Yalli – a masterpiece of Azerbaijani folk dance, safeguarded by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage

Yalli - a masterpiece of Azerbaijani folk dance is not just an ordinary dance, it shows the characteristics of the Azerbaijani nation, symbolizing its braveness, unity and solidarity.

Yalli, traditional group dances, is considered the pearl and the oldest type of Azerbaijani culture.

These dances are the expression of the past, the present and national traditions of the Azerbaijani people. It requires a great effort to preserve this folklore heritage called a symbol of antiquity, which is transmitted from generation to generation throughout the centuries to the present days.

One can hardly imagine any important celebration held in the country without these graceful movements, performed for hundreds of years at folk festivals and games, weddings and entertaining mock battles.

The history of dancing art of Azerbaijan traces its roots from Stone Age. A clear of evidence of this fact is petroglyphs resembling the Azerbaijani yalli round dance, which meet visitors at the entrance of the Gobustan State Historical-Artistic reserve – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The heritage site abounds with images of dancing people among the numerous petroglyphs. Some of these images feature dancing people holding their hands as if performing yalli. These millennia-old images once again confirm the fact that the yalli dance emerged in this land a very long time ago.