Goychay Pomegranate Festival

Pomegranate Festival in halabja
Status	Active
Genre	Festival
Begins	November 3, 2006 (2006-11-03)
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Goychay District
Country	Azerbaijan
Founder	Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan Republic Goychay District Executive Power

Pomegranate Festival (Azerbaijani: Göyçay nar festivalı) is an annual cultural festival that is held in Goychay, Azerbaijan.^[1] The festival features Azerbaijani fruit-cuisine mainly the pomegranates from Goychay. At the festival, a cultural parade is held with traditional Azerbaijani dances and Azerbaijani music. The festival usually takes place in October or November, and attracts about 5000 to 7000 visitors. There are also several competitions, with participants competing to present the biggest pomegranate or eat the most pomegranates in a short time.

In 2020, the Goychay Pomegranate Festival was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.^[2]

History[]

The Goychay Pomegranate Festival was held for the first time on 3 November 2006 jointly by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan and the Executive Power of Goychay District. Since then, the festival has been held annually each autumn, displaying original dishes from different varieties of pomegranate, with the number of attendees growing each year. In 2013, representatives from approximately 20 foreign countries participated in the event alongsideh state and government officials.

Concept[]

Goychay is considered the pomegranate capital of Azerbaijan because of the many varieties of pomegranate grown in the region.^[3] The festival features a fair and an exhibition that displays different varieties of pomegranates as well as various pomegranate products produced by local enterprises. The pomegranates that grown in separate villages of Goychay region and the products that made of pomegranate like juice, juice concentrates, jam, jelly, grenadine, wine, and seeds in syrup are brought to the district center and displayed at the exhibition organized at the city square. During the festival, national music such as mugham and other Azerbaijani arts are presented each year. The festival also includes young athletes’ performances and concert programs that are available to watch in the city center. The guests can see various the craftsmen, master craftsmen, potters, millers, blacksmiths, artists, dancers, athletes, and performances of folklore groups, as well children's drawings, paintings, music, songs, and dances.^[4]

Activities within the festival[]

The activities within the festival changed over years and gained more spectators and participators. Types of events in the festival include ceremonies, competitions, dancing events, fairs, parades, and performances. For example, the 10th Pomegranate Festival opened with the participation of music and dance groups. The competitions at the festival such as the fastest eating of pomegranates, the ability to squeeze pomegranate juice, and the biggest pomegranate are held annually. In 12th Pomegranate Festival, the contest for "the most beautiful pomegranate girl" was held.

Gallery[]

• 

  Pomegranate

• 

  Goychay (city), 2011 year. One of the prepared stands at the Pomegranate Festival.

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  Goychay (city), 2011 year. Women in national costumes are making lavash.

• 

  Goychay (city), 2011 year. Acrobat's performance at the Pomegranate Festival.

References[]

External links[]

• "Nar Bayrami, traditional pomegranate festivity and culture". ich.unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
• "Dive into the atmosphere of Pomegranate Festival with Four Seasons Hotel Baku". press.fourseasons.com. Four Seasons. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
• "The Pomegranate Festival". aznar.az. Retrieved December 20, 2020.

See also[]

• Quba Apple Festival

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