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 Azerbaijani girl wearing kelaghai | |
| Type | Headgear |
|---|---|
| Material | Silk |
| Traditional art and symbolism of Kelaghayi, making and wearing women’s silk headscarves | |
|---|---|
| Country | Azerbaijan |
| Reference | 00669 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2014 (9th session) |
| List | Representative |
Kelaghayi (Azerbaijani:Kəlağayı;Armenian:քալաղայ) orHawri (Kurdish:Hewrî or هەوری)[1][2] also known as "charghat" (çarğət fromPersianچارقد), is a traditionalAzerbaijani[3] andArmenian[4][5] women'sheadgear. It is a square-shaped silk head scarf with special prints on it. In November 2014 at the 9th session ofUNESCO's traditional art and symbolism of Kelaghayi, its production and the wearing were included in thelist of intangible cultural heritage UNESCO.[6]
Kelaghayi is found in various dialects ofAzerbaijani,Turkish, andArmenian, known askalagaz inIstanbul,kelāyağı orkeleyağı inKars,kəlağayı in Azerbaijan, andkalaghay inArmenian. Kelaghayi was borrowed from theArmenian termk'alałay (քալաղայ), meaning "silk kerchief" or "city-fashion women's head-covering".[4][7] The Armenian term could possibly originate fromPersiankalāx, meaning "gauze head-covering".[7][5]
Kelaghayi is a four-cornered shawl woven from silk thread and worn by the women as a symbol of chastity, respect, and devotion.[8] Thin silk threads are woven together on a loom, and then boiled and dried into squares. They are dyed with vegetable dyes, and artisans use wood blocks and oils to stamp patterns.[8] The silk keeps the wearer cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The process of making a kelaghayi takes two days and four separate artisans: the weaver, the dyer, the moulder (decorator), and ornamental master. Traditionally, all the artisans involved are men.[9]
The colours and patterns of kelaghayi often have meaning and importance for events like weddings, engagements, mourning periods, and daily life. There are age and social differences in its wearing: older women wear kelaghayis of darker colours, mostly black and dark blue, whereas younger women opt for brighter ones, such as white, beige, bright blue, etc. If a woman gave a kelaghayi to a man, it signified that she accepted his proposal of marriage. She would then wear a red kelaghayi at theirhenna party.[9]
A kelaghayi can be tied in various ways, depending on the region.[10] In some places, a kelaghayi was tied over a triangular headscarf after collecting hair with a piece of gauze. As a result, there would be three headdresses worn simultaneously: first, the juna (gauze), then the kelaghayi and finally a triangular headscarf called kasaba, sarandaz, or zarbab.[11]
Kelaghayi-making is concentrated in two cities in Azerbaijan, the city ofSheki and theBasgal settlement inIsmayilly.[6] The tradition is passed down through non-formal apprenticeships, primarily through family occupation.[6]
The clothes, fine needle-works and shawls made of Sheki silk were highly appreciated. For this reason, the local population engaged in kelaghayi production produced silk in Sheki and created kelaghayi in Basgal.[12] Therefore, despite a certain distance between two regions, they connected with each other by “floss ties.”
It is the headscarf (kalaḡay, Pers. kalāḡī), made from specially woven silks, that is the most persistent of traditional garments, sometimes worn over a low (6 cm) flat topped skullcap (araqčın), almost covered with gold embroidery, or alternatively a small bonnet (täsäk).
