Armenian women baking lavash in Vachagan

The photograph shows Armenian women baking lavash. It was taken in the village of Vachagan in the Syunik region in the first half of the 20th century. The woman seated on the left stretches thin dough with her hands, the one in the centre rolls out dough with a rolling pin on a round base, and the third, on the right, prepares dough in a round dish. In the foreground is the mouth of the tonir in the floor, surrounded by sheets of baked lavash.

Lavash is one of the oldest and most important breads of Armenian cuisine. It is made from thin dough and baked in a special oven built into the ground, the tonir. For centuries baking lavash was not only daily work but also a family and community tradition, and lavash is associated with family, hospitality and the warmth of the Armenian home.