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Balig (Fish) carpet is considered to be one of the most common carpets of the Karabakh School. Well-known as Balig in the north of the country, it is called Mokhi in the Iranian Azerbaijan. Although the Balig carpet is made at all carpet weaving shops across Karabakh, it’s primarily made in Barda. Since the second half of the 18th century, it was made in Shusha as well. About 35 percent of the carpets and rugs made in Shusha in the second half of the 19th century fell to the share of the Balig kind of carpets.

The famous EraG, Bichag, Mustofi and other carpets were woven mainly on the basis of the Balig pattern. The composition of the Balig carpet largely follows the same principle with the spirals on the short length rapports. The leaves bent towards the end of the spiral (sometimes folded lengthwise) resembled the image of a fish; hence the conventional name of the composition is Balig.

A world-famous Iraqi-British architect and Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid, who is also the author of the design of the Heydar Aliyev Center’s building - one of the signature architectural landmarks of modern Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, has never designed a building with a right angle in it.

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), which is a cultural and exhibition center – focused on design, technology, and art – whose construction has changed an entire city block in the Dongdaemun commercial district of Seoul, the South Korea, is no exception in this regard.

Opened in 2014, the complex design was based on an accurate survey of its context, with a thorough examination of the urban streams, the landscape, and the indigenous vegetation.

Specifically, the 30,000-square-meter (320,000-square-foot) park, a reinterpretation of the principles of the traditional Korean garden, is based on a multilayer and horizontal structure that creates a continuous relationship between “inside” and “outside” and avoids making a single element overshadow the coherence of the ensemble.

DDP is the first public project in Korea to utilize the 3-Dimensional Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other digital tools in construction.

Throughout the design process, every building requirement was considered as a set of inter-related spatial relationships which will define the social interactions and behavioural structure in/around the project.

Construction the exterior envelope of DDP was a challenge as the cladding system consists of over 45,000 panels in various sizes and degrees of curvature. This was made possible by the use of parametric modelling with an advanced metal-forming and fabrication process to develop a mass-customization system. Parametric modelling enabled the cladding system to be designed and engineered with much greater cost and quality control. Throughout the construction process, the cladding model was adjusted to incorporate various engineering, fabrication, and cost controls while maintaining the integrity of the original design.

The DDP design shows a commitment to preserve the site’s history and integrate the newly discovered history in an architectural landscape that revolves around the ancient city wall and historical artefacts - which form the central element of the composition. This external landscape transforms Seoul into a greener city, while voids and folds in its surface offers glimpses into innovative world of design below; making DDP an important link between the city’s contemporary culture, historic artefacts and emerging nature.

With a gross floor area of over 85,000 square meters (910,000 square feet) subdivided into eight levels, four of which underground, the DPP comprises exhibition spaces, a conference hall, a design museum, a library, an education center, and a “design market” open 24 hours a day. The new design hub is, therefore, a space accessible to all, which a diverse cultural program of temporary exhibitions and special events open to the city.

DDP continues Korea’s architectural and engineering traditions at the forefront of technology. DDP is a built demonstration and celebration of the skills and passion of the team who helped to bring this fantastic building to life.

Khan Shushinski (Isfandiyar Aslan oglu Javanshirov’s stage name) - one of the well-known khanandes (singers) and popular artists of Azerbaijan, was born on August 20, 1901 in the “Pearl of Karabakh” – Shusha city, which was liberated on November 8, 2020, after almost 30 years of illegal Armenian occupation.

His father Aslan bay, grandchild of Mahammad Javanshir, is from generation of Panahali khan, the founder and first ruler of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh khanate.

Famous intellectuals of Shusha would often gather in Aslan bay’s home and build meetings of poetry and music. Isfandiyar had grown up in the environment of music.

When he was 16 years old, his teacher named him "Khan Shushinski" because he sang "Kurd-Shahnaz" mugham in an amazing way.

Prominent Azerbaijani musicians and renowned representatives of Karabakh singing school Jabbar Garyaghdioglu and Seyid Shushinski also had a great influence on the Khan's upbringing as a singer.

In the 1920s, Khan Shushinski came to Baku and expanded his performing activities. Along with "Mahur-Hindi", "Bayati-Gajar", "Qatar" instruments, "Karabakh shikastasi", "Arazbari", "Heyrati" percussion mughams, folk songs and classifications took a big place in Khan's repertoire.

Khan Shushinski sang folk songs with special enthusiasm, instilling new shades in them.

In 1934, Khan Shushinski was awarded the first prize at the first Transcaucasian Art Olympiad in Tbilisi.

He also represented the Azerbaijani music culture at a high level and with dignity in other countries.

In 1960, he established the "Mugham Studio" under the auspices of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic, where he taught young singers the secrets of mugham.

Khan Shushinski also highly represented Azerbaijani music abroad. In 1943, he was awarded with the title of People’s Artist and later with different honor awards.

The 70th birth anniversary of Khan Shushinski was held at the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall in 1971.

He also taught at the Azerbaijan State Music School and created a new generation of mugham singers.

As a true creative artist, Khan enriched the national music treasury with new songs. Everyone admired and memorized his songs "Gamarim", "Shusha's mountains". Khan Shushinski also addressed the composer's songs in his work. In this sense, he was the first singer of Uzeyir Hajibayli’s song "Black Eye" and sang it with great pleasure.

Khan Shushinski died on March 18, 1979 and was buried in the Second Alley of Honors.

Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli is one of the talented writers occupying a prominent place in the Azerbaijani literature. He was born in Shusha and spent his childhood and youth in this town. “Imagine a town in the mountains, shrouded in green in spring and summer; and in mist and snow in autumn and winter. This is my town,” - Chamanzaminli, who always remembered Shusha with love and pride, write in his memoirs.

Shusha and Karabakh themes occupy the central place in Chamanzaminli’s works.

One can find a detailed description of late XIX c. and early XX c. Karabakh in his novels “Twenty Years of My Life”, “Copybook of a Youth” etc. These novels can be of great interest for the researchers learning the history of Karabakh.

Chamanzaminli was also a prominent political figure, first ambassador of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) in Turkey. After the Soviet invasion he had to live for several years abroad. His yearning for the Motherland made him to return after a while but the Soviet government always persecuted him for his past. In 1940 he was arrested and exiled to the village of Sukhobezvodnoye in Gorki (N.Novgorod) region of Russia. Chamanzaminli couldn’t resist the deprivations of the life in exile and died in 1947 after a long period of illness.

One of the most prominent Azerbaijani poets of the 19th century, Gasim Bey Zakir was born in 1784 in Shusha – the historical capital of Karabakh. He was one of the founders of the critical realism and satirical trend in the Azerbaijani literature. Gasim Bey Zakir’s satire exposed the ugliness of the Czarist rule, its local corrupt advocates, social injustice and the backwardness of the clergy. Because of his satire, Gasim Bey Zakir was even exiled from Shusha and had to live for several months in exile before he could return back home.

Gasim Bey Zakir was also a great lyrical poet, who write many poems considered to be the masterpieces of the Azerbaijani literature. While in exile he write one of his best lyrical poems “Durnalar”. This poem was dedicated to his longing for his homeland in Karabakh.

Bottle House is a local icon of Ganja, Azerbaijan. An entire house constructed of glass of bottles.

Mottled with shimmering colors, translucent in the summer sun, the Bottle House reflects and refracts light that passes through its walls like a prism of a window. The thousands of bottles that cover its walls are placed to create works of art – mosaics that form portraits, words, and designs on every square inch of the building.

The Bottle House is a private residence – there are no fees to take a look, but also no hours or official guided tours. It does not stop numerous visitors from coming to wonder at the feat of both engineering and creativity that were used to create it.

Visitors can support this house by shopping of the homemade souvenirs.

National Drama Theater has premiered Eduardo De Filippo's comedy "Filumena Marturano". The performance is based on the work of the same name.

In the play, the image of Filumena Marturano was embodied by People's Artist Besti Jafarova while People's Artist Ramiz Novruz played the role of Domenico Soriano.

They shared the same stage with the Honored Artist Sevinj Aliyeva, actors Ramin Shikhaliyev, Laman Imanova, Shahla Aligizi, Ilaha Hasanova, Farida Shahbazova, Vusal Mustafayev, Elnur Gadirov, George Gafarov, Jafidan Novruz, Elsavar Rahimov, Firuza Balayeva and Khadija Novruzlu.

People's Artist Azer Pasha Nematov (artistic director), Honored Artist Nijat Kazymov (stage director), Mehman Fatullayev (director), Honored Cultural Worker Ilham Elkhanoghlu (production designer), Kamil Ismauyilov (music) and Lala Hajiyeva (choreographer) were  involved in the work on the production.

The comedy was translated into Azerbaijani by Ulviya Heydarova.

Sparkling dialogues, brilliant acting skills and exciting story left no one indifferent.

Story behind Italian comedy

The play "Filumena Marturano" was written in 1946 by Italian playwright, actor and poet Eduardo De Filippo.

The work was initially was written as a tribute to Eduardo's sister Titina De Filippo, a famous Neapolitan theatrical actress, who took the title role in the first production in Naples in 1946.

The main characters of the play, Domenico and Filumena, have been living together for twenty six years. Filumena has tricked Domenico, pretending to be near death, and convincing him to marry her. However, he would rather marry Diana.

Filumena reveals the real reason for the marriage to Domenico: She wants to create a family for her three children (Umberto, Michele and Riccardo) who have no idea of who their mother really is.

Domenico is not going to allow this and asks his lawyer Nocella to annul the marriage. Filumena speaks to the young men telling them that she is their mother. Filumena accepts the defeat of the annulment, but tells Domenico that one of the three children is actually his. All attempts to find out who his son is fail, and Domenico, after 10 months, remarries Filumena accepting to be the father of all three.

In the play, Filumena memorably tells Domenico that "children are children, and they're all equal".

"Leyli and Majnun" is the first opera not only in Azerbaijan, but also the entire Muslim East. The opera was first performed on January 12, 1908 in Baku. The opera laid the foundation of the new genre in musical culture of the world, which synthesizes oriental and European musical forms, resembling a dialogue of two musical cultures of East and West.

Uzeyir Hajibayov made Azerbaijani opera history when he composed “Leyli and Majnun”. He was 22 at the time of its premiere. He and his younger brother, Jeyhun (1891-1962), wrote the libretto based on the poetic rendition of "Leyli and Majnun" by Azerbaijani poet Fuzuli (1480-1562). Many of the verses were kept in their original form. The opera is based on Azerbaijani mugham and folklore, which gives it originality and endears it to audiences.

The opera’s first director was Huseyn Arablinski and its first conductor was Abdurrahimbay Hagverdiyev, a famous Azerbaijani writer. All the parts were played by men, as at that time women were not allowed to perform on stage.

As the first opera to be based on a synthesis of mugham and European classical music, “Leyli and Majnun” began a new opera genre.

The story is taken from the poem “Leyli and Majnun”, written by the Azerbaijani classical poet, Mahammad Fizuli, in the 16th century.

Changes have been made to the opera in its 95 years of performance. The first version of the opera consisted of five acts and six scenes, while the more recent version has three acts and six scenes.

The Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra will perform at the Philharmonic Hall on March 17.

The orchestra will perform under the baton of People's Artist Fakhraddin Karimov. The soloist of the program is the winner of international competitions, violinist Umida Abbasova.

The evening will feature music pieces by  Luigi Boccherini, Antonio Vivaldi, Frangiz Alizade, etc. 

For the first time in Baku, overture Der Teufel als Hydraulicus by Schubert, Prelude and scherzo  (Two Pieces for String Octet) by Dmitry Shostakovich will sound in Baku.

Notably, the State Chamber Orchestra was founded by Fikrat Amirov and Gara Garayev in 1964.

Nazim Rzayev directed the Orchestra until 1992 since its foundation.

The orchestra toured different cities of Russia, as well as former Czechoslovakia, Poland, Tunis, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey during this period.

The orchestra generally performs works of Azerbaijani composers and premiered works by Western European and Russian composers.

The ASCO also performed at the concerts dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Independence of Azerbaijan organized in Berlin, Paris and Rome in 2011.

Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra participated at the Azerbaijani Culture Days conducted in Beijing in May 2011, as well as at the 2nd Ramatuelle International Classical Music Festival organized in France in July 2011.

International Mugham Center has hosted another wonderful concert within the "Evenings of vocal music" project.

Soloist of the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Honored Artist Afag Abbasova and laureate of international competitions, incredibly talented pianist Saida Taghizade took part in the concert.

They captivated the audience with a varied concert program that featured works by Azerbaijani and world composers - Said Rustamov, Tofig Guliyev, Pika Akhundova, Francesco Cilea, Giacomo Puccini, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Frederic Chopin, Franz Schubert as well as folk songs .

The concert was spectacular thanks to the wonderful performances of the soloists, who plunged the listeners into the wonderful world of music.

The proceeds from the sale of concert tickets will be transferred to YASHAT Foundation.

to support members of the families of martyrs and wounded veterans of the Patriotic War. 

Set up by the presidential decree in December 2020, the foundation's work covers the families of servicemen killed or disabled during the war and also the families of employees of state bodies (institutions) who became disabled or lost their lives while serving in the liberated lands or while removing the consequences of military operations in the liberated lands.

YASHAT receives donations made through voluntary financial assistance provided by Azerbaijani citizens, Azerbaijanis living abroad, other individuals and legal entities, as well as other sources not prohibited by law.

It should be noted that the projects "Evenings of vocal music", "Evenings of mugham", "Evenings of ashug music" and others implemented by the International Mugham Center serve to promote the Azerbaijani musical heritage.

The Mugham Center is also constantly expanding its activities, holding numerous international projects, concert programs, seminars and conferences aimed at promoting mugham art.

International Mugham Center and the Hungarian Cultural Heritage have recently signed a memorandum on cultural cooperation.

The memorandum will contribute to the expansion of cultural ties between the countries and the promotion of mugham art and Azerbaijani music.

The director of the Mugham Center Murad Huseynov also met with the head of the Uzbek National Center of Makom Art Saibjan Begmatov to discuss the partnership in various areas.

The sides agreed on a cultural partnership with the Uzbek National Center of Makom.

The heads of cultural institutions discussed promising areas of interaction, including in the promotion of national music, in the mutual study and research of the mugham and the art of makom, known as the Uzbek professional music of oral folk traditions.

An agreement was reached on the exchange of experience between researchers of the two countries.