(stone cave paintings) made thousands of years ago to the
development of a unique type of music called “mugham jazz”
in the 1960s. Over the centuries, it was conquered by both the
Persian and Russian empires. Azerbaijan is famous for its
beautiful, hand-woven carpets and is rich in two kinds of
“black gold” – oil and caviar (fish eggs!).
can watch TV channels in three
different languages - Azeri,
Russian AND Turkish! Many
also choose to study English in
school.
of Norway which created the
Nobel Prizes made much of its
fortune in the Azerbaijan oil
industry in the 19th century.
became an independent country. About the size of Maine, over 7
million people live there now. Look for Azerbaijan on the map south
of Russia and north of Iran, with the Black Sea to its west and the
Caspian Sea to its east. You will also find several mountain ranges in
Azerbaijan, including the Caucasus and the Talysh Mountains.
Novruz, or the Spring Equinox, which falls on March 20th in
2005. It is celebrated with family feasts, spring cleaning - and
jumping over bonfires! Novruz has symbolized rebirth, a fresh
start and the new year for over 3,000 years, from ancient
Mesopotamia to present day Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran,
Turkey and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
Novruz “trick-or-treating” -
they leave a hat on the
doorstep, knock and hide…
and whoever opens the door
must put candy in the hat!