The Novruz "Bride"
Novruz Bayram tradition in Yukari Salahli, Azerbaijan, where men wear women’s clothing as part of the celebration. Rooted in local romantic mythology, this custom reveals a symbolic reinterpretation of the feminine image within a predominantly masculine society. Drawing on my long-standing research into the role of women in Azerbaijan, the project reflects on how femininity is reimagined and embodied through male participation in this ritual — offering a complex, poetic, and at times ironic dialogue between gender, tradition, and cultural identity.