THE HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF GANJACUISINE IN THE LIGHT OF NIZAMI GANJAVI’S WORKS

Abstract

This article examines the historical and ethnographic characteristics of Ganja cuisine on the basis of the works of Nizami Ganjavi, medieval written sources, as well as archaeological and ethnographic materials. The study establishes that Ganja cuisine represents one of the oldest and richest regional schools of Azerbaijani culinary culture. Its formation was influenced by palace culture, urban life, agricultural traditions, religious and moral values, and natural-geographical factors.

References in the works of Nizami Ganjavi to such dishes and sweets as pomegranate pilaf, cumin pilaf, dovga, pakhlava, shekerbura, palude, and others attest to the existence of a highly developed culinary culture in Ganja in the twelfth century.

The article provides a systematic analysis of the food resources of the Ganjabasar region, traditions of breadmaking, pilaf preparation and confectionery production, dairy products, ritual dishes, beverages, and the culture of communal dining. It also evaluates contemporary research, as well as initiatives aimed at restoring and promoting Ganja cuisine.

The study demonstrates that the works of Nizami Ganjavi possess considerable scholarly value not only as literary heritage but also as an important historical and ethnographic source for the study of the food culture of medieval Azerbaijan.