5th Month of Culture

Elif Shafak is an award-winning novelist and the most widely-read female writer in Turkey. She is also a women’s rights activist and an inspiring public speaker (twice Ted Global speaker). She was born in Strasburg, France, in 1971, holds a PhD in political science and is well-known for being an advocate for human rights. Shafak is a bestselling author in many countries and her books have translated into 55 languages. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize, and has win Blackwell’s Book of the Year. Elif Shafak was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2019, and was a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). Recently Shafak was awarded the Halldór Laxness International Literature Prize for her contribution to "the renewal of the art of storytelling’’.

Llogara National Park is located in the southeastern region of Albania. It is centered on the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera and neighbors with Butrint National Park. Its majority is blanketed with rich forests comprised of trees, such as ash, black pine, silver fir, kermes oak and Bulgarian fir. There is also a wide variety of bird species (e.g. the golden eagle and the griffon vulture) and wild animals (e.g. the roe deer, the European wildcat and the wolf). Llogara National Park was created to protect the majestic nature of the region, its biodiversity and its different ecosystems. It is identified as an Important Bird Area and as an Important Plant Area in support of this diversity. Many of the species are endemic to the area. Furthermore, the park is a famous hiking destination in the country. Hiking is one of the best ways to explore these mountainous forests and their beauty. 

Sveti Naum Monastery is a beautiful and imposing sight, which is located on a cliff near the Albanian border (29km south of Ohrid). St Naum was a contemporary of St Kliment and their monastery was established as an educational center. The iconostasis of the church dates to 1711 and its Byzantine-style frescoes were created in the 19th century. Moreover, visitors can swim around Lake Ohrid, admire the view from the monastery walls or walk in the garden which surrounds the core of the complex and has fountains, roses and peacocks. Boat trips to the Springs of St Naum are also worthwhile.

Ancient Olympia is undoubtedly of great, universal value. Its Pan-Hellenic sanctuary, located in a beautiful natural setting, in the North West of the Peloponnese, has been established in the history of culture as the most important religious, political and sports centre dating back to the end of the Neolithic times (4th millennium BC). It was the centre of worship of Zeus, the father of the twelve Olympian gods, and artists, such as Pheidias, contributed to the creation of some of the most remarkable works of art. Olympic Idea was born in this place making Olympia a unique and universal symbol of peace and competition at the service of virtue and serving as the inspiration for the modern Olympics. Moreover, the archaeological site of Olympia in inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Sfințișori (Moldovian: Mucenici Moldovenești) or Moldavian martyrs is one of the most popular desserts in the country. It is a traditional pastry (soft and fluffy on the interior, while the exterior is crunchy and sticky) coated in nuts and honey. It is made in the form of figure eight representing the human body and referring to the 8th of March. This day is before the Orthodox holiday celebrating the Forty Martyrs, when the dessert is traditionally prepared.

In Ukraine, Creative Industries have a primary role. People ‘’interact’’ with the world of arts, which does not stop influencing them. In the following video, we see how music, theatre, cinema, literature, architecture and other kinds of art inspire Ukrainians and culture-lovers who visit this beautiful country.

This year, Armenians and music-lovers all around the world celebrate the 100th jubilee of the famous composer and pianist Arno Babajanyan (or Arno Babajanian, Armenian: Առնո Բաբաջանյան). In addition, today is his death anniversary (November 11, 1983). So, we could not but dedicate this day of the 5th BSEC Month of Culture to him.

What do you think about optimism? What does it mean to ‘’see the best in others’’? This is the moral lesson of the short story for children, ‘’The Legend of the Black Sea’’ by Sergey Nikolov (2013). It is a story about an old man who lives quietly with his dog Boley and his black cat Serzhina, weaving nets on the shore of a beautiful sea (the Black Sea). However, the three friends start having difficulties. Is faith in goodness able to alter this situation?  

Nar Bayrami is a traditional festival, which takes place every autumn in Goychay region, also known as ‘’pomegranate paradise’’. Besides pumpkin months (as already discussed), October and November are pomegranate months. Azerbaijan is the only country in the world where all sorts of pomegranate grow and, during the centuries, the fruit has become a symbol of Azerbaijani culture (for example, it can be used as an ingredient for a recipe or it can be cited in poems and myths). Moreover, locals associate it with abundance, long-term productivity and eternity. Consequently, Nar (pomegranate) Bayrami celebrates the traditional uses (a set of practices, knowledge, traditions and skills related to the cultivation) and symbolic meaning of the fruit highlighting the role of local agriculture. In 2020, Azerbaijan’s traditional pomegranate festivity and culture was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.