Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan has celebrated Kelaghayi Day with a lively and colorful celebration at the Rashid Behbudov State Song Theater, Azernews reports.

The event, organized by the Mirvarid Dilbazi Poetry Assembly Public Union and the Kelaghayi House Museum with the support of the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, brought together art lovers, cultural figures, and community members to honor one of the nation's most treasured cultural symbols.

The festival opened with the performance of the National Anthem of Azerbaijan, followed by a solemn one-minute silence in memory of the country's martyrs.

Gullu Eldar Tomarli, chairperson of the Poetry Assembly and director of the Kelaghayi House Museum, addressed the audience, highlighting the importance of promoting Azerbaijan's rich cultural heritage. She shared details of numerous events, exhibitions, and festivals organized by the Assembly throughout the year, both within Azerbaijan and abroad. Tomarli noted that the inclusion of the kelaghayi in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List has significantly elevated the international recognition of this traditional art form.

The celebration featured a stunning exhibition showcasing ancient and modern kelaghayis, handcrafted works by Gullu Eldar Tomarli, paintings by Gulnara Mammadova, and traditional household items such as chests, clay dishes, jugs, and bowls, representing the nation's enduring cultural values.

Visitors were treated to both traditional silk weaving and contemporary styles of kelaghayi art. A live demonstration of spinning wool, cotton, and silk fibers into thread using a "jere" captivated the audience, reviving the delicate, fading traditions of Azerbaijani folk art.

During the festival, Gullu Eldar Tomarli's book "Kelaghayi Festival" and Brilyant Atesh's "The Road from the Past" were presented and gifted to guests, adding a literary dimension to the cultural celebration.

Officials, including Heydar Mirzayev from the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and Panah Imanov, head of a department of the Khatai District Executive Authority, emphasized that the kelaghayi represents a vital part of Azerbaijan's national and spiritual values.

Speakers at the event, including Murvet Asgarov, chairman of the Khatai District Council of Elders and father of martyr Major Rufat Asgarov, Matana Guliyeva, mother of martyr Rashad Guliyev, the sister of missing martyr Ismayil Ismayilov, poet Lale Ismayil, and veteran Taleh Aliyev, stressed the significance of promoting and presenting the kelaghayi. They pointed out that such projects play a critical role in preserving cultural traditions, passing them to future generations, and raising public awareness of Azerbaijan's intangible heritage.

The festival continued with a vibrant artistic program, celebrating the beauty, history, and enduring legacy of the kelaghayi, leaving visitors inspired by this unique symbol of Azerbaijani identity.

Kelaghayi, traditionally produced in Azerbaijan since ancient times, is a square-shaped headscarf for women woven from silk threads.

On November 26, 2014, at the session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the art of Azerbaijani kelaghayi was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the title Kelaghayi Symbolism and Traditional Art.

High-quality kelaghayis were historically produced in cities such as Tabriz, Ganja, Shamakhi, Sheki, Nakhchivan, and in Basgal village in the Ismayilli district.

The borders (edges) of the kelaghayi, and sometimes the central panel, were decorated using basma printing with geometric and botanical motifs. Each weaving center produced kelaghayis with ornaments unique to their region.

Kelaghayis were widely used and varied in size and color. Older women preferred dark, large scarves, while younger women favored small, white or brightly colored kelaghayis.

The kelaghayi has long been an integral part of Azerbaijani customs, serving as a symbolic marker of blessing, misfortune, happiness, or grief. Examples of these traditions include covering a bride's head with a white kelaghayi, tying white, onion-colored, orange, or cranberry kelaghayis to the front of a wedding carriage, hanging black kelaghayis outside homes during mourning, offering kelaghayis at mosques or shrines when wishes are fulfilled, and distributing them to the poor or disabled.

These silk products delighted locals, visitors, and tourists alike and were prominently displayed at exhibitions and fairs.

Kelaghayis have always added a unique mystery and charm to the graceful, spirited walk of Azerbaijani women. They capture the shy and timid glances, playful smiles, and the delicate beauty of the female face, which poets and folk singers have long celebrated in their works.

In kelaghayi production, a variety of color shades are used. Natural dyes are prepared from different plants, including sumac, barberry, bitter orange, wild apple, saffron, blackcurrant and others.