THE SYSTEM OF TRADITIONAL NUTRITION OF THE POPULATION OF GANJA CITY. FOOD AND DRINKS.
Authors:   Ganja State University, Hamzayeva Nurlana 
Published: August 2024

Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan has favorable natural-geographical conditions, mild climate, fertile soil, rich underground and above-ground wealth. The presence of nine of the eleven climatic conditions in the world in Azerbaijan increased the fertility of this land and raised its glory. This area is truly famous as one of the primary centers of human civilization. Even two million years ago, there were all kinds of conditions for primitive people to settle, live, create, evolve and progress here. The Azerbaijani people living in the bosom of the Caucasus established themselves in this ancient and sacred territory and established their high economic life, crafts, art, material and spiritual culture and became known as one of the most ancient and cultural peoples of the world. Azerbaijan is one of the richest, most diverse and interesting corners of the world from an ethnographic point of view. Our people have been in economic and cultural relations with the peoples of the Caucasus and the Ancient East for millennia. Our people have benefited from this mutual contact. Our people, in turn, gave a lot to the inexhaustible economic life, material and spiritual culture of those peoples and enriched it even more. The role of ethnographic science in the study of the origin and evolution of the Azerbaijani people is extremely great. The ethnography of the Azerbaijani people is as rich and ancient as its history. Ethnography includes science as not only recording, describing any material, but also trying to restore how it was formed, showing its importance, tracking the stages of its development from simple to complex. Studies with comparative materials. Prefers historical consistency. Ethnography plays an indispensable role in the study of the rich heritage and worldview of the people's labor activity. Labor is understood as the primary and main condition of human being from the animal world. It is the basis of its further development activities. In F. Engels ' words: "Labor is the first basic condition of all human life, as well as such a basic condition to such an extent that we must say in some sense: man created himself labor." Azerbaijan is recognized as one of the oldest agricultural countries not only in the Caucasus, but also among the countries of the East. Cattle breeding has played an important role in the economic life of the Azerbaijani people for millennia. Azerbaijan's underground and surface raw material resources, wealth, since ancient times, have created a favorable basis for the emergence and development of various fields of art. Our people have created more than 50 types of art for centuries. The study of Azerbaijani ethnography reveals a unique combination of deep history, rich culture and versatile traditions of the people living on this land. With its favorable natural and geographical conditions, Azerbaijan has become home to different nations, each of which has contributed to the formation of the cultural landscape of the region. The rock paintings of Gobustan, Kalbajar, Nakhchivan and Absheron show the ancient hunting, agricultural practices and religious beliefs and talk about the centuries-old history of the assimilation of the territory by man. In addition, oral folk art, including the epics "Koroglu" and "Ashig Garib" play a key role in the study of Azerbaijani ethnography and provide a valuable source of knowledge about the culture, history and traditions of the people. These epic works, passed down from generation to generation, are especially important for understanding the collective memory and identity of Azerbaijanis. Epics such as" Kitabi Dada Gorgud " help scientists to explore aspects of Azerbaijani life that are not recorded in written sources. They reflect social, political and economic changes in society over the centuries and provide unique information about language, religion, clothing, music, poetry and other forms of cultural expression. Also, such works as" Shah Ismail " are an important tool for preserving the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan, strengthening national self-awareness and pride in the cultural past. They also play an educational role in society, repeating ideas about morality and social norms. Studies based on oral folk art and epics allow ethnographers and anthropologists to more deeply understand both the succession and dynamics of Azerbaijani culture, open new perspectives for the study and interpretation of the ethnic history of the people. As a result, oral folk art occupies a central place in the ethnographic studies of the region, enriching and deepening the understanding of the cultural identity of the population of Azerbaijan. Ethnography of Azerbaijan began its active development as a science at the beginning of the XX century, and received a new impetus during the country's independence. Primary documentary sources, such as the data of ancient authors, folk epics and medieval records, had a great influence on the formation of a fund of scientific knowledge about the ethnography of the region. Information about the way of life, material and spiritual culture of the Azerbaijani people, initially obtained from rock paintings and subsequently supplemented with written and oral sources, enriched the understanding of the unique customs and traditions of Azerbaijanis. These materials reveal the life, economic practices, religious beliefs and social structure of ancient and medieval societies. Medieval love epics and works of Arab and Persian authors give a detailed description of the life, culture and customs of the Azerbaijani people, reflect its economic ways, family traditions and religious practices. Research and publications based on these sources continue to play an important role in the study and preservation of the ethnographic heritage of Azerbaijan. In general, the development of Azerbaijani ethnography as a scientific discipline is associated with the active study and documentation of the rich heritage of the region, including its material and spiritual culture, traditions. The efforts of scientists, the support of the state and the public's interest in ethnography contribute to the further preservation and popularization of unique cultural identity. The study of the ethnography of Azerbaijan, like many other regions, is a part of the ethnography discipline, which studies the cultural characteristics, traditions and historical development of different peoples more widely. In the XIX century, Azerbaijani ethnography began to form as a scientific discipline in the context of extensive studies of the peoples of the Russian Empire, which at that time included the territories of modern Azerbaijan. The main impetus for the development of Ethnography in Azerbaijan was the expeditions and scientific works of Russian and European scientists, as well as the study of the cultural and ethnographic diversity of the Peoples living in the Caucasus. In 1845, within the framework of the Russian Geographical Society, an ethnographic section was established under the leadership of K.M. Ber, marking one of the first initiatives to study regional characteristics. Later, in 1950, the Caucasus section, part of the Russian Geographical Society, was established in Tiflis. Between 1852 and 1913, the "Notes of the Caucasus Branch of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society" were published, and from 1872 to 1917, the "Reports of the Caucasus Branch of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society" were issued. These publications included articles on the life, culture, craftsmanship, social structure, and family traditions of Azerbaijanis and other peoples of the Caucasus. In the early 20th century, specialized works by local scholars, which contributed further to the development of ethnography in the region, began to be published on this topic. The development of ethnographic research in Azerbaijan in the XX century is divided into three main periods. The first period (1901-1917) is characterized by works reflecting the interests of the Tsarist government and related to colonial policy. During this period, authors engaged in Caucasian studies such as S. Anisimov and Y. Novoselova, whose publications reflect valuable ethnographic and statistical information about the region, made important contributions. The second phase began after the 1917 revolution, during a time when ethnographic research in Azerbaijan actively developed, particularly following the establishment of the Eastern Faculty at Baku State University and the museum-excursion department of the People's Commissariat of Education. The third period began in 1923 and was distinguished by significant efforts in the study of national ethnography, especially after the establishment of the Department of history and Ethnography of the Azerbaijan scientific-research and applied Society. The works of this period include studies on the ethnic composition and culture of the Azerbaijani people, which contributed to the deepening of knowledge about the region. An important step in the study of Azerbaijani ethnography was publications based on information collected in 1923-1929. They touched upon various aspects of the life and culture of the peoples of Azerbaijan, which enriched the scientific literature and made it possible to understand the historical and social processes in the region more deeply. As a result of previous research, the State Research Institute has contributed to the publication of numerous information touching on the ethnic composition and cultural characteristics of the Azerbaijani people. Among the significant works of this period is R. Ismayilov's "History of Azerbaijan" (1923), dedicated to the analysis of the professions, customs, culture, and historical sites of the Talysh people. Additionally, V. Ryumin's "The Talysh Region" ("Талышский край. Ленкорань") stands out. B. Miller also gathered extensive ethnographic material during his trip to Lankaran, which he included in his "Preliminary Report on the Trip to Talysh in the Summer of 1925" (Предварительный отчет о поездке в Талыш летом 1925). B. Miller's report on his 1925 trip to Talysh can be considered one of the first ethnographic reports of Azerbaijan during the Soviet period. After the establishment of the Azerbaijan Research Society, the foundations for continued research were laid through studies reflected in the "News" and "Works" publications. Renowned researchers such as I. Mesaninov, V. Gordievsky, A. Qubaidulin, A. Alekperov, D. Sharifov, and A. Karakashly played a key role in the development of ethnography. Their work made significant contributions to the scientific community. Since 1932, a new phase of systematic scientific research began based on the Azerbaijan Scientific Research Institute, established with the support of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In October 1935, this Institute was transformed into the Azerbaijan branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. This period was marked by an increased focus on developing and expanding the methodological foundation of ethnographic research, including the training of specialized scholars and the development of scientific infrastructure. These efforts led to a significant enrichment of the science of ethnography, contributing to the formation of a vast collection of documentary and informational resources that continue to play a crucial role in both existing and future research. Consequently, Azerbaijani ethnographic science not only reached a new level of quality but also laid the groundwork for the continuous updating and expansion of knowledge about the region's cultural and social diversity. The diversity of natural-geographical and historical conditions shapes a range of unique features in the culture of every nation. Identifying these features is crucial for studying urban culture. Considering the special role that the urban environment plays in the formation and enrichment of material culture, it becomes clear how relevant this issue is. Even within a limited scope, each region's urban culture possesses its own distinct characteristics. In a globalizing world, the ongoing processes are eroding the ethnic and ethnogenetic features of this culture. Therefore, researching traditional urban environments and passing down the empirical knowledge and experiences gained in the field of material culture to future generations holds great historical significance. Studying cultural heritage directly enables us to explain the ethnocultural processes occurring in the everyday life and culture of cities. The necessity of selecting the material culture of Ganja's population, with its rich historical past, as a special research object stems precisely from this context. In terms of the richness of material culture elements, the city of Ganja and the Ganjabasar region hold a special place among the historical-ethnographic regions of Azerbaijan. The diverse material culture samples here reflect the profound richness of Azerbaijani urban ethnography. It is well known that tolerance and multicultural values have contributed to the development of the urban environment in Azerbaijan in new directions. Due to its inherent multiculturalism, a unique urban lifestyle with distinctive features of Azerbaijani culture has also emerged in the city of Ganja. One of the factors that makes this research significant is the need to uncover these specific characteristics of Ganja's material culture and to determine its position and role within the context of overall Azerbaijani urban culture. It is understood that material and spiritual values collectively form the cultural heritage of every nation. In this regard, spiritual elements are reflected in every material process, and material characteristics are present in every spiritual creation. However, alongside this, the presence of a material foundation underlying the emergence of spiritual values is essential. In our opinion, the formation of this material foundation should be included among the attributes of urban culture. This is because the vitality of material values, in a sense, plays an important role in the development of the urban environment. Naturally, considering the diversity of household economies, it would be unrealistic to think of the emergence of material culture without them. In this context, the existence of rural life, including agriculture, animal husbandry, gardening, and other areas, has had a positive impact on the evolution of material culture. Considering that the formation of the city of Ganja was once significantly influenced by a village-like environment, this gradually led to the emergence of a rich variety of material culture. The distinctive features of these varieties can be observed primarily in traditional houses, national clothing, ornaments, national cuisine, the interior arrangements of homes, and so on. One of the factors contributing to the urgency of the problem is the assessment of the ideology of Azerbaijanis at the state level, which plays an important role in the formation of material values. It is from this point of view that the study of the urban culture formed over the centuries and the study and disclosure of material culture samples here serve to the study of national and spiritual values. The fact that urban culture is National in form and Multicultural in content attracts attention because of a long historical development process. From this point of view, it is important to preserve and convey to future generations what is positive, and to contribute to the pantheon of the culture of the peoples of the world. In this sense, the study of the traditional material and cultural heritage formed in the urban environment, along with practical importance, plays a guiding role for future ethnographic research. In the monograph, he studied traditional food and drinks of the city of Ganja in the XIX-XX centuries in a comprehensive manner, was involved in historical and ethnographic research. Collected ethnographic field materials covering the XIX-XX centuries, existing scientific literature and practical studies testify to the preservation of many samples of material culture in the household to this day. Considering the principle of historicity in the studies, it is clearly seen that the traditional culture of the city is quite permeated with modern culture. And this confirms the existence of ethnographic inheritance in the field of material culture. Food and drinks, which are attributes of material culture, have gone through many centuries of evolution and development, but still retain their national characteristics today. It is no coincidence that the ethnic uniqueness of each nation is vividly contained in its cuisine, national clothes, in a word, spiritual values. In this regard, the reconciliation of the traditional features of the study and the development trends of modern urban culture from an ethnographic point of view made it necessary to conduct the study on the principle of historicity. Since the ancient and early Middle Ages, the city of Ganja has occupied a special place in the cultural life of the country as an important center of art and trade. From this point of view, as the population of Ganja city and the material culture elements owned by it are in the spotlight, it has been tried to consider inter-city relations at the same time. The main areas of material culture were investigated based on ethnographic – field materials collected from Ganja city and local-local features and historical – ethnographic characteristic of material culture of urban population was given. The main point here is to reveal the stages of development, and the modern state of each material culture element formed in different historical periods, considering the existing historical and ethnographic literature and steppe ethnographic materials. Detailed ethnographic materials related to the material culture of the city of Ganja include N.A. Abelov [83], N. Florovsky [127], Y. Malik Shahnazarov [108], I.L. Segal [123], among the XIX century authors. 180], N.F. Dubrovin [98], I.N. Berezi [91], B. Meves [107], A.K. Milendorf [110] and others can be found in his works. In periodicals belonging to the XIX century [112; 113; 99; 100; 101], in collections [120; 121; 122;], in summaries [111], reports [114], etc. A lot of factual materials related to the material culture of Ganja city have been collected. The study directly dedicated to the Ganjabasar region and valuable for our research belongs to the late ethnographer H.A. Havilov [93; 29; 30]. It was possible to obtain some ethnographic information about the city of Ganja and Ganjabasar region from the works of ethnographers A.K. Alekbarov, G.T. Garagashli, D.P. Sharifov, I.M. Jafarzade and others, who conducted research in the 20s and 30s of the 20th centuries under the auspices of the Azerbaijan Research and Development Society. From the second half of the 20th century, among the ethnographers dealing with the problem of material culture in Azerbaijani ethnography, T.A. Bunyadov, H.A. Guliyev, G.C. Javadov, S.A. Guliyev, A.N. Musafayev, T.M. Karimov, F.I. Valiyev, etc. In his works, to a greater or lesser extent, the attitude towards the material culture of cities was expressed, and we benefited creatively from their works. Among the ethnographers, N.H. Giddi of Shamakhi city [13], Sh.Sh. Naghiyeva of Guba city [61], A.A. Pashayev of Ordubad city [115], D.C. Mammadov of Nakhchivan city [50], M.I. Khalilova of Baku city [32], P.A. Ismayilzadeh of Salyan city [35], Ilhama Mammadova of Tabriz city [51], etc. in their research studies dedicated to ethnography, they tried to study one or another area of the problem of material culture of these cities. In recent years, the ethnographer V. R. Veysalova, who is working on her doctoral dissertation on the topic "Household and culture of Ganjabasar region", has published several articles on the ethnography of Ganja city [72; 73; 74; 75; 76]. It should also be noted that both in the archaeological literature [16; 41; 42; 105; 43; 44; 62; 90; 96; 97; 104; 9; 1 etc.], as well as in the literature devoted to historical, architectural, socio-economic and cultural issues [15; 69; 24; 87; 106; 56; 70; 71; 20; 28; 67; 53; 54; 64 etc.] Enough information about the city of Ganja has been collected. However, since all these play an auxiliary role in the study of the material culture of the city population, there was a need for a work dedicated to the comprehensive study of the material culture of the city of Ganja. We have attempted such an initiative for the first time in the science of Azerbaijani ethnography. In the monograph, the author uses field-ethnographic materials collected from the city of Ganja, conversations with informants, examples of material culture found in archaeological excavations, personal collections, as well as various characteristic compilations, summaries, period press samples, special literature and historians and ethnographers published from the 19th-20th centuries to the present day used his works. The role of socio-economic, political, cultural-technical, natural-geographical, ethnic and ethno-cultural factors affecting the formation and development of the material culture of the city in the period under discussion was determined, separate areas of material culture were investigated for the first time in this context based on city materials and correct scientific results were obtained has arrived. It was clear from the results that the food culture of the city was formed at the expense of its internal capabilities in the Turkish ethno-cultural environment, played an exceptional role in the enrichment of the material culture of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus, and became an integral part of the material culture of All Azerbaijan. In general, traditional material culture products played a decisive role in the livelihood of the urban population. Food and drinks have become an organic part of the life and everyday life of the population and have served both to satisfy physiological needs and to improve material livelihood. In the monograph, against the background of the elements of material culture owned by the population of Ganja city, the traditional inheritance that manifested itself in the material culture areas of Azerbaijan in the XIX and XX centuries was revealed, and the transformations that took place in connection with the change of the existing socio-economic and political system were also clearly observed. The actual materials in the work can play an important role in the revival of traditional food culture, in the preparation of traditional food and drinks that enrich our culinary culture, in short, in the promotion of our urban culture.