Man, It's a Manat! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eurasia

The term Eurasia is sometimes used when describing countries, such as Azerbaijan, which are considered by some to belong to eastern Europe, and by others to be part of western Asia. The division of the single large landmass into the continents of Europe and Asia is arbitrary, and the boundary between these two continents is not geographically clear-cut, but the UN considers Azerbaijan to be part of Asia.

As you can tell from looking at the note, the Azerbaijani word for the number one is bir.

Answer: Exclave

An exclave is a part of a country which is not physically attached to the rest of the country. If the region is completely surrounded by one other country, it can also be referred to as an enclave within that country. Nakhchivan is an exclave of Azerbaijan, but not an enclave, as it is bordered by Armenia, Iran and Turkey.

Nakhchivan is located near Mt Ararat, where Noah's Ark is supposed to have come to rest, and tradition says that Noah settled there. As was the case for much of the Caucasus region, it came under the control of a variety of powers over the years - Persians, Armenians, Turks, Mongols and Russians all controlled Nakhchivan, and fought each other for the privilege, before it was declared to be a part of the Soviet Union in 1920. Under Soviet rule, the population shifted from being predominantly Armenian to being mostly Azeri. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Kakhchivan Autonomous Republic was recognized as being a part of Azerbaijan.

Answer: Armenia

Nagorno-Karabakh is located near the Armenian border, and was the scene of the Armenian-Azerbaijani war (roughly 1918-1920) before the region came under Soviet control. The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was established as part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, despite the fact that its population was over 90% Armenian. When the Soviet Union dissolved, conflict flared anew, and the Nagorno-Karabakh War (1991-1994) ensued. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has declared itself to be independent, but is only recognized by a few other states (Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia), none of them recognized by the United Nations at the start of the 21st century.

The 20 manat note has symbols of power (helmet, shield, sword) on the front, and a symbol of peace (harybulbul) on the back. A helmet is also featured on the 10 qәpik coin.

Answer: Manat

The symbol for the manat is not currently included in Unicode, and the symbols m and man are commonly used in its place. The buildings on the front of this note show the development of architecture over the years, from an ancient fortress on the left to a modern skyscraper on the right. The upswept curves are intended to suggest economic growth.

Answer: Azerbaijan! Azerbaijan!

The first lines of "March of Azerbaijan" (words by Ahmad Javad, music by Uzeyir Hajibeyov), adopted as the national anthem in 1918, reflect the long history of struggle in the region:

'Azerbaijan! Azerbaijan!
The heroic patriotic glorious land!
To die for you we are glad and we are ready!
If there is need to shed blood
We are too ready!
With three color banner live happily!'

(There is no official translation of the national anthem into any other languages; the above was found in the Wikipedia article about Azerbaijan, but someone who speaks Azerbaijani may be able to provide me with a more elegant translation. The first two words, however, are not ambiguous.)

The front of the 5 manat note uses the modern Azerbaijani alphabet; the reverse features some examples of the Old Turkic alphabet that was used from the 11th through the 16th centuries. The 3 qәpik coin also features books and a quill pen, as tribute to the important contributions made by Azerbaijani writers to the world of literature.

Answer: Rock art

The Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape was declared a World Heritage Site in 2007, because of its many rock engravings. Discovered in 1930, there are over 6,000 carvings, dating back as far as 40,000 years. The drawings include men and animals, including hunting and battle scenes, as well as pictures of the sun, moon and stars.

In this same region, a Latin rock inscription was found near Mt Boyukdash which is the easternmost evidence of Roman presence to have been discovered by the end of the 20th century.

Answer: Baku

The stone background for the note represents the Icheri Sheher wall that encloses the Old City of Baku, the first region in Azerbaijan to have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 2000. The centerpiece of the design is the Shirvanshahs' Palace, which includes the main palace building, a mosque with its minaret, a mausoleum, the Divankhana pavilion and a bathhouse. In the lower right corner of this drawing is a representation of the Maiden Tower, also called Giz Galasi, which was built in the 12th century. The Maiden Tower is also featured on the 5 qәpik coin, and formerly appeared on many other Azerbaijani notes and coins.

Tehran is the capital of Iran, Yerevan of Armenia, and Tbilisi of Georgia.

Answer: Play music

These three instruments, used in traditional Azerbaijani folk music, are featured on the 1 manat note, as well as on the 1 qәpik coin. The daf is a drum consisting of a wooden rim on which a goatskin is stretched. There may or may not be cymbals inserted around the rim.

The 1 manat note includes two examples of a kamancheh, a stringed instrument with a long neck and a bowl-shaped resonating chamber which is played with a bow. It may have three or four strings, and is played while seated, with the spike on the bottom of the instrument being used to hold it in position.

The tar, thought to be the ancestor of the sitar and the guitar, is a waisted instrument, meaning its resonating body has two rounded segments connected by a thinner waist.

The Azeri tar has 11 strings, with 5 doubled strings, and a single string which is tuned to produce the lowest note on the instrument.

Answer: Carpets

Various carpet designs are also featured on the 1, 10 and 100 manat notes. The traditional Azerbaijani carpet has been declared to be a UNESCO Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage. Carpet weaving has been practiced in the area since at least the 3rd millennium BCE, as evidenced by tools which have been excavated at a number of sites.

The oldest complete carpet found dates to about 500 BCE. There are distinctive regional styles, which have been classified into four main regional groups.

Answer: Education

The geometric figures on the 20 qәpik coin, like the similar part of the 50 manat note, is meant to suggest the important tradition of learning and the development of intellect. Both the coin and the note also include a stair, rising towards an ever-increasing enlightenment.

The 50 manat note also includes historic architecture, suggesting the link between historic and future developments as the youths with books and backpacks walk towards the stairs.