Yaşıl Bazar

23rd of February, 2014 – Baku, Azerbaijan

On a grey Sunday morning in February (click here for a visit in fall) I went with Martha and Angela to the Yaşıl Bazar (green market), which is mainly in a large hall, but also extends into an outside part.

Quinces (heyva in Azerbaijani) are used to make murebbe, the Azerbaijani, more liquid version of jam, which is served, together with other fruit murebbe, to tea as a sweetener.

All kind of pickles are popular in Baku, probably a heritage of the Russian era. Pickled garlic in front of various types of pickled vegetables in glass jars (next picture) and pickled red cabbage with pickled green tomatoes behind them (picture after the next one).

While fruits and vegetables certainly make colorful pictures, walking trough the market with a big camera is a great means to get in contact with local vendors. Men are normally more than happy to pose – either in front of their produce or with their friends, the vendor next to him.

Cabbage comes in trucks is directly sold out of them.

This man is obviously good friend with his competitor, who sells cabbage just next to him.

And his stall his here:

While the man on the right side was making himself ready he was joined by the left one. Both had big carts they use to transport produce – it seemed first for vendors to equip their stall, then for customers buying much.

Women are much more shy. They rarely ask for a picture to be taken and often shy away when I ask them. However, quite a few are quite happy to get their picture taken. Unfortunately they smile seldom, and then only after the picture is taken and they see the result on the screen of the camera.

Most women, who sell their fruits and vegetables in the market, are older and have interesting faces. I wish my language skills were good enough to ask them for their story. They all wear a skarf, not (any longer) a common piece for women, however still among these women in the market on this rather cold day.

She was approaching me, laughed a lot and gave me at the end a kiss on my cheek.

I guess they are mother and son.