By Nick Nwolisa. Original can be read here.
Azerbaijan hospitality can not to be reduced to only good gestures shown to foreigners or limited to having to be entertained by the assorted varieties of cuisines the Azerbaijanis has to offer (read Azerbaijan Hospitality – Part I); the Azerbaijan hospitality encompasses and embraces a people total way of living, its specificity is in the area of its acceptability of people from diverse cultural, religious beliefs and origins.
The Azerbaijan nation in whole, apart from the major Azerbaijanis from the Turkic origin, it consists of other ethnic minorities, like the Talishs, Tatars, Lezghins, Jews, Tats, Avars, Kurds, Ukrainians, Russians, Armenians, Tsakhurs, Udis, Georgians, Ghyryzs, Mountain Jews, Polish, Khynalyqs and the Buduqs. The point is this, any person who has passed through Azerbaijan will hardly notice these differences, these ethnic groups have simply chosen to be identified as Azeris and this has helped unite the country. There is no element of disparity in existence between these ethnic groups and this co-existence has significantly rubbed into the relationship between the Azerbaijanis and foreigners.
Visitors to Azerbaijan while walking the streets of the capital – Baku, even as a relatively small country, will notice an array of different national restaurants. A few of the prominent are the Chinese, Hong Kong, Arabians, India and Pakistan, Iranian and not forgetting the Turkish restaurants. All these are patronized by both the Azerbaijanis and foreigners who are familiar with these varieties. However, without mincing words, very many persons will agree with me that the Azerbaijan cuisine has its own blends to match up or equal with these international meals that have a global imprints.
The simple fact that all these different international restaurants exist is because there can be found people from all part of the world in Azerbaijan. After the boom in the Azerbaijan economy with the exploration of the Caspian oil by international oil conglomerates, there has been a large influx of foreigners into this part of the world. Some many years ago, prior to the independence of Azerbaijan from the Soviet Union, visitors to Azerbaijan were limited to only people who came for educational purposes; for example, before my departure from Nigeria to Azerbaijan, I had come in contact with a young lady who is about nineteen years old, her father is a Nigerian while her mother is an Azeri. This only proves that even as far back as twenty years ago, Nigerians have been coming to Azerbaijan to have education here. One of the main destinations of foreign students is always the Azerbaijan Oil Academy that is one of the best universities of its kind globally.
Some phases in a country development are just inevitable. That at this time in history Azerbaijan is witnessing a great number of foreigners coming in as sojourners or tourists is an event that is certain to occur. The Azerbaijan nation is experiencing a peace that was not a picture many observers would have predicted during the turbulent years of 1992–1995. The reentrance of Heydar Aliyev into the political scene of Azerbaijan was the factor that can be linked to the national peace. This is the reason why the entire Azerbaijani population references Heydar Aliyev despite many years after his death. Just to add also to his, H. Aliyev’s credit, he orchestrated the entrance of the big oil companies into the Caspian waters, an agreement that is referred to as “contract of the century”.
With the finance from the sale of its oil, Azerbaijan government is beautifying its capital city of Baku. In almost every corner of the street a park can be found, there is the renovated Boulevard – National Park, museums are found in all cities of the country even in the hinterlands, rising buildings erected, etc. All these are signs of a prosperous nation with a great potential to achieve more greatness.
There are various ways in which the Azerbaijan hospitality is expressed. For instance, during ceremonies such as wedding; I have attended several wedding ceremonies in Azerbaijan and it really was a delight to be hold. The wedding is characterized by lots of merriment, arrays of meals, and then the series of dances. At a particular wedding ceremony, I was fascinated to learn the Azeri dance step that looks almost similar like the American tap dance. It didn’t take me much to learn because everyone was ready to tutor me through the skills of the dance. Immediately I caught the rhythm, I joined in the euphoria that accompanies these moments.
Other areas where you can feel the Azerbaijan hospitality is in the area of expressing simple courtesies like greeting. With no regards to gender, nationality, or color, at first meeting, exchanging pleasantries is most often done with a cheek kiss. This is a custom that has longed being practiced and it has remained with generations after generations.
Azerbaijan can’t be portrayed as an ideal society just as there is never an ideal society, however the positive sides of the Azerbaijan hospitality is highly commendable and obviously eclipses her negative sides.
On a general postulation, the Azerbaijan nation has not seen the last of its sojourners. Basing on the practice of its unequalled hospitality, if well harnessed, it is true to state that the Azerbaijan country is indeed heading towards prosperous times.
Nick Nwolisa is a Nigerian student living in Baku. He collaborates with the International Eurasia Press Fund and is responsible person for Refugee/IDP issues. Nick can be reached at e-mail address nicknwolisa@iepf-ngo.org. Or you can read Nick’s blog at nickymedia.blogspot.com.