan. (n.d.a). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Azerbaijan.html
Azerbaijan. (n.d.b). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.azerbaijans.com/content_504_en.html
History of Religions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.azerbaijan.az/_GeneralInfo/_TraditionReligion/_traditionReligion_e.html
Mecca. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/saudi_arabia/mecca.html
Najafizadeh, M. (2012, March 22). Gender and ideology: Social change and Islam in post-Soviet Azerbaijan. Journal of Third World Studies. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Gender and ideology: social change and Islam in post-Soviet...-a0302297495
Religion in Azerbaijan. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.advantour.com/azerbaijan/religion.htm
Sultanova, S. (2013, August 15). Azerbaijan: Islam Comes with a Secular Face. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67396
Valiyev, A. (2005, December 8). FrontPage Magazine - Azerbaijan: Islam in a Post-Soviet Republic. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=6401
Social development has been affected by religion in this country, however, it is quite possible that politics and government (Soviet rule) have actually affected social development more so by way of religion. During the 70 year period of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan, practicing Islam was banned. Many families would practice Islam in the privacy of their own home. However, if out in public during these years, people would not be able to pray during their prayer times or wear traditional dress, such as head coverings. When the Soviet Union was no longer in power in 1991, Azerbaijan began an Islamic revival that has reshaped the relationship between social development and religion. It is now common to find young people observing Muslim traditions in public and women who dress in accordance with Islamic tradition (Valiyev 2005). The adherence to traditional dress is one part of social development that differs in this Islamic country from others. Most women in Azerbaijan do not wear a traditional head covering. Of those who do, many only cover their head and neck and will color coordinate their scarves (see picture 1) with their outfits instead of wearing a traditional solid black scarf. In addition, the practicing of Islam is both based off of free-will and familial pressure. The adherence to Islam ranges from those who consider themselves Islamic, but do not practice (simply a part of their heritage), to those who are devout (Najafizadeh, 2012).
Mecca is the center of the Islamic world (see picture 2). The Prophet Muhammed and the religion of Islam was founded in this sacred city of Saudi Arabia. Muslims pray towards the city and are encouraged to take a pilgrimage to the city at least once in their lifetime (Mecca n.d.). While the importance of Mecca is known throughout the world, it is not the only sacred place to the Islamic faith. Many other sacred places exist and some of those are in Azerbaijan. Tazapir is a mosque serving as a religious center to the whole of the Caucasus and is located in Azerbaijan. It is home to the Caucasian Muslim Office (see picture 3). Many other sacred places exist in Azerbaijan and include many monuments and tombs of those who have been important in Islamic history. Three of these site have become places of pilgrimage including Aza piri which was a popular city consisting of art, trade and wine. Today, three gravestones (two without inscription) remain (Azerbaijan n.d.b).
According to an article by Shahla Sultanova (2013), Azerbaijan is the most secular Muslim country in the world. Azerbaijanis tend to take religious ceremonies and fasting the least serious among Muslim Nations. This attitude stems from their history under Soviet rule, during which they were officially an atheist Soviet republic. While they have since embraced Islam, their secular traditions have not diminished. The government does understand that Azerbaijan has an Islamic heritage but actively reinforces the secular orientation. Religion is not taught is public schools, mosques must be registered with the government, and there are controls over the selling of religious reading materials. In this same article, the chairperson of Baku’s non-profit Religious Research Center asserts that many of the people in Azerbaijan did not grow up with religious tradition due to the government rule from the Soviets. This leads much of the population open to questioning Islam.
The presence of religion in Azerbaijan today reminds me much of the attitude towards religion in the United States. While many people in the country are devout, it seems at the vast majority (especially young people) tend to use religion as a means of exploring their heritage rather than an identifier of the self. In addition, many people use this heritage of religion for morals, but do not necessarily feel the pressure to be a devout follower. In Azerbaijan, this attitude towards having a secular state, most likely stems from the 70 years under Soviet rule where religion was not emphasized.
Azerbaijan. (n.d.a). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Azerbaijan.html
Azerbaijan. (n.d.b). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.azerbaijans.com/content_504_en.html
History of Religions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.azerbaijan.az/_GeneralInfo/_TraditionReligion/_traditionReligion_e.html
Mecca. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/saudi_arabia/mecca.html
Najafizadeh, M. (2012, March 22). Gender and ideology: Social change and Islam in post-Soviet Azerbaijan. Journal of Third World Studies. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Gender and ideology: social change and Islam in post-Soviet...-a0302297495
Religion in Azerbaijan. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.advantour.com/azerbaijan/religion.htm
Sultanova, S. (2013, August 15). Azerbaijan: Islam Comes with a Secular Face. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67396
Valiyev, A. (2005, December 8). FrontPage Magazine - Azerbaijan: Islam in a Post-Soviet Republic. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=6401
Figure 1: This map shows the religious preferences of many countries in the Middle East. Focus on Azerbaijan in the blue circle. As you can see from the legend on the bottom right of the map, most of this country is comprised of Shia Muslims of Turkic origin (purple). The Small areas of brown coloring close to the north border and Armenia signify the clusters of non-muslim people who account for less than 7% of the country. White signifies no data or scarcely populated.
Map attained from: Download Free World Ethnicity & Religion Maps. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.mapcruzin.com/free-world-ethnic-religion-maps.htm
Food Culture
Azerbaijan hosts a variety of food and ingredients due to its mountain and subtropical climates. The food is typically very substantial, nutritious and is rich in calories. Typical ingredients include beef, mutton, poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables and plenty of herbs and spices.
Some famous dishes include rice pilaf, cooked much differently than we do in the United States. The Azerbaijani pilaf uses saffron and is enriched with meat or vegetables. Some recipes are more unusual containing milk, eggs or nuts. This dish is best washed down with a sorbet. The flavored kebab is also popular, made from lamb or sturgeon and seasoned with a sour spice and cooked in a tandoor or on a grill. A final, very popular dish is soup. Azerbaijanis eat it hot, cold, with yogurt, flour or ballotines. It is served with salad, veggies, greens and pickles or somethings churek and lavash (breads).
Azerbaijan also has their own ‘fast food’, a kutab. This dish as a crescent shaped parry stuffed with meat and fried in oil. The vegetarian version has spinach, coriander, fennel, pomegranate and feta cheese.
After a meal, Azerbaijanis have tea with various sweets and jams. The sweet pastries include ingredients like poppy seeds, walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, ginger and cardamom. Baklava is a popular sweet and each region of the country has its own recipe. The jams are made from watermelon, white dogwood and young walnuts, sometimes even olives. Served with a sweet buffet of nuts, raisins, syrups and pressed sugar, the treats are usually washed down with black tea served in pear shaped glasses (armuda). Tea is also over served before lunch to guests as Azerbaijanis are very hospitable and cordial to company.
Each region of Azerbaijan has its own special ‘brand’. Some of these have been adapted from other countries such as the gyurza, made in Baku. Gyurza is very similar to the Russian dumpling. These adaptations and adoptions of food from other countries could be due to the different people who have been in control of the country through the years. This dish is a dumpling in lamb broth. The dumplings are created by a special pinching technique that requires some practice. See the recipe for Sheki Gyurza (lamb dumplings) below.
Religion plays a small part in what the people of Azerbaijan eat. While being a very secular country, the Islamic background has shown a slight trend in food choices. Older generations seem to embrace pre-Soviet food practices less than the newer generation of Azerbaijanis.
A quick history of religion and food in Azerbaijan starts when Islam reached the country in the 7th century, many foods including pork, shellfish, caviar and sturgeon were forbidden. Meats that were permitted to be eaten were required to be prepared a certain way with the animal facing Mecca during slaughter. Alcohol was also forbidden. During Soviet rule in the 1900s, the country moved away from the Islamic food practices as most of them were forbidden to practice. Today, being a secular nation, there are no laws about foods that are forbidden and the choice is up to the individual. Younger Azerbaijanis are beginning to embrace their Islamic religion and some do practice eating according to their religion.
Some famous dishes include rice pilaf, cooked much differently than we do in the United States. The Azerbaijani pilaf uses saffron and is enriched with meat or vegetables. Some recipes are more unusual containing milk, eggs or nuts. This dish is best washed down with a sorbet. The flavored kebab is also popular, made from lamb or sturgeon and seasoned with a sour spice and cooked in a tandoor or on a grill. A final, very popular dish is soup. Azerbaijanis eat it hot, cold, with yogurt, flour or ballotines. It is served with salad, veggies, greens and pickles or somethings churek and lavash (breads).
Azerbaijan also has their own ‘fast food’, a kutab. This dish as a crescent shaped parry stuffed with meat and fried in oil. The vegetarian version has spinach, coriander, fennel, pomegranate and feta cheese.
After a meal, Azerbaijanis have tea with various sweets and jams. The sweet pastries include ingredients like poppy seeds, walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, ginger and cardamom. Baklava is a popular sweet and each region of the country has its own recipe. The jams are made from watermelon, white dogwood and young walnuts, sometimes even olives. Served with a sweet buffet of nuts, raisins, syrups and pressed sugar, the treats are usually washed down with black tea served in pear shaped glasses (armuda). Tea is also over served before lunch to guests as Azerbaijanis are very hospitable and cordial to company.
Each region of Azerbaijan has its own special ‘brand’. Some of these have been adapted from other countries such as the gyurza, made in Baku. Gyurza is very similar to the Russian dumpling. These adaptations and adoptions of food from other countries could be due to the different people who have been in control of the country through the years. This dish is a dumpling in lamb broth. The dumplings are created by a special pinching technique that requires some practice. See the recipe for Sheki Gyurza (lamb dumplings) below.
Religion plays a small part in what the people of Azerbaijan eat. While being a very secular country, the Islamic background has shown a slight trend in food choices. Older generations seem to embrace pre-Soviet food practices less than the newer generation of Azerbaijanis.
A quick history of religion and food in Azerbaijan starts when Islam reached the country in the 7th century, many foods including pork, shellfish, caviar and sturgeon were forbidden. Meats that were permitted to be eaten were required to be prepared a certain way with the animal facing Mecca during slaughter. Alcohol was also forbidden. During Soviet rule in the 1900s, the country moved away from the Islamic food practices as most of them were forbidden to practice. Today, being a secular nation, there are no laws about foods that are forbidden and the choice is up to the individual. Younger Azerbaijanis are beginning to embrace their Islamic religion and some do practice eating according to their religion.
Sheki Gyurza
Ingredients for the Broth:
Lamb – 450g (1lb) Onion – 1 small size Saffron or turmeric – ½ teaspoon Salt Ingredients for the Dough: Flour – 2-3 cups Egg – 1 Salt – ½ teaspoon Water – ½ cup Ingredients for the Filling: Grounded lamb or beef with 15% fat – 250g (8oz) Onion – 1 small size Salt – ½ teaspoon Pepper – ¼ teaspoon Preparing the broth in advance. Place meat into a saucepan and fill with water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil. Add pееled onion, a pinch of saffron or turmeric, and season with salt to taste. Simmer for about an hour. Strain through a fine mesh colander. Preparing the dough. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the egg, salt and water, and start kneading the dough until it is soft and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a plastic wrap, and set aside for 20 minutes to rest before rolling. Preparing the filling. In a bowl, combine the grounded meat with finely chopped or grounded onion, and season with salt and pepper. Mix filling well and set aside. Preparing Gyurza. Dust your working place with flour and start rolling out the dough into a large thin circle, approximately 1-2 mm thick. Cut the dough into circles with upside-down drinking glass or round shape pastry cutter. Place a teaspoon of filling into the middle of each circle, fold them and pinch the ends together in a braiding style. Leave a small hole on the edge. Cooking Gyurza. Put Gyurza in the boiling broth and gently mix them with a wooden spoon, so they don’t stick together. Lower the heat and simmer them for 10 minutes until dough is tender. Sprinkle with dried mint or fresh chopped cilantro. Serve hot with vinegar mixed with chopped garlic. |
References
8.3 You Are What You Eat - Islamic Food Practices and Azerbaijani Identity - Farid Alakbarli. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/83_folder/83_articles/83_islamic.html
Azerbaijani Cuisine. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://www.advantour.com/azerbaijan/cuisine.htm
Gyurza Sheki style - Flavors of Baku. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://flavorsofbaku.com/portfolio-view/gyurza-sheki-style/
Azerbaijani Cuisine. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://www.advantour.com/azerbaijan/cuisine.htm
Gyurza Sheki style - Flavors of Baku. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://flavorsofbaku.com/portfolio-view/gyurza-sheki-style/