LEZGI HOUSE
Traditional Lezgi houses are built in beautiful places of nature: on hills, high places, close to the rivers and springs of water. From ancient times their houses have been built in the national architectural style. Separate rooms are planned for male and female children. The rooms for husband and wife, as well as the elderly members of the family, are also separate. The largest, lightest, best decorated room is usually appointed for guests. It is called the tav “guest room”. Good conditions are created here for the guests to rest comfortably. The houses are built in a definite manner towards the east. High, looped balconies characterize Lezgi architecture, which are called “five balconies” among the people. Note this poem:
Let the wind fill the five balconies built at a high place,
That the five days given in this life
Would be with the beloved one!
Every house has its own warehouse. Here families store their food supply. The floor of the warehouse is dug and shallow wells are neatly plastered for keeping fruit and vegetables. In order to store wheat and flour containers of plastered sticks are made. Lezgis traditionally use special measured containers called kat, kandu and zakan. Kat measures approximately a half ton, while kandu is about a ton, and zakan is a container with the volume of more than a ton for storing wheat. Vessels to store butter and cheese are also put in the warehouse.
In the kitchen special shelves are built for kitchen dishes. There they put copper pots, trough, cans, and pans.
Excerpts from the book of “Qusar Region and Its Inhabitants” by Sedaget Kerimova
