Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the continuity and change of sensory-aesthetic devotional practices of Muharram mourning in Azerbaijan and argues for an understanding of ritual resilience. These rituals are shown to be flexible and openly contested allowing them to adapt to changing socio-political contexts.

Paper long abstract:

Scholars of Islam in post-Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus have been preoccupied trying to trace the origins of the so-called Islamic revival in the region, often neglecting the dynamics of continuing ritual practice in the face of social and political change. Since the 19th Century, Muharram rituals mourning the martyrdom of Imam Husain have come under sustained and public critique in the Caucasus and have been the target of state campaigns and bans. Despite this, mourning has remained a constant, albeit changing, feature of Shi’i devotional life in the region. This paper examines the continuity and change of sensory-aesthetic devotional practices of Muharram mourning, and the debates surrounding them, in Azerbaijan and argues for an understanding of Shi’i ritual in terms of resilience. These rituals are shown to be flexible and openly contested allowing them to adapt to changing socio-political contexts.