Karabakh Costumes

The Karabakh region of Republic Azerbaijan is a region of ancient history and rich tradition. It ranks high among our other historico-ethnographic regions as an independent historico-geographic, ethnic-cultural and historico-ethnographic region for its local characteristics, culture and unique social life.

Koyneks were sewn from simple fabrics till the waist, and had loose, strait sleeves, sometimes with gathered cuffs, open cut neckline. The shirt had a button on its neck. By the end of the 19th century shirts called “nogay yaha” with straight point collars came into fashion. The neck, collar of the shirt was banded with galloon and decorated with embroidery, edged with silver and gold coins.

The richness of Karabakh’s cultural heritage has contributed global human values to the culture not only of Azerbaijan, but to that of the whole world. One of the outstanding values of its tangible cultural values, lies in the costumes of Karabakh. The region has been contributing to innovation in clothing culture and producing its own specific designs since the 18th century.

The, city of Shusha, central to Karabakh, became a fashion centre of an Azerbaijani clothing culture that enjoyed golden ages in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Terms like ‘short Karabakh arkhaliq’, ‘Gala shoes’ and ‘Karabakh hats’ all date from that period.

Amongst women’s traditional clothing of Azerbaijan was widespread nimtene (mintene). Nimtene was cut in the same form as chapkan and in comparison it can indicate typological similarities with that type of clothing. This clothing differed from each other with small details. The name of cloth was mainly associated with choose of fabric used for sewing from which this cloth takes it name. Nimtene clothing was sewn from fabric with the same name and it is known, this textile had been brought to Azerbaijan from Middle Asia and Iran.

Nimtene was firts long-lapped, afterwards, in the 18th and 19th centuries it was shorten and cut to the waist. Nimtine was used in Karabakh throughout the end of the 19th century.

Chapkan was widely used amongst population until the early 19th-20th centuries. Chapkan was worn by men and women, the cut and design of this clothing mainly reflect the national peculiarities and its belong to Turkic nations ethnic attributes. Belongings of Kabirlinski.

The length of Karabakh chapkans can be varied from 43 cm to 57 cm. Shamakhi and Baku chapkans are distinguished by the body length and some features in form. Belongings of Kabirlinski.

By the end of the 19th century, arkhaligs had become widespread and popular.

The cut of arkhalig differed from region to region, in comparison to Karabakh arkhalig, it was distinguished from similar clothing type of other regions by some of the features: it had buta-shaped or oval (trimmed) neckline cut, hemmed line and sleeves in the form of the tulip. Such arkhaligs were used by people being in the fashion until the mid-20th century.

Javanshir Maya khanum.

Khurshud Banu Natavan’s.

Woman’s tuman is popularly known as “ layered skirt”. Depending on fabric width, the skirts were generally sewn from five –ten fabric layers, and as a result of this sewing technique it reached in width three and five meters.

Tumans are the only traditional clothing type that had little changes in fashion and still are being used amongst old generation.

Karabakh Costumes, Azerbaijan National History Museum.

Karabakh Costumes, Azerbaijan National History Museum.

Kurdu was a type of seasonal body-warmer clothing ( “eshmek” is a warm garment made of fur with the pile on inside and finished with fabric, “badanja”, “djan arkhalig”) was widely spread in Karabakh.

The kurdu was women’s jacket with elbow-length sleeves and also sleeveless . It was often made from heavy fabrics sush as velvet and tirma and made with fur or pile on the inside and was finished off on the outside with fabric.
Kurdu was included and remained in traditional set of clothing of old generation from various villages of Karabakh until the mid-20th century.

Head-dresses are divided into two groups: first one that was used to cover the head, and the second type of headgear was used to be worn.

Taj, tesek, chutgu, arakchin, dinge were used as headgear decorations. Alike the men’s arakchin, women’s one was relatively smaller, and played the role of hairpin at the same time in order to prevent kalagai from slipping down from the hair.

Traditional footwear included jorabs, badish, charyg (made of raw skin), bashmags, high –boots without heels, (sometimes with law heel made of the soft leather), chust, masr and half knee high boots, etc.

Bashmags were the most popular and traditional shoes used in the 19th century. Women’s and men’s shoes had very similar and common design with an open back, high heel, had fancywork on them, made of the soft leather, women shoes in some cases looked like that of the men, but being more delicate and decorated with beautiful designs. Belongings of Khurshud Banu Natavan.

Belongings of Khurshud Banu Natavan.
Karabakh Costumes, Azerbaijan National History Museum.

Karabakh Costumes, Azerbaijan National History Museum.

Women’s jewelry in accordance with its application is divided into parts of neck, breast, waist, wrist as well as clothing decorations.

Clothing design is grouped in two parts intended for wearing and decorations. Different decorative techniques were used on the garments including gulabatin (golden or silver embroidery), beads, pilek, quilting, garagez galloon, bafta (braid or lace trims), zanjira (fine needlework), beadwork, sarme and etc.

Head jewels included “papaqqabagı” (forehead), “diadem”, “chanaband”, “hook”, “telbasan”, “jiqqa” and others. Ear decorations such as “buta”, “badami” (almond), “sabati”, “gilasi”, “minare”, “aypara” (crescent), “yarpag” (leaf), “gul” (flower), “piyala zeng”,“sharli”, “girhduyme”, “uchduyme”, “dordduyme”, “beshduyme”, “ay-ulduz” and other kinds of ornaments have been widely spread.

Belongs to khan’s clothing.

Coarse calico, beads, gulebatin sarma. According to records in inventory book, it was decorated with beads and afterwards removed. The Qajars’ belongings.

Karabakh Costumes, Azerbaijan National History Museum.

Karabakh Costumes, Azerbaijan National History Museum.

Men’s clothing includes upper garments, footwear, headgear such as chuha, koynek, kurk, yapandji, shalvar, jorab, dolag, charig, bashmag, high knee chekme , kemer, gurshaq and papag. Chuha is generally made of broadcloth and simple fabrics.

In Karabakh in order to make clothing of that type was used fabric woven from goat’s thread made at master’s manufactory. In the 18 th and 19 th centuries traditional men’s clothing set includes chapkan as well.

Men’s clothing decoration included various elements mainly such as kemer (belt), vazne, duyme, qobur, watch-case, ammunition, tobacco case.

Children`s clothing is poorly represented in the collection of museum funds, with only a very small percentage on display. Apparently, this is due to the fact that most of Azerbaijani families traditionally had many children, so the kids have worn clothes that older children have worn time, with regard to their age and gender. It was no coincidence, that the proverb “kids get other oldest kids’ hand-me-downs while growing” was released that time and became very popular among people.

By comparing the children’s clothing, it should be noted, they were alike the dresses of older generation, they only different in sizes and the elements corresponding their age.