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Kelaghayi making in Basgal

 The legacy of the Silk Road is still visible in the picturesque village of Basgal, the home of Azerbaijani kelaghayi making. If there is one object – an article of clothing – that encompasses the history of Azerbaijan, expresses its Turkic and Islamic roots, and speaks of its traditions that incorporate motifs from different periods of the Caspian country’s history, it is the kelagayi.  Traditionally worn by Azerbaijani women, kelaghayis are exquisite silk headscarves with patterns made using the batik technique – a method of stamping on hot wax to prevent the dye from colouring the fabric. In the past, silk weaving and kelaghayi making were practised at every household in the village, yet these crafts found themselves on the verge of disappearance by the end of the Soviet period. The revival began in the early 2000s when a kelaghayi factory was established in Basgal, and today a new generation of designers are being inspired by the headscarf’s symbolism and beauty to modernise it and make it fashionable again. Call into the factory for an impromptu lesson in kelaghayi making, then soak up the old-world atmosphere of Basgal’s cobblestone streets.