Guivami Rahimli: “The Cuisine of the Irevan Khanate” - A Valuable Encyclopedic Resource on the Ancient Azerbaijani Homeland
 The English edition of “The Cuisine of the Irevan Khanate,” recently published in Istanbul, represents a significant step forward in the efforts of the Azerbaijan National Culinary Center (ANCC) to promote awareness of Azerbaijan’s history, culture, and cuisine on the international stage.

Guivami Rahimli, PhD, Professor at Baku State University and project manager of “The Cuisine of the Irevan Khanate,” shared insights with AZERTAC regarding the significance and scholarly value of the publication.

This book has earned high acclaim from culinary experts worldwide. In November 2020, it received first place at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris, France. The book is also proudly on display at the Alfred Nobel Prize Museum (Alfred Nobels Björkborn) in Karlskoga, Sweden.

The primary aim of this work is to preserve and celebrate the culinary heritage of millions of Azerbaijanis - especially hundreds of thousands who were expelled from the Irevan Khanate, their ancestral homeland, and dispersed around the world since 1828.

Cuisine is often the most enduring aspect of a culture, deeply reflecting a people’s history, traditions, and worldview. In this light, the book serves as a cultural safeguard - helping to protect the traditional cuisine and heritage developed by Azerbaijanis in the territory of the Irevan Khanate from the threats of assimilation and historical erasure.

Amir Ali Sardari Iravani, a descendant of the Khan of Irevan, underscores the cultural importance of the book: “… the idea of collecting the folk traditions of real indigenous people of Irevan, the people, who were forcibly evicted from their ancestral home, is a great success. This book, a masterpiece, the collection of dishes which are like a treasure trove of our culinary history culture, will be preserved for future generations.”

“The Cuisine of the Irevan Khanate” is the result of years of dedicated research and offers a profound exploration of a historically and culturally significant topic. This encyclopedic work documents the rich culinary heritage of Azerbaijanis who once lived in the Irevan Khanate - an area now within the borders of modern-day Armenia.

Throughout history, the Azerbaijani population of the Irevan Khanate has faced forced displacement and cultural erasure. Armenian efforts to appropriate and redefine the cultural and culinary heritage of the region continue to be a source of deep concern. We once again witnessed the destruction of the Azerbaijani national and cultural heritage and appropriation of its historical sites by Armenia in Karabakh, which was liberated by the Azerbaijani army during a 44-day war in 2020.

The Azerbaijan National Culinary Center (ANCC) plays a leading role in documenting and promoting the country’s culinary heritage on the global stage. Through historical research, participation in international culinary forums, and the publication of scholarly works such as this, the ANCC contributes to a broader understanding of diverse cultural narratives and works to expose Armenian falsifications.Bringing together an extensive array of historical and ethnographic sources, “The Cuisine of the Irevan Khanate” presents a vivid portrait of the culinary culture and material traditions of the indigenous Azerbaijani population of the Irevan Khanate. The book offers a detailed glimpse into the daily lives of Azerbaijanis through their food, featuring comprehensive descriptions of agricultural tools, kitchen utensils, and the names and preparation methods of hundreds of traditional dishes and beverages.

With 413 authentic recipes, the book preserves flavors, techniques, and culinary customs passed down through generations. It offers a spiritual journey to the ancestral lands of Azerbaijanis, evoking the aroma of tandoor ovens and the taste of dishes that have graced family tables for centuries.

The research also sheds light on the “Armenian Cuisine” book published by the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR in 1960, where Armenian “experts” falsified the names of food products and dishes and their cooking methods collected from Azerbaijani villages and settlements in Goycha and Zangazur districts in order to “restore Armenian cuisine”.

As you turn the pages of “The Cuisine of the Irevan Khanate” book, it becomes clear that despite the efforts of the Armenians to appropriate the food and drinks in cuisine of the Azerbaijani people of the Irevan Khanate and to portray them as “Armenian dishes”, it becomes evident that many iconic dishes - such as borani, arishta (əriştə), khashil, kufta, dolma, govurma, bozartma, kata, lavash, penir, gögüplov, odplov, müəmmərplov, and imam bayıldı - retain names and culinary roots that clearly reflect Azerbaijani origins. Despite historical attempts to redefine these elements, linguistic and cultural evidence affirms their Azerbaijani heritage.

The international community has increasingly recognized the importance of accurately attributing cultural heritage. Despite Armenian claims, in 2016, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage inscribed “lavash” on its Representative List as a tradition of the Turkic peoples. Similarly, in 2017, “dolma” was recognized as an element of Azerbaijani cuisine and included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

One of standout features of “The Cuisine of the Irevan Khanate”, is its inclusion of rare historical photographs and documents that illustrate the cultural heritage of the Irevan Khanate. These images showcase aspects of Azerbaijani and Islamic religious architecture, including the Sardar Palace, Irevan mosques, caravanserais, and other medieval structures and the process of their destruction over time. The book references archival materials from the National Museum of Georgia, contributions from Georgian scholars, and photographs by the Russian orientalist and photographer Dmitry Yermakov (1845–1916), alongside documentation related to the restoration of the Sardar Palace authorized by Tsar Nicholas II. These sources provide compelling evidence that the Irevan Khanate was an ancient territory inhabited by Azerbaijanis.