Demographics and culture of Aldegar

Aldegar is a diverse country consisting of people of many religions and ethnic backgrounds cemented by the Kemokian culture. The majority of the population speaks the Aldegarian language, which is also the official language of the country, as well as other related languages or dialects. A large minority is represented by the Mu-Tze, who form around 10% of the population.

Religiously, Aldegar is divided between Yazdism and Aldegarian Patriarchalism, who together constitute around 80% of Aldegar's population. The rest is represented by Pantheism, Daenism, Atheism/Agnosticism, Rowshanism, and various minority religions.

Culture
Aldegar has a rich and colorful culture that developed over thousands of years, characterized by a remarkable degree of complexity and stability, not having received much foreign influence over millennia. On the other hand, Aldegarian culture heavily influenced the cultures of most of Seleya, the Gao-Showa world, the Jelbic peoples, or the Majatrans of Majatra, owing to the Aldegarian culture's eclectic elasticity.

Art
Aldegar has one of the richest artistic heritages in Terran history, encompassing fields such as architecture, painting, weaving, music, literature, or metalworking.

Fine arts
A central part of Aldegarian fine arts is the Aldegarian carpet or Aldegarian rug; carpet-weaving is one of the most characteristic features of Aldegarian culture and art, dating back to antiquity. Aldegarian rugs are world-renowned for their artistic value and intricate design, and for many Aldegarians rugs are considered some of their most prized possessions.



Aldegarian painting is also widely known and appreciated, and Aldegarian miniatures, an art style perfected in the Middle Ages, influenced the art styles of neighboring cultures. Aldegarian miniatures are comparable to the equivalent art style in the West, and received a number of Gao-Showa, and later Western, influences. Some of the most famous miniatures are those that accompany the Zafarnameh, the national epic of Aldegar.

Literature
Aldegarian literature is one of Terra's oldest and most influential literary traditions. The most remarkable part of Aldegarian literature is poetry, and in the Middle Ages a distinctive style of Aldegarian poetry developed, heavily influencing the lyrical traditions of neighboring peoples. The Aldegarian tendency towards poetic expression is so strong that nearly every classical work was written in verse, be it literature, science, or philosophy; the ability to write in verse was a prerequisite for any scholar. The oldest Aldegarian piece of literature that is still widely read is the Daftar-e Asha, the sacred book of Yazdism, which was written in an otherwise unattested dialect of Ancient Aldegarian. The most popular Aldegarian writing is the Zafarnameh ("Book of Victory"), a 10th century epic poem retelling the mythical history of Aldegar from the creation of the world; the Zafarnameh is the national epic of Aldegar. Another famous literary work from Aldegar, widely known in the West, is the Thousand Myths (Hazār Afsānah), a medieval collection of folk tales recounting the story of Shahrazad, a Rostamid queen who must tell a series of stories to her malevolent husband, King Hormizd, in order to postpone her execution. Her stories are told over a period of one thousand nights, and each time Shahrazad begins the story but does not end it; the king, curious as to how the story ends, is forced to postpone her execution until the following day.

Architecture


Aldegarian gardens are one of the oldest and most representative styles of Aldegarian architecture, influencing the design of gardens throughout Terra. The Aldegarian garden is known known as pairidaēza in Ancient Aldegarian, literally meaning walled-around, i.e., a walled garden; the term was borrowed into Ancient Kalopian as παράδεισος parádeisos, then rendered into the Selucian paradīsus, from which it entered modern languages, including the Luthori word "paradise". Owing to Aldegar's dry climate, water and shade are very important in gardens; pavilions, walls, and trees are always present in order to block the sun, and irrigation and wells are used in order to create a large amount of water. The Aldegarian garden design usually emphasizes the integration of the indoors with the outdoors through the connection of a surrounding garden with an inner courtyard.

Cuisine


Cuisine in Aldegar is one of the most ancient in the world, which influenced and was in turn influenced by the cuisines of neighboring peoples. Bread is one of the central aspects of Aldegarian cuisine, with a large variety of Aldegarian breads present in the nation. Many Aldegarian dishes are made from dairy products, including "masts" (Aldegarian yoghurt). Rice products are also very important; plov or osh ("pilaf"), a dish of boiled rice with a variety of ingredients such as meats, vegetables, and seasonings, is the national dish in Aldegar. The national drink in Aldegar is tea (without milk), also known as kakhve-khana.

Sports
The game of Polo has its origins in ancient Aldegar, being attested from at least the 5th century BCE. Aldegar is also famous for the varzesh-e pahlavani ("heroic sport") rituals, a traditional Aldegarian system of athletics originally used to train warriors. It combines martial arts, calisthenics, strength training and music. Shatranj, an ancient form of Chess and the ancestor of the contemporary sport, is still practiced in Aldegar; several terms used in chess, such as "check mate" (from shāh māt, "the King is helpless"), or "rook" (from rokh, "chariot"), originate from the Aldegarian language. Another sport widely practiced in Aldegar is falconry (bāzdārī), being attested in the nation since ancient times; falconry is one of the favorite pastimes of the nobility.

Holidays


Aldegar uses its own solar calendar, known as the Shahanshahi (Imperial) Calendar, with its roots in the royal calendar of the Kemokian Empire. The first year of the calendar is 709 BCE, the death of Prophet Shapur. The letters "SS" for "Shahanshahi" are sometimes added at the end. The year begins on the vernal equinox as determined by astronomical calculation for the Aldegarian Standard Time meridian, making the calendar more accurate than the Common Era calendar for predicting the date of the vernal equinox. The year is divided into twelve months, each dedicated to one of the Fereshte (angels) in Yazdean mythology. The first six months have 31 days, the next five have 30 days, and the last month has 29 days in usual years but 30 days in leap years. The most important holiday in Aldegar is Nowruz, the Aldegarian New Year, celebrated on the spring equinox. Nowruz has been celebrated since ancient times, by people from diverse ethnic communities and religious backgrounds. Although Nowruz is partly rooted in Yazdism, it is a secular holiday that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths.