Ashiqs of Azerbaijan

Art of Azerbaijani Ashiq
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Azerbaijani ashiqs in Nowruz
Country	Azerbaijan
Reference	253
Region	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2008 (4th session)

Music of Azerbaijan
General topics
Azerbaijani dances Azerbaijani musical instruments Sari Gelin Tar Azerbaijani ballet
Genres
Classical Folk Hip hop Jazz Opera Pop Rock
Specific forms
Traditional music	Ashiq music Meykhana Mugham
Subgenres	Jazz mugham
Media and performance
Music festivals	Gabala International Music Festival Baku Jazz Festival International Mugham Festival Hajibeyov Music Festival
Music media	Medeniyyet TV
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem	March of Azerbaijan

The art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs combines poetry, storytelling, dance and vocal and instrumental music into a traditional performance art. This art is one of the symbols of Azerbaijani culture and considered an emblem of national identity and the guardian of Azerbaijani language, literature and music.

Characterized by the accompaniment of the kopuz, a stringed musical instrument, the classical repertoire of Azerbaijani Ashiqs includes 200 songs, 150 literary-musical compositions known as dastans, nearly 2,000 poems and numerous stories.

Since 2009 the art of Azerbaijani Ashiqs has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In today's encyclopedic dictionaries the word Ashiq, which means "one who is in love", is derived from the Arabic and Persian. Some encyclopedias define Ashiq as a folk singer-poet of Caucasus and neighboring nations. In addition to songs of his own, in repertory Ashiq includes epic tales and folk songs.

The earliest traces of art of Azerbaijani ashiqs can be found in the 7th century Book of Dede Korkut, which contains the most famous epic stories of the Oghuz Turks.

From the 16th century, Azerbaijani ashiqs have been the bearers and guardians of the national language, national identity and the music performed in weddings, parties and folk festivals. During the 20th century, ashiq performances on concert stages, the radio and television became common.

Beginning in the 1930s, the Art of Azerbaijani ashiqs, like all folk music culture of the peoples of the USSR fell under the strictest control of the state government. As Soviet Union highly appreciated the art, during the Cultural Revolution the ashiq art, along with the mugham art of Azerbaijan has been developed while meykhana faced with certain restrictions. In 1938, the first congress of Azerbaijani ashiqs have been held and the large collection of ashiq poetry have been published. Monuments have been made for the ashiqs, their works added to school books and their anniversaries have been celebrated not only in Azerbaijan SSR but also in neighboring Georgian SSR and Armenian SSR, where Ashig Alasgar was born.