· July, 2008

Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from July, 2008

Armenia: Agra Hadig

  31 July 2008

Martuni or Bust reports on the tradition of agra hadig which celebrates the appearance of a baby's first tooth. A large collection of objects is also placed in front of the child, and whichever one he or she chooses is said to determine their later profession.

Armenia: NATO Cooperation

Window on Eurasia argues that Armenia's continued involvement in exercises staged under the auspices of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program marks an increasingly evident move towards Western rather than Russia military structures.

Armenia: Hacked Attack Sites?

  31 July 2008

Nazarian reports that two Armenian sites, Policy Forum Armenia and my own The Caucasian Knot, have been flagged as attack sites by Google. 517 Design carries more information on what appears to be the work of hackers.

Azerbaijan: Shop Baku

  30 July 2008

Visiting Azerbaijan? A new blog, Shop Baku, offers helpful tips for foreigners in the country including a helpful list of food names in Azerbaijani and English as well as a cheat sheet for buying produce from markets and shops.

Caucasus: Cuil Search Engine

  30 July 2008

Social Science in the Caucasus puts new search engine Cuil through a series of tests to evaluate its worth as a research tool in the region. The blog concludes that Google has nothing to worry about.

Armenia: Driving in the Caucasus

  30 July 2008

Having arrived in Armenia for an internship, It's Very European to Stand… comments on driving in the capital, Yerevan, and concludes that crossing the road can be hazardous and sometimes life-threatening.

Azerbaijan: Media Course

  29 July 2008

Thoughts On The Road, the blog of an American journalist living and working in Azerbaijan, reports on a recent media course he gave in Sheki.

Armenia: Musical Tourism

  29 July 2008

Unfashionably Late recently visited Armenia and posts an extended entry on the local music scene. The post is accompanied by music videos and analysis.

Kazakhstan: U.S. Urges Astana to Foster Reforms

  28 July 2008

Zhanna Zhukova reports on what was said Tuesday at the U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing on Kazakhstan’s OSCE chairmanship bid. Washington urged Kazakhstan to show clear signs of democratic progress before the end of this year.

Afghanistan: Seeking Justice

  28 July 2008

Despite its reputation for a very conservative brand of Islam, Afghanistan is deeply torn. Before the recent decades of war, the country was more known for its mystical Sufism that attracted crowds of hippies and tourists than anything else; the Soviet War helped entrench a more fundamentalist brand of Islam...

Afghanistan: Violence in the Hazarajat, Protests in Kabul

  28 July 2008

Afghanistan is one of those countries where minority issues drive nearly everything. They form the basis for why President Hamid Karzai is “the best game in town,” but also why he should resign. They form the fundamental structure of the national government, with ethnic set-asides (Kuchis get 10 seats in...

Soviet History: The Afghan War

The Turkish Invasion writes at length about the Soviet Afghan War and posts pictures from the memorial in Kyiv. Window on Eurasia writes that Russian Afghan War vets “want Moscow to celebrate their war too.”

Aghanistan: Police Violence

  25 July 2008

The Rumi reports that a 13 years old girl was raped by five policemen after torturing her family inside their house in central city of Sare-Pol province, northern part of Afghanistan.

About our Central Asia & Caucasus coverage

Nurbek Bekmurzaev
Nurbek Bekmurzaev is the Central Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Arzu Geybullayeva
Arzu Geybullayeva is the South Caucasus editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.