Azerbaijan Special Report

SPECIAL REPORT | SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

LAND OF FIRE

BECKONSA GATEWAY TO FOOD,

CULTURE AND NATURE

AZERBAIJAN

Architecture Old meets new

in an iconic skyline

Bilateral Ties Reinforcing a strong

relationship built on trade

Modern Art A contemporary scene in touch with heritage

|3GN Focus September 6, 2015

CONTENTS4 Tourism: A consolidated effort

to diversify bears fruit

8 Bilateral Ties: Trade links are stronger than ever

10 Property: A sector under pressure stands firm

14 Art: The modernist movement draws on heritage

16 Food: What exactly is traditional Azeri cuisine?

18 Travel: Mark your calendar to attend these festivals

ONLINE: www.gulfnews.com/GN-Focus Facebook.com/GN-Focus Twitter.com/GNFocus Instagram/@GNFocus

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12 Architecture: Baku’s past and future come together to create a visual treat

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A GULF NEWS PUBLICATION

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Cover image: Getty

A Naftalan crude oil therapy session

Portraits of the former president and his wife at the Flower Festival

A new hot-ticket destinationAs Azerbaijan becomes popular with international travellers, the country is pulling out all the stops to make tourism its top priority By Iona Stanley

SIGHT TO BEHOLD: People watch a geyser from the foreshore in Baku

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4|GN Focus September 6, 2015

The inaugural European Games has done much to shine the spotlight on The Land of Fire, as the

country gears up to receive five mil-lion annual tourists by 2020, and make tourism an integral part of its economy.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism says Baku 2015 provid-ed the biggest boost to the country’s collective and concentrated effort, and spokesperson Vugar Shikhame-dov said just after the games that the opening ceremony was broad-cast in 93 countries and watched by more than one billion people. He also noted that over the past year, 33 million people had gathered information about Azerbaijan through Google and 70 per cent of the views had been generated in the month before the games.

“These statistics speak for them-selves,” said Shikhamedov. “On the other hand, athletes, journalists, and other foreign visitors are also po-tential tourists. They are impressed with Azerbaijan — our hospitality, and the cordiality of our people. I believe we will see the successful outcome of all this at the end of the year when the winter tourist season begins, or in the next summer.”

Easier visa process

Visitors from most parts of the world require a visa to enter Azer-baijan, and another ministry is now making it a priority to make the pro-cess easier and faster. A few weeks ago, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hikmet Hajiyev said measures are in place to improve the e-visa sys-tem and to reduce the time of visa application reviews. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has opened a hotline and emergency email for tourists in the country.

President Ilham Aliyev issued the clarion call to boost all aspects of tourism at a July cabinet meet-ing, when he emphasised the need for cheaper hotels, better prices, and higher standards. “A number of world-famous hotel brands are operating in the country, particu-larly in Baku,” he said. “They have their own price policy — we can’t interfere in this. But prices are also high in hotels that offer poor

AzerbaijanTourism


SKY IS THE LIMIT: Nestled in the mountains of

the Greater Caucasus, Xinaliq is the highest village

in Azerbaijan and favoured by tourists and backpackers


AzerbaijanTourism

service, and prices are too high in regional hotels. The number of five-star hotels in Azerbaijan grows. However, there also should be two-star, three-star hotels.”

In response, several government departments are working in tandem to improve service standards, reduce air fares, regulate hotel prices, intro-duce two- and three-star hotels and cater to budget travellers, and some results have already begun to show.

According to Trend News Agen-cy, a price decrease in most private hotels in Azerbaijan is imminent. Nahid Bagirov, President of Azerbai-jan Travel Association, said in July

the organisation is working actively with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to achieve this goal.

“As a result, prices in most of the hotels have been revised and reduced by a certain amount — at least by 20 to 30 per cent.”

Global popularity

Experts say the oil-rich country is treating tourism as a counter-measure to falling oil prices, but this push is particularly commendable in view of the fact that Azerbaijan is not short on tourism infrastruc-ture. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Azerbaijan is already capable of accommodating more than 35,000 tourists in its 530 hotels, of which 23 are five-star and 41 are four-star properties.

Of its nine airports, five are in-ternational and a return ticket from Dubai to Baku on flydubai costs as little as Dh1,000. The many luxury hotel chains in the coun-try include Hilton, Four Seasons, Fairmont, JW Marriott, Hyatt and Kempinski and the UAE’s Jumeirah Group runs the Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel, with its spectacular setting on the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan has gained global popularity for its spa, skiing and

health-care tourism. Dotting the countryside are a plethora of min-eral springs, mud baths and oil-treatment centres that have at-tracted health-conscious visitors for centuries, and these are now being refurbished in readiness for more affluent and discerning travellers.

Another indigenous tourism strategy involves two prominent names. The Nobels played a major role in developing Azerbaijan’s oil in-dustry in the late 1800s (and helped to make it the world’s biggest pro-ducer in the early 1900s) and in their honour, the family’s Villa Petrolea mansion in Baku has been restored, and now features a Nobel Museum. Meanwhile, the legacy of Marco Polo is kept alive through a network of Silk Road-themed attractions includ-ing roadside inns.

Azerbaijan is set to receive an ex-traordinary number of visitors when it hosts its first Formula 1 race next year, alongside the World Chess Ol-ympiad, the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games and four Euro 2020 matches. In April, Culture and Tourism Minis-ter Abulfas Garayev said, “Azerbaijan has become the centre of internation-al events, and that imposes great re-sponsibility upon us for high-quality development of the sector.” ■

TRAVEL HAVEN: Azerbaijan can accommodate more than 35,000 tourists in its 530 hotels

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> In pursuit of global recognition

For those interested in visiting Azerbaijan, Abulfaz Garayev, Minister of Culture and Tourism,

has the answer: hospitality, a rich historic and cultural heritage, modern infrastructure, beautiful landscapes, delicious food and a favourable geographical location.

Today, one of its main strategies for tourism development is the continued diversification of products and offerings.

The country’s largest non-petroleum sector project, the Shahdag Mountain Resort, in the north — which can accommodate up to 5,000 people — is a good example of a recently created tourism product.

Azerbaijan’s growing global popularity owes a lot to its traditions and the arts. They are well recognised

at the international level with cultural symbols such as the Azeri carpet, mugam, national dances, ashug and the Novruz festival well received and enjoyed by many.

As the flow of tourists increases each year, there is a corresponding growth in the number of hotels providing the highest levels of service. Today, they number 530.

Azerbaijan has also proven it can produce events of every size.

In June, it hosted the first European Games, featuring almost 6,000 athletes from 50 countries competing in 20 sports. The event provided a brilliant opportunity to show Azerbaijan from a different angle, bringing to the fore its main features, attractions and facilities as well as the level of safety in the country

and how perfectly the event was organised.

The hosting of the European Grand Prix next year and the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017 will provide more proof of Azerbaijan’s reputation as a modern European country.

The Gulf nations are among its most important target markets, and the number of tourists from the region has increased by 73 per cent between 2011 and 2015.

Each year, Azerbaijan becomes more popular as a tourist destination. Untouched nature, mineral springs, sandy beaches and the unique Naftalan oil treatment therapy, together with its architecture, cuisine, culture and traditions will help to position the country as a desirable destination for leisure and business.

Abulfaz GarayevMinister of Culture and Tourism


Advertisement

TRAVEL ADVICERashid Al NooriChairman of the Representation Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Azerbaijan

The story of Middle East traffic and tourism to Azerbaijan began many years ago with a mission from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to find a suitable partner for promot-ing the country. For this purpose, Atlantis Holidays was

appointed as the ministry’s first representative office in the GCC. Today we can proudly see that the enormous amount of work in educating and familiarising travel agencies, journalists and the pub-lic with the beauty of Azerbaijan has resulted in growth of traffic from this region of more than 70 per cent since 2011.

Azerbaijan has transformed tremendously over the past 25 years, from a country with hardly any infrastructure that supports tourism to a state-of-the-art destination with fully developed infrastructure, world-class hotel chains, and Unesco world heritage monuments that have been restored to facilitate all types of visitors.

The leadership, along with supporting ministries of the country, has focused on long-term development plans in creating a world-class destination that meets individual, group, and incentive tourism and world event requirements.

At the same time as the expansion of its tourism offering in the capital and other tourist areas, the countryside offers a vast range of activities that include skiing, hiking, horse riding, and sightseeing have been developed taking into account tourist needs in most luxurious outfits.

Azerbaijan is located only two and a half hours away by flight from the GCC, making it one of the most attractive destinations for the region’s nationals and residents to enjoy a superb climate, shopping havens and sightseeing. From Dubai, Azerbaijan national carrier AZAL flies daily to Baku, while flydubai also connects visitors from the UAE and Qatar Airways from Doha. Azerbaijan

has traditionally been an important part of the Silk Road connecting people and traders between East and West. For centuries, people of all religious backgrounds enjoyed a healthy relationship and exchanged many cultural qualities that are visible today through the architecture of the city on one hand and religious monuments built over many centuries that are preserved

in an excellent condition, reflecting the true tolerance of Azerbaijanis towards its population that lived on its soil.

The country today boasts well-developed road and airport infrastructure and border control areas to international standards. Getting around is easy with a well-established underground system, modern metered taxis, domestic flights and trains. There are areas outside the cities where you might require assistance due to the limitation of English-speaking residents but other than this, visitors will never find themselves unattended and that is due to the hospitality of the Azeri people.

Baku remains the jewel in its crown, but all of Azerbaijan’s major cities have their own character, where you can find beautiful landscapes with ski resorts, waterfalls, mountain rivers, deep gorges, green meadows, thermal and mineral water springs, and the purest mountain air. Visit Gabala, Sheki, Shemakha and Quba and explore them yourself.

It’s very important to mention Azerbaijan’s gastronomy, which typically consists of a variety of meat, fish and vegetable dishes supplemented by flavoured herbs and spices. It is always a pleasure for a tourist to dine at any local restaurant and be amazed by the quality of food and freshness of the seasonal local produce.

It is worth mentioning that if you visit Azerbaijan once, you will have no choice but to go back and explore more as the place for sure will make you fall in love with its beauty.

Baku has all the benefits of a modern metropolis

The country offers a stimulating blend of history and natural beauty — something for everyone

Enjoy the Azeri experience


Even as countries around the world are scrambling to mitigate the effects of the latest economic down-

turn, it’s business as usual in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijan’s economy demon-strates fairly good macroeconomic indicators against the background of the next global financial crisis, and continues to develop rapidly,” Vahid Ahmadov, a member of the parliamentary commission on eco-nomic policy, was quoted by the daily newspaper AzerNews as say-ing late last month. “Economic growth increased by more than 5 per cent in the first half of 2015. Currently, Azerbaijan is several

times ahead of the average growth rate of the CIS countries. Such rapid development is observed de-spite the sharp decline in oil prices in the world market.”

Oil’s not everything

His statement comes despite concern that falling black gold pric-es will negatively affect the oil-rich country following the central bank’s devaluation of the manat by 33 per cent this year. In June, Moody’s changed its outlook for Azerbai-jan’s banking system from stable to negative, noting, “The slump in oil prices has put downward pressure on Azerbaijan’s economy, given that the hydrocarbon sector accounted

for close to 37 per cent of nominal GDP at the year-end 2014.”

Moody’s forecasts that Azerbaijan’s GDP growth will slow to 1 per cent in 2015, based on an assumption of oil prices averaging $55 (Dh202) per barrel this year, and that growth will only recover to 1.7 per cent in 2016.

But officials are confident there’s no cause for concern. According to the State Statistics Committee, GDP showed increased growth of 5.6 per cent between January and July over the same period last year. It points toward the non-oil sector of the economy increasing by 9 per cent to account for 68 per cent of GDP, and 37.3 per cent of the

A partnering of robust nations reaps benefitsThe UAE and Azerbaijan have something in common — economic resilience in the face of falling oil prices By Eduan R. Maggo | Editor — Country Guides

AzerbaijanBilateral Ties

Gulf News Archives

STRONGER TIES: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, greets Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in Baku this March

$Dubai’s non-oil trade with

Azerbaijan was Dh1.8 billion last

year, up 13 per cent from 2011.


gross output stemming from the services sector.

“Azerbaijan is wonderful compared to other countries,” Parviz Ismailzada, Consul-General of Azerbaijan in Dubai, tells GN Focus. “We have a stable supply of food and petrol; we produce enough through agriculture.”

He says the manat had been stronger than the dollar for more than 10 years before it was devalued, and now is only slightly weaker. Ismailzada believes the country will weather the current crisis as successfully as it did the 2008 downturn. “Economies everywhere are badly affected. Ours is still stable. We’re doing better than most.”

This is good news, as trade between the UAE and Azerbaijan continues to grow. While recent figures for the whole UAE aren’t available, a Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry report states Dubai’s non-oil trade with Azerbaijan increased from Dh1.6 billion in 2011 to Dh1.8 billion last year, registering growth of 12.5 per cent. This makes Azerbaijan the emirate’s 75th-biggest trade partner.

Dubai Chamber also opened its first overseas office in Baku in 2012.

“Since opening, the Azerbaijan office has supported Dubai businesses to reach out to the Azerbaijan market and beyond to the Caucasus, while also attracting the country’s investors to potential areas of investments in Dubai,” news agency WAM quotes Dubai Chamber President and

CEO Hamad Mubarak Bu Amim as saying.

Ismailzada says there were 262 companies headed by Azerbaijanis registered in Dubai by the end of 2014, an increase of 49 per cent from 176 in 2012.

According to consulate data, Azerbaijan’s main industries include petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, oilfield equipment, steel, iron ore, cement, chemicals and petrochemicals, as well as textiles.

The country’s biggest exports to the UAE are meat and meat products, milk, vegetables, fruit, tea, sweets and carpets. Azerbaijan imports cosmetics, apparel, electrical equipment, TVs, mobile phones, car equipment, computers and cameras from the UAE.

Strengthened relations

The UAE recognised Azerbaijan’s independence on December 26, 1991, and diplomatic relations be-

tween the countries were estab-lished the year after. The UAE Em-bassy in Baku opened in 2011.

President Ilham Aliyev first vis-ited the UAE in 2006, and met with His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, among others.

His Highness Shaikh Moham-mad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the signing of two agreements with Aliyev in Baku in March — one on cooperation and exchange of infor-mation between the UAE’s Securi-ties and Commodities Authority and Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Securities, and the other on cooperation in emergencies. WAM reports that Shaikh Mohammad and Aliyev expressed hope that the agreements will lead to wider coop-eration in various fields to benefit both countries and their people.

Azerbaijan continues to profit from being in the global spotlight, drawing tourists through events such as June’s European Games, the opening ceremony of which — estimated to have cost nearly $100 million — featured Lady Gaga performing John Lennon’s Imagine. The country’s tourism sector is fore-cast to grow at 7.5 per cent a year to 2022. “In 2010, we issued 1,600-1,700 tourist visas,” says Ismailzada.

“Now it’s more than 4,000 per year and it increases annually. Azerbaijan has something to offer every tourist.” n

> People power

Parviz Ismailzada, Consul-General of Azerbaijan in Dubai, says the UAE is currently home to about 7,500 Azeri nationals, up from about 3,500 in 2010. They’re active in all sectors, but most have business interests. He says Adnoc employs about 70, while Emirates Airline has 100 Azerbaijani cabin crew in addition to a host teaching at its Aviation College.

The community gets together often, and usually commemorate the massacre during the Soviet raid of Baku as Black January on January 20 and the Victims of the Khojaly Massacre on February 26. They celebrate independence from Soviet rule on May 28 and Solidarity Day with Azeri expats around the world on December 31.

— E.R.M.

AzerbaijanBilateral Ties

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*The Consul-General says

there are about 7,500 Azeri expats

living in the UAE.

PARVIZ ISMAILZADAConsul-General of Azerbaijan in Dubai

“Economies everywhere are badly affected. Ours is still stable. We’re doing better than most.”

SHOWSTOPPER: Lady Gaga performs at the opening of the European Games in June. The event was said to cost nearly $100 million

Azerbaijan’s economy over the past two and a half decades has expe-rienced a roller-coaster

ride. After the nation’s independ-ence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, it plunged into political crisis, rapid economic decline as well as war with Armenia. How-ever, with the resurgence of the oil industry over the past 20 years, the country’s situation has improved. Annual GDP growth rate has aver-

aged 10 per cent over the past five years, almost fully attributable to oil income, which accounts for a big portion of Azerbaijan’s GDP.

With all the oil money, real es-tate has started to be considered as a reliable investment instrument in order to preserve and increase capital and avoid the dangers of the country’s volatile currency.

“Following the construction boom earlier this decade, the Azer-baijani real estate market has un-

dergone substantial change,” says Natik Mamedov, real estate expert at the Baku branch of multinational law firm Baker & McKenzie, in the recent report New Trends in Resi-dential & Commercial Development. “Residential development has con-sistently led the real estate market in the past, with 200, or more than half the construction companies registered in Azerbaijan, involved.”

Mamedov divides the market into three property types — those

Shaken but steadyWhile Baku’s iconic skyline hints at a thriving real estate sector in the country, falling oil prices are putting pressure on the market

By Arno Maierbrugger | Special to GN Focus

BRIGHT AND SHINY: Fuelled by a flourishing oil trade, Azerbaijan has seen rapid growth, particularly in construction

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AzerbaijanProperty

from the pre-boom period from the late 1990s through 2003, the con-struction boom from 2003 through 2007, and the post-boom period since then. The developments in these periods were subject to dif-ferent legal frameworks, which is important for buyers and sellers to know.

The fall

With its economy so reliant on hydrocarbon exports, it’s no sur-prise that Azerbaijan has been shaken by falling oil prices and the fallout of Western sanctions against Russia. The central bank’s decision to depreciate the national currency, manat, by roughly 33 per cent against a basket of hard cur-rencies earlier this year has also been met with concern in the real estate market.

Rashad Aliyev, real estate ana-lyst at Baku-based consulting com-pany Values and Sources, says pric-es in the secondary housing market in US dollar terms have decreased by more than 30 per cent over the past year and as per most pessimis-tic forecasts could drop a further 15 per cent unless oil prices stabi-lise soon. “[The slump in oil prices] has affected the whole economy,” he tells GN Focus. “Government ex-penditures have been reduced, rev-enues from abroad decreased.

“Low liquidity played a role. Also, flow of capital in the real es-tate market has dropped. This was due to the fact that many banks

In Azerbaijan, like many other countries, foreigners can buy real estate but not land, which is reserved for citizens only. Thus, most purchases by foreigners are done on a freehold or leasehold basis.

With regard to financing, only citizens of Azerbaijan have the right to purchase real estate by means of a mortgage or loan. Foreigners who acquire land through mortgage foreclosure or as a gift must sell it within a year.

Azerbaijan also allows ten-year leases, and foreigners can only own immovable properties affixed to the land.

Property in Baku is naturally more expensive than in second-tier cities such as Ganja or Sumqayit. Popular districts for foreigners in the capital are Sabail and Yasamal, which also command the highest prices and are in the vicinity of Nizami Street, a central thoroughfare and one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. Most popular rental properties in Baku are apartments located near subway stations and universities such as Baku State University, Azerbaijan State University of Economics and Azerbaijan Technical University.

— A.M.

> Regulations for foreigners

BLOCKING THE PAST: Soviet-era buildings in a Baku suburb. Prices in the secondary housing market have fallen by more than 30 per cent over the past year

6% The rate of rental rise

expected this year

10-12% Increase in rents in 2013

and 2014

$1,612 Average property price

in Baku per sq m

Stable growth

have restricted the allocation of loans in manat, which led to a shortage of funds.”

In turn, rental prices are ex-pected to increase by 6 per cent this year, says Nusret Ibrahimov, Gener-al Director of Baku-based consult-ing firm MBA Group. The increase is good, but not as good as in pre-vious years when rents climbed by 10 per cent and 12 per cent in 2013 and 2014, respectively, he claims in a research note by business intelli-gence firm ABC.AZ.

Getting back up

Aliyev says property prices in Baku currently average $1,612 (Dh5,921) per square metre. The highest prices for apartments are being observed in Sabail ($2,131 per square metre) and Yasa-mal ($1,661), areas which also have the highest appreciation potential, while the lowest prices are in Ga-radagh ($920), Absheron ($1,014) and Khazar ($1,034).

Meanwhile, the commercial market has expanded to include the development of premium hotels managed by global brand opera-tors, warehousing facilities, shop-ping malls, mixed-use complexes and towers, infrastructure-related construction, as well as resort and entertainment development, which is also where investment opportu-nities in the commercial realty mar-ket are seen, says Mamedov. n

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AzerbaijanProperty

Modern structures shaped by the pastThe Land of Fire’s architecture bears the marks of a turbulent history and a commitment to look towards the future. GN Focus highlights seven iconic buildingsBy Suparna Dutt-D’Cunha

Crystal HallThe 25,000-seat stadium was

completed in just eight months at a cost of $133 million (Dh489 mil-lion) to host the Eurovision 2012 Song Contest. Sitting on a peninsu-la outside the centre of Baku in the calm Caspian Sea, the Elizabethan ruff-shaped Crystal Hall stands out, layered in sheets of shiny steel, re-sembling several crystals joined together. At night, the 9,500 LED lights on the cladding of the build-ing glitter and change colour, bring-ing the structure to life.


AzerbaijanArchitecture


Modern structures shaped by the past

Shirvanshahs’ PalaceRetaining the charm of a me-

dieval town, Shirvanshahs’ Palace reveals evidence of Zoroastrian, Arab, Ottoman, Persian, Shirvani and Russian presence. Built in the 15th century at the highest point of Icherisheher (the inner walled city), it was heavily damaged by Russian naval bombardment in the 18th century but later restored. Its treas-ures were transferred to Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace. Baku’s Old City, in-cluding Shirvanshahs’ Palace, is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Flame TowersThis trio of towers in the form

of giant torches is inspired by the place of fire in Zoroastrian culture and Azerbaijan’s connection with natural gas. They dominate Baku’s skyline and have become something of a national symbol since they opened in 2012. The $350-million towers house a hotel, apartments and offices, and are covered with 10,000 LED screens that display the flickering of flames, visible from the farthest points of the city. n

Bibi-Heybat MosqueLocally known as the Mosque

of Fatima, it is a remodelling of the structure built in the 13th cen-tury by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II and destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1936. Designed by architect Sanan Sultanov, the Bibi-Heybat has three green-and-turquoise decorated domes with gilded inscriptions from the Quran. The mosque is mentioned in the works of notable historical figures, including Alexandre Dumas.

Azerbaijan TowerThe upcoming Khazar Islands

is an archipelago of 55 artificial is-lands that will have thousands of apartments, at least eight hotels, an F1 racetrack, a yacht club, an airport and the tallest building on earth, the 3,445-foot Azerbaijan Tower. According to developer Avesta Con-cern, when the project is complete in 2022, it will house 800,000 peo-ple, with hotel rooms for another 200,000. It will cost about $100 bil-lion — more than the GDP of most countries, including Azerbaijan.

Heydar Aliyev Centre Starchitect Zaha Hadid’s stun-

ning Heydar Aliyev Centre sits on a site east of the Old City. Named after the former president of Azer-baijan, the arrestingly shiny white architectural showpiece contains exhibition spaces, a library, mu-seum and concert venues. This 57,000-square-metre liquid-like freeform structure with voluptu-ous curves and flowing lines was opened in May 2012, and built at a reported cost of $250 million.

House of Government Constructed between 1936 and

1952, this imposing palace-style building is the most prominent So-viet landmark in Baku. Designed with a mix of baroque and oriental architectural styles and housing various state ministries, the build-ing was renovated in 2010, and $38 million was spent on recon-struction and enrichment of the park surrounding it. A large Azer-baijani flag now stands in front of the building where a statue of Vladimir Lenin once did.

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Azerbaijan’s contempo-rary art scene might still be rather niche, but its stars are starting to

attract global attention. “In general, modern art in Azer-

baijan emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union [in 1991],” Faig Ahmad, one of the country’s best-known contemporary artists, tells

GN Focus. “After the first wave around the ’90s, there were differ-ent organisations and artists but they collapsed by around 2010.

“Then emerged Yarat, a platform for the development of artists.”

The organisation, founded by artist Aida Mahmudova, the presi-dent’s niece, is one of the driving forces behind the modern art move-

ment, alongside others such as Yay Gallery and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, spearheaded by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

“Azeri art is still too abstract and does not have a clear brand face,” Ahmad explains. “It’s connected to time and external support. Typical-ly, it is supported by patrons or the diaspora, and does not have a large

Minimalism brushed under the carpetThe country’s modern art scene is thriving as local talent explore the link between tradition and modernity

RUG-GED ARTWORK: Farid Rasulov’s floor- to-ceiling carpet exhibit turned heads at the Galerie Rabouan Moussion in Paris

By Tania Bhattacharya | Subeditor

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CLASSIC TWIST: Faig Ahmad’s Liquid references Azerbaijan’s carpet weaving heritage

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number of representatives abroad. Therefore it is a bit complicated.

“Despite these difficulties, the world has gotten familiar with Azeri contemporary art and Azer-baijan in general over the past five to six years. The politics make art actual, as Azerbaijan’s international policy becomes influential in the re-gion and the world.”

Flourishing movement

This is cause for celebration. “We’re living in the blossoming period of contemporary art,” says Farid Rasulov, known for his large-scale paintings, installations, 3D graphics, animation and sculpture.

Mila Askarova, who opened Gazelli Art House in Baku in 2003 and an offshoot in London a decade later, concurs. “The contemporary art scene has changed dramatically and flourished over the past few years,” she says. “What’s most in-

spiring is to see the audience recognising and embracing this development.

“Coming into the industry with an international rela-tions background, I found a very interesting crossover between the two fields, with art being a language of per-sonal expression of the state of affairs, suggesting a route to improve and better things.”

Azeri artists are embracing their unique position given the relative newness of the industry, which allows them to distort the traditional into something entirely new.

Ahmad, for example, explores the legacy of c a r p e t weaving in Azer-baijan, and by extension fabric as canvas and embroidery as paint. He textures the classic and modern, morphing shapes, sizes and patterns. In merg-ing the traditional with new-age techniques, his carpets, sculptures and installations take on a fresh dimension. “I am inspired by struc-tures and systems, but also chaos,” he says. “The carpet is a symbol of human thinking, and our percep-tion is always structured as one, with a border. Whatever the meth-od of thinking, it is always conserv-ative. Only chaos can give a differ-ent way of perception.”

Rasulov, however, is indifferent to political art as a genre. “I think the artist loses his mission in this situation,” he says.

Yet his work is defiant in its exploration of traditional and modern stereotypes. In a recent exhibition at the Galerie Rabouan Moussion in Paris, he covered an entire room with Azeri carpeting — from floor to ceiling. It ques-tioned the minimalist white cube notion of contemporary art. “The traditional patterns were signs of a changing country; a region of the Soviet Union torn between tradi-tion and modernity, East and West,” he says.

Rasulov’s upcoming shows in-clude one opening on September 15

at Cuadro Fine Art Gallery in Dubai.

Azerbaijan has been a fixture at the Venice Biennale, with this year’s pavilion presented in two exhibi-tions — one, titled Beyond the Line, showcases the works of stalwart artists from the past century over-shadowed by the repressive Soviet regime, and another called Vita Vi-tale, which is more contemporary.

From the outside in

“The new generation of contem-porary artists tends to look out-wards,” says Askarova. “Azerbaijan’s identity has been creatively reinter-preted time and time again, now more so than ever. The truest con-temporary talents are able to depict this reimagined presence, without losing the national qualities.”

However, Ahmad believes the only thing that prevents the devel-opment of Azeri artists is laziness. “But this is an eastern disease,” he quips. “There are a lot of opportu-nities for young artists, such as re-ceiving grants for projects and go-ing abroad for education.”

Ahmad is currently working on one such programme for young art-ists. And it would be hardly surpris-ing if the next generation of Azeri artists shatter the moulds created by its advocates today. n

!Farid Rasulov brings his art to Dubai next

week.


If it’s true that you are what you eat, then the cuisine of Azer-baijan deserves consideration. After all, the country is no

stranger to centenarians. In fact, its Lerik region even

boasts a museum dedicated to its USP — producing people who live beyond the age of 100. Shirali Mus-limov is one of the most famous. At 168, he was thought to be the oldest man to have lived at the time of his death in 1973, although this is disputed. Some reports even suggest he was survived by his 107-year-old third wife!

While scientists say genetics play a big role, the centenarians be-lieve the environment, being active

and keeping in good spirits is as im-portant — as is a healthy diet.

Heritage is an important aspect of Azerbaijan’s gastronomy, influ-encing not only what people eat, but also how their food is prepared and produced. On the latter, many point to the climatological diversity — it is said to be the only country where nine of the 11 climate zones can be found — which creates fa-vourable conditions for agriculture. The cuisine is still reliant on fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices cultivated seasonally and in an eco-friendly manner, and livestock is reared naturally and organically.

“As it was in the past, Azeris con-tinue to prepare meals where the main ingredients are beef, mutton,

different types of fish or chicken,” Si-mon Beaumont, Director of Food & Beverage at JW Marriott Absheron Baku, tells GN Focus. “What makes this cuisine unique for me is the her-itage of long-standing recipes that have been preserved and passed on from one generation to another.”

Popular foods

Kebabs — meat, fish and vegeta-ble varieties — and rice dishes are staples, while soups and stews are rich in vegetables, herbs and spices. Milk and cream are also used in ways largely uncommon in Western cuisine. Even though Islam is the dominant religion in the country, pork is freely available, but well marked as such. The most popular

Eat your way to 100? Why not!The country has among the highest longevity rates in the world, thanks to genetics and cuisine reliant on natural foods

By Eduan R. Maggo | Editor — Country Guides

AzerbaijanFood

A TASTE OF HOME: Dishes such as the Choban salad use a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices cultivated seasonally

Cour

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of H

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Reg

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breads are the oblong churek and pita, baked in a tandoor. Tradition-al desserts include sweet pastries filled with nuts such as shekerbura and baklava. Tea remains the na-tional drink, and the rich history of chaikhana or tea houses is cel-ebrated throughout the country, as at the JW Marriott’s Tea Lounge.

“Azerbaijani cuisine is famous for an abundance of vegetables, includ-ing eggplant, sweet pepper, cabbage, spinach, sorrel, beet, radish, onion, cucumber and string bean, etc,” ex-plains Fadi Akeel, Director of Opera-tions at Hyatt Regency Baku. “Lem-

ons, green and black olives, cherry plums and dried apricots are used extensively to enhance the flavour of dishes. Saffron is especially popular — more than 50 national dishes are cooked with this spice.”

Akeel says cooking in copper ware remains as popular today as in days of yore, and many villagers believe a meal prepared this way is more delicious.

Since opening up to outside in-fluences with independence 25 years ago, Azerbaijan has been receptive to global cuisines, and especially the past five years have seen a spurt

of new eateries. “The country now boasts a wide array of international cuisine that covers Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean,” says Akeel. “Re-cently, South American restaurants are becoming more visible in Baku.”

Beaumont concurs. “I believe Baku will become even more popu-lar as the government is constantly working on improving the visibility of the country on the world map. Every month a couple of new res-taurants and cafés open. The city changes almost every day and there is a constant demand for new expe-riences and cuisines.”

Shamsir Rehman, Director of Food and Beverage at Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel, sees the coun-try embracing these new influences while staying true to its heritage. “The Azeri people are eager to try new food, although they are at-tached to their culinary roots,” he explains. “Azerbaijani cuisine has been influenced by the foods of different cultures, although it re-mained distinctive and unique at the same time.”

Looking ahead

The next big thing in Azeri cui-sine is likely to be modern takes on traditional favourites, a con-cept that’s been adopted globally. Akeel also predicts an export of Azeri restaurants.

Beaumont, meanwhile, expects a further influx of global dining options, as well as more food crit-ics and bloggers, something still unusual in Azerbaijan. “However, as the city and country continues to develop I believe this will change and ensure that the culinary scene continues to improve and develop too,” he says.

“Local farming and the develop-ment of the concept of from-farm-to-table is underfoot, and I believe in a short period of time the world will hear about the tender Azeri lamb and juicy Zira tomatoes.”

Says Akeel, “Tourism is on the rise and will assist in spreading Azeri culture and with it the cui-sine, which is not only tasty but also good for your health — as evi-denced by the number of long-livers and centenarians in the republic.”

In that case — seconds, please! ■

AzerbaijanFood

Finding Azerbaijani cuisine in cosmopolitan Dubai isn’t easy. Remnants of eateries that couldn’t crack it litter the web, the only sign that anyone even attempted to import restaurants from there.

That all changed in July with the opening of Jag Restaurant (052 510 0740) at yuppy central, Box Park.

The food is pretty unassuming on the surface — simple dishes, prepared traditionally and presented without much fuss. Its home-style elegance feels slightly out of place in what is still the hottest stretch on Dubai’s culinary strip. But don’t let that deter you — we can all do with some comfort food, dressed-up.

I start with dovga, a dish that encapsulates that idea. This yoghurt soup is served cold, the perfect antidote to the summer heat. I’m surprised to find it contains rice and chickpeas, but the addition of herbs makes it both hearty and refreshing.

I then return to common ground with the deep-fried gurza — dumplings of a very light dough, steamed or boiled then lightly fried until beautifully golden, its pocket of meat and onion lightly seasoned

to allow the lamb to shine. Across the table, my companion’s sabzi kuku — described as a sizzling vegetable omelette — makes for a very green variation, albeit one I assume is an acquired taste. There’s a bitterness (fenugreek or tarragon, I suspect) that’s a tad strong but not off-putting, although the nuts

grated on top add a welcome woodiness.

The leaf khingal is a treat, but don’t tell my doctor: this plain pasta dish is another exercise in simplicity, if a bit rich and quite oily. The pasta leaves are thin and light

and despite their shape are good receptacles for the plain lamb mince flavoured with the sweet smokiness of onion fried in butter. A dollop (or three) of yoghurt liberally laced with garlic rounds it off.

Turshu govurma pilaw is another winner. Lamb, perfectly cooked, gets a tangy sourness from plum and earthiness from chestnuts. It is served with saffron-flavoured rice.

All-in-all, worth visiting again, if just for the unpretentiousness of the food. Because although the fare might be home-style, the price is decidedly yuppy café.

— E.R.M.

A taste of Azerbaijan in Dubai

TRADITIONAL FARE: Turshu govurma pilaw and leaf khingal

*Cooking in

copper ware remains as

popular today as in days

of yore.

AzerbaijanEvents

Public Art Festival

Baku, Until OctoberThis nearly four-month long fest promotes contemporary art by bringing together local and inter-national artists. They explore ideas pertaining to poetry and philoso-phy, referencing the city’s rich his-tory. Expect to see artworks from the great masters of modern art alongside ones by emerging talent.

EuroVillage Festival

Baku, SeptemberTaking place in the Icherisheher (Old City), a Unesco World Heritage Site, the event features quizzes, mu-sical programmes, dancing, kara-oke and museum tours. This year’s artist list balances homegrown tal-ent and instrumental Celtic fusion dance band The Peatbog Faeries.

International Baku Jazz Festival

Baku, OctoberA jazz festival, yes, but also much more. Besides, the organisers like to cherry-pick acts from across the musical map. Having been around for a decade, the fest has become something of an Azeri in-stitution with thousands attend-ing the ten days of music. The 2015 line-up contains everything from beat-heavy dance legends to newer acts, and even a musical adapta-tion of the Georgian silent film My Grandmother.

International World of Mugham Festival

Baku, MarchMugham, one of many forms of

By Suparna Dutt-D’Cunha | Special to GN Focus

dont-miss festivals

folk music in Azerbaijan, combines classical poetry and musical im-provisation, drawing on popular bard melodies, rhythms and per-formance techniques. The week-long, large-scale event draws musi-cians from more than 40 countries, and brings together different cul-tural traditions in Baku and in other districts.

Gara Garayev Festival

Baku, AprilFeaturing famous to new and un-known acts, this contemporary mu-sic fest is named after Azerbaijan’s most famous composer, who was born in 1918. With plenty of discov-eries and revelations for the true connoisseur, it is more of a treasure hunt than a music programme.

The Flower Festival

Baku, MayKnown as Gul Bayrami, this cel-ebration commemorates the birth-

day of former president Heydar Aliyev. Hundreds of tonnes of flow-ers, imported from Italy, the Neth-erlands, France, Turkey and Bra-zil, decorate the city, especially in front of the palace named after the national leader, with compo-sitions inspired by religious art and nature.

Gabala Music Festival

Gabala, JulyThis ever-expanding festival offers seven days of eclectic acts in the glorious ancient city where clas-sical music meets mugham, and musicians from Italy, Austria, Ger-many, Spain, and Russia add col-our. This year’s performers includ-ed Grammy-winning conductor Dmitry Yablonsky, Jeremy Menuhin and Paul Meyer. ■

UPLIFTING NOTES: Mugham maestro Alim Qasimov performs during the opening ceremony of the Baku 2015 European Games. Mugham is widely celebrated during various festivals in Azerbaijan

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