Heartbeat of Karabakh

 Of all the tourists spots introduced in this issue, Shusha, located in the western part of Azerbaijan, is the city most directly affected by the Karabakh conflict. In the spring of 1992, the entire population, numbering tens of thousands, fled for their lives when Armenian troops advanced on the city.

One of Shusha's previous landmarks.

The townspeople had always imagined their town to be invincible. They were stunned to realize that it just wasn't so. To this day, Shusha is still occupied by Armenian military forces. No Azerbaijanis live there. Nor can you tour the city from the Azerbaijan side though some journalists and tourists have seen it from Armenia.

For Azerbaijanis, Shusha was considered the "heart of Karabakh." They were especially proud of its cultural legacy-beautiful carpets, brilliant musicians, eloquent poets. The fact that they cannot live there today is felt as a deep psychological wound and insult. They still consider the city to be rightfully theirs.

Much, but not all, of the material presented here describes what you might have seen had you visited Shusha 10 years ago, prior to the beginning of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict which began in 1988.

In the millennia of its existence the art of Azerbaijanian jewellry - making traversed a long road from the simplest techniques to the most sophisticated methods of workmanship. The numerous ornaments and objects of precious metals dating from the 11th century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. testify to the high level of Azerbaijanian material culture.

This Azerbaijani tradition is one of the most interesting. Novruz is a feast of spring, coming of New Year. Before Novruz Azerbaijanis celebrate a number of previous days saying good bye to the Old year and welcoming the New year. These days are the four pre-holiday Wednesdays: Su Chershenbe (Water Wednesday),Odlu Chershenbe (Fire Wednesday), Torpag Chershenbe (Earth Wednesday) and Akhyr Chershenbe (Last Wednesday). According to the traditional beliefs the water is reborn on the first Wednesday: still waters come to motion; The fire does on the second one, the earth - on the third. On the fourth Wednesday the wind opens tree buds and spring begins.

Many ceremonies and devotions are dedicated to this day. For example in the evening each family should light the number of torches on their house's roof corresponding to the number of the family members. Everyone should jump over the burning fire saying a kind of a spell. After the fire dies out girls and young men collect the remaining ash and pour it somewhere in the outskirts of the village or a road.

It means that the hardships of those who have jumped over the fire are destroyed and thrown out far beyond their homes.

In order to find the happy match unmarried girls throw black coins, a sign of bad luck, to a water-filled jug during the daytime and in the evening before sunset they pour this water out together with the coins outside.