HISTORIC OVERVIEW AZERBAIJAN CONTENTS: Cultural Overview
Recipies: Saudi Arabia
Related Links
Glossary
Situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan occupies one of the Asian continent's strategic crossroads between East and West. Given this geographic reality, many kingdoms and empires, and such famous warriors as the Roman General Pompey, Alexander the Great, Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, have fought to assert control over the region. Archaeologists date the first human settlements in present day Azerbaijan to the Stone Age. Prehistoric cave dwellings have been excavated throughout Azerbaijan, one of the most important being the excavations at Gobustan, famous for its rock paintings.
Hugged by mountains and breezed by the Caspian Sea Azerbaijan represents an original geographic model of our planet. Due to relief diversity and sea factor, nine of eleven climatic zones are represented here. In Azerbaijan one can see simultaneously all four seasons. The luxuriant flora of humid subtropics neighbours to the zone of eternal snow and glaciers; forests suffused with spring fragrance transfer to hot steppes; fog and rain over fertile valleys, tea and sweet-scented citric plants at foothills alternate with warm breeze and gusty north wind of Apsheron. Natural contrasts, richness of resources, sophisticated conditions of historical development gave Azerbaijan unique geographic originality.
The art of cookery in Azerbaijan has a long history since the past. In many places archaeologists found primitive implements made in Stone Age. Stone axes, hammers, utensil and other house implements found in ancient camps testify to the origin of primitive cattlebreeding and agriculture. All these ancient implements as well as on-rock carvings in Gobustan represent an original ethnographic encyclopaedia of the people. Even in Neolith the population of Azerbaijan grew wheat and barley which were main ingredients along with meat to cook meal. In Bronze Age with cattle-breeding development people started to use milk products in their food. | |
|
