Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Azerbaijan hosted the 8^th Pomegranate Festival in Goychay on November 2.

The Festival was remembered not only for the delicious and original dishes made from different varieties of pomegranate, but also for the extraordinary spirit of this national holiday.

Featuring a demonstration of natural wealth and national customs and traditions, the spectacular event was attended by state and government officials, parliamentarians, ambassadors of foreign countries, Diaspora representatives, and the employees of international organizations.

The participants were greeted with national music and dances and were offered pomegranate juice made by local companies. Pomegranate Prince, the main popular character of the festival, entered the square and greeted the guests, wishing peace, abundance, and fertility for the Azerbaijani people. The event participants were introduced to the pomegranates and pomegranate products of 30 villages in the region.

A book fair was held in the square, and handmade and ancient art samples were met with great interest from the guests. The performances of sportsmen, rope-dancers, athletes, magicians, folk dancers, music and choral groups made the holiday more memorable. Once the guests and public figures visited national leader Heydar Aliyev`s monument, the official part of the ceremony started.

Goychay Executive Body Head Mansur Mammadov gave a speech at the event, emphasizing the Festival's significance in the development of pomegranate-growing.

Mammadov said that according to the preliminary estimates, the output would be 45000 tons this year.

"Some 40 per cent of production has been sent for sale in Russian, Ukrainian, and Georgian markets. Interest in pomegranate growing is increasing in Goychay year after year, and some measures are taken for the cultivation of new and productive pomegranate varieties," he said.

"A new pomegranate garden has been established in an area of 450 hectares in the past 2 years. Mostly Guloysha, Valas, Shandi, Shirin, Bala Mursal varieties have been planted at the gardens. Production facilities are expanding their annual capacity year after year," he added.

MP Elton Mammadov and Chinese ambassador to Azerbaijan Hong Jiuyin noted the high significance of the Pomegranate Festival.

Then gifts were granted to newlyweds, couples celebrating golden wedding and a 8-year-old child who was born on the same day of the Pomegranate feast held in 2006.

The guests were offered warm tandir (oven) bread, products made from pomegranate, cheese, doshama pilaf, etc. throughout the event.

Money prizes were given to the winners of the entertaining competitions in which the participants competed fastest pomegranate eating and pomegranate juice making, etc. The contest also defined that biggest pomegranate grown this year.

Stands displaying different varieties of pomegranate and stating their role in the treatment of various diseases were set on the streets of the city.

The feast continued with a concert and fireworks. The concert featured the performances of popular Turkish group "Ayna", Azerbaijani People's Artists Mansum Ibragimov and Zulfiyya Khanbabayeva, and others.

The foreign guests also expressed their satisfaction and great enjoyment at the festival.