carpet & cuisine workshopsin Sumaghalli village
In the small village of Sumaghalli, Ismayilli region, lives Arzu Mirzayeva, founder of a pioneering women’s association that currently counts about 50 members. At her private house and garden, nestled amid fine green nature, her association hosts a wide range of workshops in local cultural and culinary practices for visitors.
In particular, through prior arrangement, in winter you can witness how carpets are woven, while in summer you can be treated to a honey-making masterclass. At various times of the year you can learn how to make numerous types of fruit vodka, local baklava sweets and variations of the national dish dolma (stuffed leaves or vegetables). The association also has its own poultry factory.
An extremely welcoming and enthusiastic woman, Arzu founded the association in 2018. She felt that she could do much more to support the local community and gathered together other local women, realising they could achieve greater success as a collective. Besides its agricultural and touristic activities, the association also organises charity events for disabled and poor people in the village as well as war-affected families.
