What do women wear in Azerbaijan? Research project on the topic: “Making of the national Azerbaijani costume. No coat needed

In archaeological excavations reflecting the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC), bronze awls and needles were discovered on the territory of Azerbaijan, indicating that the ancient inhabitants of Azerbaijan sewed their own clothes.
Clay figurines from the area of Kul-Tepe (2nd millennium BC) and Mingachevir (1st millennium BC), images on signet rings also discovered in Mipgechaur (5th century BC) , give some idea of the forms of clothing of that time.
In the catacomb burials of Mingachevir dating back to the 5th–6th centuries, remains of silk fabrics were found. The high level of material culture of the ancestors of the Azerbaijani people is evidenced by numerous jewelry made of precious metal (III-IV centuries) and clay vessels made in the shape of boots.
From excavations in the tomb of the Shirvanshahs' palace (XV century) in Baku, during the opening of the tomb, remains of rich brocade and silk fabrics were discovered.

Children's costume for girls. Baku. 19th century

The abundance and low cost of raw materials created favorable conditions for the development of silk weaving, wool weaving and other branches of weaving in the medieval cities of Azerbaijan.
In the 17th century, Azerbaijan was a large sericulture region in the Middle East, and the Shirvan province was the main sericulture region of Azerbaijan. An important weaving center of Azerbaijan was Shamakhi along with its surroundings (Shabran, Aresh, Kabala, Cevat, Agdash, etc.). About this, Adam Olearius writes the following: “The main occupation of them (the Shirvans. - Authors) is yarn, weaving silk and wool, and various embroideries.”

Children's suit for a boy. Sheki. Early 19th century

The fabrics made in Shemakha were especially famous - taffeta (Shemakha), fai, darai. Shemakha gold-woven scarves and lace were in great demand among the population.
Weaving was widely developed in cities such as Ganja, Nakhichevan, Maraga, Marand, Aresh, Ordubad. Among them, Ganja, one of the centers of silk weaving, should be especially highlighted.
Evliya Celebi (XVII century) writes that Ganja silk was very famous. The production of cotton fabrics also occupied a large place in the urban craft of Ganja.
The production of fabrics of various quality was concentrated in the city of Tabriz. He was especially famous for velvet, satin, red and motley fabrics. Some of these fabrics were also exported.
Skilled artisan weavers of Nakhichevan produced a lot of cheap, but beautiful and high-quality cotton fabrics. Nakhichevan dyed calicoes were in great demand.
Thus, in the 17th century in Azerbaijan there was to some extent a specialization of cities in the production of fabrics, which persisted in the future.

Woman suit. Shemakha. 19th century

The following fabrics were produced in Azerbaijan: zarbaft, brocade, satin, taffeta, canaus, damask, muslin, velvet, darai, makhud, shawl, tirmya, motley, calico, calico, etc. Some of them also had other names that were common in Azerbaijani colloquial speech. For example: gaji mana bah – gaji, look at me; geja gunduz – night and day; gendya dur - step aside; alyshdym yandym - I’m flaming, kyucha mana dar gyalir - the street is too small for me, etc. These fabrics were consumed by the local population and exported outside the country.
Fabrics are one of the elements of the culture of the people. The specifics of their ornaments and colors indicate the national and social affiliation of the owner.

Woman suit. Baku. 19th century

If women's clothing was made mainly from silk and velvet, then for men's clothing they used mainly makhud - locally produced or imported cloth, as well as shawls - homespun woolen fabric. Underwear, both women's and men's, was made from linen and cotton fabrics; sometimes in rich families the undershirts were silk.
In the 19th century, the most important centers for the production of silk fabrics in Azerbaijan were Shemakha, Baskal, Ganja, Sheki, Shusha. Here they produced fabrics of amazing subtlety, sophistication and beauty of patterns, silk women's headscarves, and dzhejims - silk striped fabrics.
A valuable source for the study of clothing are medieval miniatures and works of applied art, especially the frescoes of the Sheki Khan's Palace (XVIII century).
For the history of the Azerbaijani national costume of the 19th century, sketches from life by Russian artists V.V. Vereshchagin and G.G. Gagarin, who visited Baku, Shemakha, Sheki, Ganja, and Kazakh, are of particular interest.

Arkhalyg female. Shusha. 19th century

The clothing of Azerbaijanis was basically the same in all the named historical and ethnographic zones, which indicates their historically established ethnic community. Minor differences in the clothing of the population of these zones reflect the local characteristics of the unified Azerbaijani national costume.
Festive and wedding clothes were usually made from more expensive fabrics and more richly decorated.
The style of the suit reflected the marital status and age of its owner. The girl's costume was noticeably different from the married woman's. Young women dressed most brightly and elegantly. Girls and older women wore much less jewelry.
Men's costume, like women's, was basically the same in all historical and ethnographic zones. At the same time, the men’s costume also reflected the class affiliation of its wearer.
Children's clothing is identical in shape to the costume of adults; it differs from it in size and some features caused by the age of its owners.<...>

Kurdu. Shusha. 19th century

Azerbaijani women's clothing of the 19th – early 20th centuries. consisted of underwear and outerwear, which in turn was divided into shoulder and waist clothing.
In Azerbaijan, one can conditionally distinguish a number of historical and ethnographic zones. The largest zones were Cuba - Khachmas, Absheron, Lankaran - Astara, Shamakhi, Karabakh, Nakhichevan - Ordubad, Kutkashen - Vartashen, Sheki - Zakatali, Ganja, Shamkhor - Kazakh.
Women's upper shoulder clothing consisted mainly of ustkoinyaia (outer shirt), arkhalyg, chepken, labbada, kuljadzhi, kurdu, eshmyak, bahari. From the upper waist women's clothing, the album includes a fog (skirt) and a chakhchur.
UST KYOINYAI (shirt) had a straight cut, it was sewn without a shoulder seam. A straight, long and wide sleeve was sewn to a straight armhole; Sometimes two or three folds were placed on the sleeve at the shoulder. A khishdyak (gusset) was sewn under the armpit of the shirt, usually from a fabric of a different color. The shirt was fastened at the neck with one button. The outer shirt was usually made from canausa and faille silk. The neckline of the collar, the edges of the sleeves and the hem of the shirt were trimmed with saryma (cord). Gold or silver coins or eteklik - gold stamped plaques - were sewn to the hem in the front of the shirt.

Fog. Ganja. 19th century

CHEPKEN is a widespread type of women's upper shoulder clothing. The chepken was sewn with a lining and fitted the figure tightly. On the sides the chepken had chapyg - small protrusions. A distinctive feature of the chepken, in comparison with other types of women's outerwear, is the presence of long false sleeves ending in an elchek - a cape reminiscent of a hand. Such sleeves hung freely from the shoulder. Sometimes there were fasteners along the cut of the sleeves. The sleeves of the chapkens were lined with expensive silk fabrics in contrasting tones. Caps were made from tyrym, velvet and various brocade fabrics. The chepken was decorated with braid, bias tape made from another fabric, and gold lace.
ARKHALIG is also a widespread type of women's upper shoulder clothing throughout Azerbaijan. There were various types of Arkhalygs.
Arkhalygs were sewn with a lining, some of them tightly fitted the figure to the waist, and a basque of varying widths was sewn to the belt. It could be folded or assembled into a small assembly. There were also straight short arkhalygs without a waist line, with small protrusions on the sides. The sleeves of the Arkhalygs also differed in cut. There were straight long sleeves. Another type of sleeve up to the elbow was straight and sewn, and then it took the form of a false sleeve, ending with an elchek - a cape, slightly longer than the hand. The third type of arkhalyg sleeves is the so-called lelyufyar. Below the elbow, such a sleeve diverged into a wide bell. A frill folded into the fold was sewn to the cuff of the lelufiar sleeve. The deep cut of the Arkhalyg collar was mainly of the square type, with straight or rounded corners. There were also archalygs with straight non-converging floors without fasteners. Other types of arkhalygs were fastened in front with hooks or buttons.

Fog. Fragment. Nakhchivan. 19th century

Velvet, tirma and various brocade fabrics were used for sewing arkhalygs. Arkhalygs were richly decorated with various ribbons and gold lace, etc.
LABBADA was sewn on a quilted lining. The front floors of the labbad did not cover the chest, but were tied with braid at the waistline.
Labbada was sewn short, just below the waist, with chapyg - protrusions - on the sides. The sleeves were up to the elbow, and there was a large slit under the armpit. Labbada was made from tirmya, velvet and various types of brocade fabrics. The hem, collar and sleeves were richly decorated with braid and gold lace.
ESHMYAK – quilted women's outerwear. The hem of the ashmyak did not meet at the chest, the sleeves were up to the elbow, and there was a large cutout under the armpit. Eshmyak was sewn from tirm and velvet. The collar, hem and sleeves were trimmed with ferret fur. The ashmyak inside was also lined with ferret fur. The collar, sleeves and hem were trimmed with gold lace and various ribbons.

Woman suit. Shusha. 19th century

KURDU – quilted sleeveless vest. The front floors do not meet; there are protrusions with a cut on the sides. They sewed kurdu from tirm and velvet. The collar, hem, cuts and armholes of the sleeves were sheathed with ferret fur. There was also another type of kurdu, called Khorasan kurdu, brought by pilgrims from the countries of the Middle East. They are sewn from dark yellow suede, and their entire surface is embroidered with silk threads of the same color.
BAHARI - sewn on a quilted lining. The bakhari fitted the figure tightly to the waist, and the hem was sewn to the waist in small gathers. The length of the bahari is usually to the hips. Straight sleeves, elbow length. The front flaps do not fasten. Bahari was made mainly from velvet. The hem, collar and edges of the sleeves were decorated with various braids, oblique trim from another fabric, and gold lace.
KULYADZHA - women's outerwear, cut at the waist. The hem was sewn to the belt with small gathers. Kuljaja did not have fasteners. The length of the culage reached the knees. Straight sleeves, three quarters. Kuljaja was made from tirm and velvet. The collar, hem, waistline and sleeves were often decorated with rich embroidery with gold and silver threads, beads, sequins, and spirals.
The upper waist clothing of an Azerbaijani woman consisted of a tuman - a skirt reaching to the ankle, with the exception of the Nakhichevan - Ordubad zone. The skirts there are short. The skirt was made from 10–12 fabrics. Most women usually wore 5-6 skirts at once. Skirts worn between the lower body skirt and the upper skirt were called ara tumans, that is, intermediate skirts. All the skirts at the waist were gathered into a buzma - a small assembly or gyrchyn - folds. Fog bagi, a homemade braided cord made from colored silk threads, was pulled into the hem of the skirts. Both ends of this cord ended in tassels made of colored, silver and gold threads. Skirts were made from a wide variety of fabrics, ranging from chintz to the most expensive ones, including velvet and tirmya. They mainly decorated the hem of the skirt: they sewed gold or silver lace, bias tape from another fabric, and various ribbons.

Shoemag. Baskal. 19th century

In cities, when going out into the streets, women wore a chakhchur, consisting of two trousers, over all their skirts; Each trouser leg at the ankle was gathered into a small gather in the form of a cuff, to which socks sewn from the same fabric were sewn. Each chakhchur trouser leg was independent. Chakhchur was made from silk fabrics.
To decorate women's outerwear, there was a large amount of home-made and handicraft bafta (braid) - saryma, garagoz, zyandzhirya and shakhpesend (gold or silver lace). In addition, inch gozas were also used as decorations - hollow gold or silver jewelry, shaped like a bud. They were sewn along the neckline on the chest. Stamped gold or silver midakhyl, eteklik - plaques of various shapes were sewn to the hem of the shirt; Gold coins called imperials were widely used. To decorate women's clothing with embroidery, they used gulyabatyn - gold or silver threads, beads, sparkles, etc.
Women's outer clothing was also decorated with gold stamped plaques sewn onto the collar, sleeves and hem.
Over arkhalygs or chepkens, women wore kamyar - gold or silver belts. Wide leather belts with silver coins and a silver buckle sewn onto them were also widespread.
Of the women's headdresses, the most widespread were kelagai, naz-iaz, gaz-gaz and orpyak - silk scarves. In Azerbaijan, kelagai were of local handicraft production. The main centers of kelagai production were the cities of Ganja, Shemakha and Sheki.
In some places, women wore an arakhchyn under a scarf - a low cap with a flat bottom, most often with sewn gold stamped decorations.
The veil is mainly typical for women living in the city and suburban villages. When leaving home, a woman was obliged to put on a veil or charshab over her entire outfit, wrapping herself in it from head to toe. The veil could be plain satin, checkered, or colored silk, mostly locally produced. An obligatory accessory of the veil was also a rubend - a veil over the face, with an openwork mesh for the eyes.

Uzun bogaz gadyn chekmyasi. Ganja. 19th century

The national clothing of Azerbaijani men can also be divided into lower (body) and upper - shoulder and waist.
The outer clothing of the Azerbaijanis consisted of mouth koinyi (shirt), arkhalyg, chukha (shoulder clothing) and shalvar (waist clothing). It should be noted that this complex of folk costume was widespread throughout almost all of Azerbaijan, with minor local changes that concerned, in particular, the upper shoulder clothing.
There were two types of koynyai lips - with a straight clasp in the front in the middle and a kosovorotka. Both types of shirts had a low standing and stitched collar. They were fastened with small buttons made of silk cord or hooks. Shirts were sewn mainly from satin and satin.
ARHALYG - Men's upper shoulder clothing; detachable, at the waist gathered in a small assembly or pleat. The sleeves are straight, tapering down. Up to the waist, the arkhalyg fit snugly to the body. Arkhalygs were sewn single-breasted or double-breasted with a low stitched stand-up collar and fastened tightly with hooks and buttons. Arkhalyg was sewn from silk, cashmere, satin, cloth, rep, satin, eraser and other fabrics. Over the arkhalyg, young people put on leather belts - gayysh or silver stacked belts - kamyar, and old people wrapped their waists with gurshag - a piece of rectangular fabric 4-6 meters long. Expensive fabrics were used for gurshag - tirma, shawl, brocade, etc.

Men's suit. Shusha. 19th century

CHUHA - another type of upper men's shoulder clothing. It was detachable, at the waist it was laid in folds or assembled into an assembly. The chest remained open, and an arkhalyg could be seen from under the chukha. The chukha was lined with cotton or silk fabric up to the waist line, and fastened at the waist with hooks and buttons. There were two types of chukha in Azerbaijan: vyaznyali chukha and charkyazi chukha.
An obligatory attribute of the chukha vyaznya was vyaznya - gozyri, which were located on both sides of the chest. Vyazna initially served as sockets for cartridges, later, in the course of the evolution of the costume, they acquired a purely decorative character. Gozyrs began to be made of wood; in the upper part, protruding from the sockets, they had caps made of gold, silver with niello or gilding and ivory. Sometimes gold or silver chains extended upward from the gozyrs, which were then connected together with a rosette. The sleeves of this type of chukha were sewn long and straight.
The Charkyazi Chukha differed from the Vyaznyali Chukha in the cut of the sleeves and the absence of gozyrs. The elchek, ending with a rounded or pointed cape, and the sleeves of the charkazi chukha, lined with silk, were false. At the bottom, these sleeves had a full-length slit, with or without fastenings with small buttons and loops. Typically, such sleeves were turned up to the elbow, thrown back over the shoulders, onto the back, or they hung freely. The length of the chukha varied. It could be long, reaching to the ankles, or short, just below the knees. Chukha was made from makhud - cloth and shawl - homespun woolen fabric. The chukha was decorated with braids, gold cord and bias tape made from another fabric.

Arakhchin. Baku. 19th century

SHALWAR - refers to the upper belt of men's clothing. They consist of two straight legs that taper towards the bottom. A triangular clip was inserted into the inguinal seam. At the waist, the shalwar was tied with a fog bagi - a braided silk cord threaded into a bodice - a restraint. The cords were homemade with beautiful tassels of gold and silver threads. Shalwar was made from shawls and various factory fabrics.
KYURK – outer winter clothing for men. This is a sheepskin coat with fur inside, without fasteners, with a collar. Kirk below the knees. In cities and shopping centers they wore Khorasan kyurku - a fur coat made of yellow tanned leather with embroidered patterns. In the mountains, peasant shepherds wore yapyndzhi - a burka.
The headdress was an important element in the clothing of Azerbaijani men; great importance was attached to it. Walking with your head uncovered was considered a great shame. The most common types of men's headdresses were fur hats of various shapes: bukhara papag and charkyazi papag (made of black, gray or brown astrakhan fur), shala papag (worn by shepherds) made of lamb fur and others. Arakhchyn - skullcaps made of tyrmya and silk with various embroideries, often gold embroidery - were widely used. Elderly men and old people also wore a tyasyak under a fur hat - a small quilted skullcap made of white calico. At night, men wore shabkulakh - conical caps, quilted or embroidered, lined.

Shabkulakh. Sheki. 19th century

Jorab – knitted socks – were widespread throughout Azerbaijan. They were knitted from home-made and dyed wool and silk threads. Jorabs were worn by men and women, children and old people. Azerbaijani jorabs were distinguished by their rich ornamentation and bright colors. Their patterns resemble those of carpets, embroideries, printed heels and fabrics. The socks were long, up to the knees, and short, above the ankles.
In Azerbaijan, multi-colored morocco shoes were very common. The most widely used footwear for both women and men was bashmag - shoes. Women more often wore embroidered shoes and boots with morocco or cloth tops. Men's shoes usually did not have decorations; they were made from tanned and rawhide. In cities, men wore leather shoes made in craft workshops. In rural areas, men wore charyg - posts made of rawhide, the upper part of which was woven with ties made of woolen cord.
The jewelry, in turn, complemented the costume and clearly emphasized the national character of the clothing.

Jorab. Baku. 19th century

The materials used to make jewelry were gold and silver. Precious and semi-precious stones used were diamonds, diamonds, emeralds, yachts, rubies, pearls, turquoise, and carnelian. The centers of jewelry production were the cities of Azerbaijan: Baku, Ganja, Shemakha, Sheki, Nakhichevan, Shusha. Local jewelers supplied the population with all types of jewelry. Among the imported products, it should be said about women's and men's silver belts with niello - kamyar, togga - the work of Kubachi masters. Azerbaijani women loved jewelry and wore them in large quantities.
A complete set of jewelry and ornaments of a particular woman was called imarat. This included a wide variety of head and neck jewelry, rings, earrings and bracelets.

List of used literature:

1. Aristova T. F., Kurds of Transcaucasia, M., 1966.
2. Huseynov A.I., Azerbaijani-Russian relations of the 15th–18th centuries, Baku, 1963.
3. Heydarov M. X., Craft production in the cities of Azerbaijan in the 17th century, Baku, 1967.
4. Dvornikova I. A., Russian and Ukrainian traditions in the clothing of the population of the north-eastern regions of Ukraine. – “Soviet ethnography”, 1968, No. 1.
5. Dvornikova I. A., Russian and Ukrainian traditions in the clothing of the population of the river basin. Kuban (late XIX - early XX centuries). – “Soviet ethnography”, 1964, No. 1.
6. Izmailova A. A., About folk clothing of the population of the south-eastern regions of Azerbaijan. – “Izvestia of the Academy of Sciences of the AzSSR. Series of Social Sciences", No. 4, 1964.
7. Karakashly K.T., Material culture of Azerbaijanis in the northeastern and central zones of the Lesser Caucasus (historical and ethnographic study), Baku, 1964.
8. Kilchevskaya 3. A., Azerbaijani women's costume of the 19th century from the village of Ojek, Khaldan region. - Sat. “Material culture of Azerbaijan”, vol. II, Baku, 1951.
9. Lobacheva I.P., On the history of Central Asian costume. – “Soviet ethnography”, 1965, No. 6.
10. Maslova G.S., Changes in the traditional Ryazan folk costume during the years of Soviet power. – “Soviet ethnography”, 1966, No. 5.
11. Maslova G.S. Folk clothing of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians in the 19th – early 20th centuries. East Slavic ethnographic collection. - “Proceedings of the Institute of Ethnography”, vol. XXXI, M, 1956.
12. “Peoples of the Caucasus”, collection, vol. II, M, 1962.
13. Rusyaykina S.P., Folk clothing of the Tajiks of the Garm region of the Tajik SSR. Central Asian ethnographic collection (II). - “Proceedings of the Institute of Ethnography”, vol. XLVII, M., 1959.
14. Studenetskaya E.I., About modern folk clothing. - “Soviet ethnography”, 1963, No. 2.
15. Studenetskaya E.I., Clothing of the peoples of the Caucasus (On collecting materials for the Caucasian historical and ethnographic atlas). – “Soviet ethnography”, 1967, No. 3.
16. “Tatars of the Middle Volga and Urals”, M., “Science”, 1967.
17. Efendiev R., Samples of material culture of Azerbaijan, Baku, 1960.

From the book: Azerbaijani national clothes. M.: “Iskusstvo”, 1972. pp. 14–18.

Azerbaijani national costume(Azerb. Azərbaycan Milli geyimləri ) was created as a result of long processes of development of the material and spiritual culture of the Azerbaijani people, it is closely connected with its history and reflects its national specificity.

The costume reflected the ethnographic, historical, and artistic features of folk art, which was also manifested in the creation of certain forms. Azerbaijani art makes itself felt in decorating costumes with artistic embroidery, weaving and knitting.

Hats [ | ]

This is how one of the authors of the late 19th century describes the making of a hat:

“First, the skin is sewn into the shape of a hat, then they turn it inside out and spread cotton wool or tracing paper on its bare side to make the hat soft. A sheet of sugar paper is placed on top of the cotton wool or tracing paper; from this, the papaq retains its given shape; Of course, the sugar leaf is cut to the shape and size of the hat. Then, on top of the sugar sheet, they sew a lining of some material and turn the hat on the hairy side. The finished papakh is lightly beaten with a stick for 4-5 minutes, sprinkling it with water; At this time, they hold the papakh on their left hand, putting it on it. Then at about 5-6 o'clock, the papaks are put on the blockhead. This is where the making of the papakha ends.”

Shoes [ | ]

Woolen socks - “jorab” - were widespread in Azerbaijan. City dwellers wore leather shoes with turned-up toes and no backs. Boots were common among aristocrats. Among the rural residents there were leather or rawhide shoes called Charygi - “charykh”.

Women's clothing [ | ]

The women's national costume of Azerbaijanis consists of lower and outer clothing. It includes a bag-like cover - "veil" and a face curtain - "ruben" which women wore when leaving home. Outerwear was made from brightly colored fabrics, the quality of which depended on the wealth of the family. The clothing also included many different types of jewelry. Gold and silver beads, buttons stylized as large grains of barley, low coins, openwork pendants, chains, etc. were popular. The young, unlike the elderly, wore lighter clothes with bright colors.

Hats [ | ]

It consisted of caps in the form of a bag or caps of various shapes. Several scarves were worn over them. Women hid their hair in a “chutgu” - a special mowing bag. The head was covered with a low cylindrical cap. More often it was made of velvet. They tied it over it

Azerbaijani national costume was created as a result of long processes of development of the material and spiritual culture of the Azerbaijani people, it is closely connected with its history and reflects its national specifics.

Hats

Male dance in national costume

This is how one of the authors of the late 19th century describes the making of a hat:

“First, the skin is sewn into the shape of a hat, then they turn it inside out and spread cotton wool or tracing paper on its bare side to make the hat soft. A sheet of sugar paper is placed on top of the cotton wool or tracing paper; from this, the papaq retains its given shape; Of course, the sugar leaf is cut to the shape and size of the hat. Then, on top of the sugar sheet, they sew a lining of some material and turn the hat on the hairy side. The finished papakh is lightly beaten with a stick for 4-5 minutes, sprinkling it with water; At this time, the papaks are held on the left hand, put on it. Then at about 5-6 o'clock, the papaks are put on the blockhead. This is where the making of the papakha ends.”

Bashlyk - consisted of a hood and long rounded ends wrapped around the neck. In winter, they wore a cap made of cloth and wool. In Shirvan, hoods made of camel wool, the lining of which was sewn from colored silk fabric, were especially valued, since when the ears of the hood were thrown over the shoulders, the lining was visible. Usually the bashlyk accompanied the yapyndzhi.

Arakhchin was worn under other headdresses (papakha, turban for women). It was a typical traditional headdress of Azerbaijanis, widespread back in the Middle Ages.

Emmame - (a type of turban) was common among clergy (mullah, seid, sheikh, etc.).

Shoes

Women's clothing

The dance of the Tatars is incomparably neater and the outfit itself especially contributes to their originality: this outfit consists of a brocade jacket, which is fastened at the waist, and a red silk shirt with a large slit in the front, which is fastened at the neck, revealing with every movement a bronze-colored body, tattooed in different patterns ; harem pants replace a skirt and their width can compete with the volume of the dress of the most fashionable European purist. Instead of stockings, Tatar women wear patterned woolen socks in bright colors; Thick black hair, scattered in curls over the shoulders, completes the outfit and, with the benefit of beauty, replaces any other, more elaborate headdress.

Outerwear

It consisted of a shirt with sleeves flaring from the elbow, wide trousers to the ankle and a flared skirt of the same length. Women also wore a short jacket with long sleeves that fitted the back and chest ( "arkhalyg", "kuljaja"), had a wide cutout in the front. It was tightly cinched at the waist and gathered into gathers below. A quilted sleeveless vest was worn in cold weather. The outer shoulder clothing was longer than the shirt. The shirt of the women of the Kazakh district was long with slits on the sides.

Hats

It consisted of caps in the form of a bag or caps of various shapes. Several scarves were worn over them. Women hid their hair in a “chutga” - a special mowing bag. The head was covered with a low cylindrical cap. More often it was made of velvet. A turban and several scarves were tied over it.

Shoes

Stockings were worn on the legs - “jorab”. The shoes were the same as for men - without backs.

The national costume of Azerbaijan is a reflection of the original culture of the Azerbaijani people. Many outfits from ancient times have survived to this day and are stored in museums in different countries, but there are also those that are created by modern Azerbaijani fashion designers based on ancient male and female prototypes.

The other day in Azerbaijan, at the National Museum of the Academy of Sciences (ANAS), an exhibition entitled "Azerbaijani national clothes - as it is" was opened. The show was organized by the museum and the Center for National Educational Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan. More than 30 outfits were presented at the exhibition. The most interesting thing is that they are not an exact copy of ancient samples, but were created by ethnographer and fashion designer Sabira Dunyamalyeva based on research in museum archives of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran.

As Sabira Dunyamaliyeva said in an interview, before creating her collection, she studied Azerbaijani clothing of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in order to determine the appropriate standards of national costume.

“People always show interest in how their ancestors dressed, how they lived. Unfortunately, mistakes are often made in the manufacture of national clothing. This is due to the fact that the process of study and propaganda is just beginning. My most important goal was to contribute to the preservation of the Azerbaijani-Turkic-Muslim culture, and to pass on this knowledge to future generations,” Dunyamaliyeva said.

In the archives, as the expert noted, thanks to foreign ethnographers and travelers, a lot of materials on ancient costumes of Azerbaijan have been preserved. According to her, the information is scattered across different archives; it only needs to be collected, studied, and only then begin to be propagated in order to prevent mistakes.

This exhibition is distinguished by the fact that it presented clothing not only of Azerbaijanis living on the territory of Azerbaijan, but also of neighboring countries. Dunyamalyeva tried to show the outfits of various segments of the population, that is, the clothes of a merchant, warrior, nobility, clergy, etc.

Women's outfits

The exhibition featured both women's and men's outfits, which Sabira Dunyamalyvaeva gladly agreed to describe. According to her, in Azerbaijan, as in other countries, the national costume reflected social status, material well-being and other aspects, including political affiliation. Costumes varied greatly from region to region. So, for example, a woman’s costume indicated age and marital status.

“They sewed clothes from bright, colored fabrics, decorating them with buttons. By the quality of the fabrics one could judge the wealth of the family. The costumes of young and older women differed in color. Young people preferred brighter and richer colors, while older women wore clothes in more subdued colors. And there is a reasonable explanation for this: the young girl had to be attractive in order to quickly start a family,” said the fashion designer.

The women's costume consisted of trousers, a flared skirt and a long-sleeved shirt - “arkhalyg” or “kulyaj” with a wide oval cutout on the chest. The outfit tightly fitted the back and chest, emphasizing the waist favorably, thanks to the tightly pulled skirt, which diverged below into frills. Overskirts were worn wide and long so that they completely covered the trousers, lower and middle skirts. From under the hem, richly decorated with embroidery, braid, lace and coins, only the toes of shoes peeked out. One of the important elements of the outfit was a headdress - a kelagai or scarf, which could not be removed in the company of unfamiliar men.

As noted by the towers, the outfits were divided by region. For example, women living in the territory of Gazakh and Lankaran wore long shirts with side slits. Residents of Karabakh and Ganja wore chepkens (outer shirts) with long sleeves on top of a jacket to fit tightly around the waist. It was fastened at the neck with one button. On the side of the cap there were sleeves with oversleeves.

Wide trousers were worn by women from Nakhichevan, and wealthy women of this region could often be seen in long kulejes (waist-length outerwear with a corrugated hem) with rich embroidery and different patterns. The outfits of Azerbaijani women living in Yerevan and Tabriz differed only in the length of their skirts - they were below the knees.

Bride's outfit

Groom's outfit

According to Dunyamalyvaeva, only the bride's outfit was the same in all regions. She noted that the wedding dress was made only from red fabric, because Azerbaijanis considered this shade a symbol of prosperity and happiness.

Men's suit

The men's suit was almost the same across age categories, and a man's social status could be determined solely by the fabrics, richness and variety of decoration. A man's outfit consisted of a shirt, pants, and a beshmet, narrowed at the waist. Circassian clothing (outerwear) was given special attention; it was worn on top of the shirt. There are boots on the feet, and a hat on the head, for which astrakhan fur or sheepskin was chosen. In the chest area there were special pockets for gas tubes or bullets.

“Due to the large size of the pockets, the likelihood of serious damage from chopping blows was reduced. Nowadays such pockets are more decorative than practical. Also, a mandatory attribute of the costume was a belt on which bladed weapons were hung in those days,” said the fashion designer.

And the groom’s suit, according to her, differed only in white.

At the end of the conversation, Dunyamaliyeva noted that she will continue to study the national costumes of Azerbaijan and will try to visit other museums where they are stored.

Prepared Kamala Aliyeva

“People are greeted by their clothes...” says a Russian proverb. And we say, “if beauty is ten parts, then nine of them are clothes” (gözəllik ondur doqquzu dondur). So it is the national costume that first of all helps to understand the essence of the people, their soul, their mentality. It is an integral heritage of the culture of every nation. This is not only a bright, original element of culture, but also a synthesis of various types of decorative creativity.

Likewise, the Azerbaijani national costume is the clearest example of demonstrating the culture of the people and reflects national specifics. It was created as a result of centuries-old processes of development of the material and spiritual culture of our people.

Traditionally, the history of folk art, its ethnographic and artistic features are reflected in clothing. This feature is manifested in a special form of clothing, its ornaments, and artistic embroidery. National costumes are original and very beautiful. Men's and women's costumes have specific symbolism, and every detail has its own meaning.

A LITTLE HISTORY

The fact that our distant ancestors were able to sew their own clothes is proven by bronze needles and knitting needles (3 thousand BC), found during archaeological excavations on the territory of Azerbaijan. Clay figurines discovered in Kultepe and Mingachevir and sewing seals found here dating back to the 5th century BC provide some insight into the clothing of people of that time. Also, during excavations in a burial near the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in Icherisheher, remains of valuable fabrics were found.

In the 17th century, Azerbaijan was one of the largest sericulture regions in the Middle East, and Shirvan was considered the main center. Silk fabrics were also produced in Shamakhi, Baskala, Ganja, Sheki, Shusha, etc. Here they produced exquisite fabrics of amazingly beautiful patterns, silk women's headscarves, etc.

In addition, gold jewelry and clay vessels in the shape of shoes, dating back to the 4th-3rd centuries BC, discovered during excavations prove that even in ancient times our ancestors had a developed material culture.

WOMEN'S NATIONAL COSTUME

The national costume of an Azerbaijani woman consists of two parts - upper and lower.

An important part of the costume was considered to be a bag-like veil - "veil" and a curtain for the face - "rubend", which women put on when leaving the house. Outerwear was made from fabrics of bright colors, the quality of which depended on the wealth of the family. The outfit, depending on the social status and financial capabilities of the family, could also include many different jewelry, for example, gold and silver beads, buttons stylized as large grains of barley, openwork pendants, etc. Also, women's outfits differed in style, i.e. young women, unlike older women, wore lighter clothes in catchy colors. By the way, this trend can be traced among our adult population even now.

The composition of the women's costume included: "ust geyimi", "arkhalyg", "chepken", "lebbade", "kuledzhe", "kyurdu", "eshmek" and "bahari".

“Ust Geyimi” or outerwear consisted of a shirt with sleeves flaring from the elbow, wide trousers to the ankle and a flared skirt of the same length. The shirt was fastened at the neck with one button. And over the shirt they wore a “chepken”, which fit snugly to the body. On the sides the "chepken" had sleeves ending in oversleeves. “Chepken” was sewn from “tirme” fabrics, velor and various shiny materials. In general, shiny fabrics were the main ones when sewing the national costume. It’s not for nothing that even today Azerbaijani women have a craving for sparkles.

Women also wore a short jacket with long sleeves ("arkhalyg") that fitted the back and chest, which had a wide cutout in the front. It was tightly cinched at the waist and gathered into gathers below. "Arhalyg" is considered one of the most common types of clothing throughout Azerbaijan. Like the “chepken,” the “arkhalyg” also had a lining, and its cut fit snugly to the body. The part of the “arkhalyg” below the waist was complemented by a hem of varying widths, trimmed with pleating or corrugated fabric.

In addition, the national costume included "lebbade" - quilted robes with lining, "eshmek" - quilted outerwear, "kyurdu" - quilted women's clothing with an open collar without sleeves, "bahari" - quilted women's clothing with lining, "kuleje" - women's outerwear to the waist with a corrugated hem.

Women's outfits also differed by region. For example, the shirt of Gazakh women was long with slits on the sides. Women of Karabakh wore a “chepken” close to the waist with long false sleeves. Wide trousers with knee-length skirts were worn in Nakhchivan. In Shusha, Shamakhi, and also in a number of other areas, skirts were long. Long “kuledzhe”, which was worn over a shirt, was worn by rich women of Nakhchivan and Ganja; it was this that accounted for most of the patterns and embroideries.

Over the "arkhalyg" or "chepken" women wore a gold or gilded silver belt. Along with them, leather belts with silver coins sewn on or with a silver plaque were also widespread.

A special place in a woman's costume was occupied by the headdress. These could be hats of different shapes. Several more scarves were usually worn on top of them. Women hid their hair in a special bag made of flax or gauze, called a chutgu. They covered their heads with a special cylindrical cap. Most often it was made of velvet. A turban and several scarves were tied over it. One of the most common was kelagai - a silk scarf that was tied in various ways. "Kelagai" of multi-colored colors were more popular among young girls.

Thus, three headdresses were worn at the same time: the first was “juna” (or flax), the second was “kelagai”, the third was “kerchief”, which was also called “kasaba”, “sarendaz”, “zarbab”. In cold weather, the head was tied with a Kashmiri shawl made of natural wool.

The women wore "jorab" stockings on their feet, and their shoes were without backs.

This is how, according to tradition, our great-grandmothers dressed.

MEN'S NATIONAL COSTUME

Unlike women's, men's national costume was basically the same in all zones of Azerbaijan. The class affiliation of its wearer was traced in the men's costume. The main and special place was occupied by the headdress. He was the personification of courage, honor and dignity. So if they wanted to insult someone, they could try to knock the hat off his head. Hat hats were never removed, and in general, it was considered shameful to go out in public without a headdress. Hat hats also showed the wealth of their owner. Everything mattered - the height, the quality and finishing of the fur, and even the lining.

Considering the importance of a hat in a man’s suit, let’s talk about it in more detail.

Papas had various forms and local names. Yappa papaq or "gara papaq" (black papakha) was widespread in Karabakh and had a fabric top. They were also gold and silver in color. Motal papakh or "choban papakha" ("shepherd's papakha"), which was made from long-haired sheep fur in the shape of a cone. Most often, such hats were worn by the poor layers of the rural population. Shish papakha or "bey papakha" ("bek's papakha") was made from fur brought from Bukhara. Of course, they were worn only by representatives of the bek class, as well as wealthy people and city nobility.

The hat most known to us thanks to souvenir shops is the arakhchyn. It was worn by both men and women. And not the way we do it today, going out for a walk during Novruz. Arakhchin was worn under other headdresses (papakha, turban for women). This was a typical traditional headdress among Azerbaijanis, widespread back in the Middle Ages.

Speaking about the men's costume, it is worth noting that it was not as intricate as the women's and consisted of the “mouth of keineya” or “chepken”, “arkhalyga”, “gaba”, “chukha”.

Men also wore woolen socks - "jorab". City dwellers wore leather shoes with turned-up toes without backs, and boots were common among aristocrats. Among the villagers there were leather or rawhide shoes - “charykh”.

HOW WE WEAR IT TODAY

Of course, today you won’t see people walking around in national costumes. They were worn sometime before the 20th century, and after that only in some rural areas. But they are widely used by performers of national Azerbaijani dances and in folklore performances.

But despite the fact that the suits themselves are not worn, nevertheless, the trends of that time simply “occupied” the catwalks, and not only Eastern, but also European designers include in their collections trousers, a long skirt, and a peplum, characteristic of the Azerbaijani national costume. Today we can even afford to wear Italian clothes with Azerbaijani motifs, for example, from the collection of designer Renato Balestru, created specifically for Azerbaijan.

National silhouettes and motifs began to appear more and more often in the collections of local designers. Azerbaijan has again returned to its roots, introducing the world community to the rich culture of our people.