Khananda

In the growing cities, khanandas would perform at the events organized by the nobility, on weddings and fairs, in caravanserais and tea houses.

With Persian being the main language of the local literature at the time (mugham lyrics were based on Classical Islamic poetry), khanandas used it in their performance and therefore gained popularity mostly among the aristocracy.

Classical khanandas followed a specific dress code which included a chokha, an arkhalig, an astrakhan cap (papag), rings and a belt decorated with gold.

Being home to most of Azerbaijan's renowned classical musicians, the city of Shusha became the main cultural centre of Azeri folk music and the arts often referred to as the "conservatory of the Caucasus".

A khananda who was required to have no less than a two-octave voice range would be tested on the knowledge of mugham subgenres, including their vocal performance, as well as classical poetry.