User:Shii/Babak Castle Public Meeting

Babak Castle Public Meeting (Azerbaijani: Babək Qalası Qurultayı, بابك قالاسي قورولتايي ) is a traditional march and cultural ceremony at Bez Tower or Babak Castle which held on the occasion of the Babak Khurrami (Babak Khurramdin)'s birthday, who is claimed by some Turkic nationalists in Iran as a national hero of Azerbaijan.

Since the end of the 1990s, Iranian Azerbaijan has been the stage for growing ethnic mobilization, in which Azerbaijanis demanded the recognition of cultural rights. The most symbolic is the annual rally at Babak castle in Kaleybar, a little town in East Azerbaijan Province, close to the Republic of Azerbaijan's border. Every year, at the beginning of summer, during a weekend, tens of thousands of nationalist activists gather in an ancient castle, built on a peak, located five kilometres southwest of Kaleybar. There, night and day, they celebrate around fire-places, with songs, poetry or dances, the life of Babak, depicted as the Azerbaijanis' national hero. Since 2005, the gathering has been severely restricted by the Iranian authorities.

Generally accepted as the date of the Babak's birthday, is celebrated Baaz,or Babak fortress located near Kaleybər town. However, in recent years, Iranian security forces gather around the castle and via setting up military maneuvers do not allow viewing people to march. So the ceremony is celebrated in city centers.

Other alternatives for Babak Castle Public Meeting
After Banning people to hold this annual Babak Castle Public Meeting, Azerbaijanis tried to hold monthly or weekly similar public meetings in places such football stadiums in Tabriz, and other cities with huge number of Turkic speaking people like Tehran and Karaj. Tractor Sazi F.C. have become a forum for Azerbaijanis to demand linguistic and ethnic rights in Iran.