AMusical genreIndependent states
Meykhana
Absheron's improvised rhythmic verse contest, in which performers duel with quick-witted rhymed lines over a beat.
Meykhana is a verbal art born in the villages around Baku on the Absheron Peninsula. Two or more performers take turns improvising verse and answering each other's lines with quick wit over a simple beat.
Its themes range from everyday life and humour to social criticism and love; what counts most is speed, mastery of rhyme and repartee.
Traditionally performed at weddings and gatherings, meykhana is now also popular on stage, on television and online.
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Updated: October 1, 2026