Delights of traditional bazaars
By Nazrin Gadimova
How one can forget the delight of morning walking tour in traditional bazaars, where you can find anything - from scented grapes to fresh milk. Pile of oranges and apples, laid out on the counter in bizarre forms, fresh and fragrant greens, spreading its flavor to the whole bazaar, fresh meat, which is just waiting skillful hands to prepare unusually tasty roast from it, and, of course, different range of spices, which will leave no one indifferent.
Traditional bazaar is a unique phenomenon, I can say it is a city within a city, where you can easily get lost among proud butchers, silent fresh juice makers and cautious sellers of black caviar.
Entering bazaar, you will be amazed by the bright colors, all kinds of flavors and a huge choice of products. Bazaar absorbs the best things that the Azerbaijanis can enjoy. All kinds of vegetables and fruits, huge watermelons, oblong melons, eccentric shaped pumpkins lie on the counters.
You have only to point the finger at the watermelon you want, as a seller will cut it in order to show it from the inside. Moreover, you can get a brief lecture on how to choose a watermelon and what criteria you should pay attention to, when buying it.
Speaking about spices, I must say that without them the bazaar would lose its charm. This section host the dizzying, subtle, oriental and sometimes too sugary aromas. Here you can find both vanilla, saffron and nutmeg, as well as cumin, fennel, pepper, sumac, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
Each seller is proud of his product - because only his tomatoes are juicy and sweet, and you will not find such fragrant greens anywhere else in town, not to mention bazaar. Therefore, they will praise their products or desperately reducing their price.
It is acceptable to bargain at bazaar, and some buyers are able to do it professionally, dropping the price to a minimum. Some buyers agree on the price proposed by the seller after failed dispute. Good seller will not surrender immediately, and the task of experienced buyer is to accelerate this process. Sometimes it seems that these "fights" between buyer and seller give pleasure to both sides. At last, one of the sides gives up - it can be as the seller, so the buyer.
Initially, spreading of bazaars in the city was unregular. Large bazaars appeared in those places, where the population were on the rise. First large bazaars appeared outside of the city, behind the Old City of Baku. In those days, bazaars were not only a place to buy goods, but also a place of some cultural activities.
These bazaars were usually covered, occupied a certain area, and were divided into the corresponding rows - in one row you can only buy fruit, while in the other - the vegetables, and the third - milk products.
Thus, "Passage", the famous bazaar of Baku, which was built in the second half of the 19th century, had a few entries and, accordingly, multiple exits, and each of these outputs led to a specific row and section.
A very interesting fact - these multiple entries and exits were invented for a reason, in order not to mix smells! So, if you had to buy greens for example, you had to go to the right.
"Passage" was also famous for the fact that it was possible to buy ice there. Refrigeration devices was not invented at those time, but it was needed to keep perishables goods fresh. Being one of the richest markets, "Passage" could satisfy the most sophisticated gourmet. Different kinds of cheeses, delicatessen, caviar and other seafood - all this could be found on the shelves of the "Passage".
Moreover, this bazaar has served as a place of rest. Imagine a market where you can drink tea with thyme under the soothing sounds of fountain. All news of the city could also be heard there.
There was a rookery in Baku, located in the village of Bayil, where it was possible to buy domestic animals. Moreover, Baku has always been an international city, and this is reflected on its bazaars. Thus, Sabunchi district of Baku had so-called "Russian" bazaar. The main products in this bazaar were the clothes.
Legendary for all Baku's residents Kubinka, famous for its speculators in times of deficits, must also be mentioned in this article. They said Kubinka received its name long ago - when it was part of a large bazaar square, which apparently belonged to the merchants of Guba region of Azerbaijan.
At any time one could purchase here anything - from fresh fish to mink coat, and from the Czech beer to fashionable footwear. It is still a mystery from where the traders bought these scarce goods. But there it was really able to find everything.
Speaking about modern bazaars, such places as "Eight Kilometer's Bazaar", "Nasimi Bazaar", "Keshla Bazaar", "Yashil [Green] Bazaar" and "Teze [New] Bazaar" are the most popular among the Baku's residents.
Undoubtedly, these new bazaars differ from the old ones. First of all, the difference is that the bazaar culture and the spirit of traditional bazaars no longer exist. But the fact, that the bazaars still exist, gives the hope, that the old good traditions will not be forgotten.