NEWS

The beauty and grace of the Karabakh horse have been glorified worldwide. This magnificent horse breed is considered one of the rare horse breeds in the world and the oldest in Asia and the Caucasus.

Karabakh horse has inspired Latvian artist and photographer Dace Strausa to create a series of paintings dedicated to this incredible horse breed.

Dace Strausa lived in Baku for two years. Shortly after her arrival, thanks to her genuine interest and deep love for horses, she established contacts with many horse owners, paying special attention to the Karabakh horses.

Her solo exhibition inspired by Karabakh horses was successfully held in Baku several years ago. Her personal exhibition was previously held at Baku Museum Center in 2018.

The artist left Azerbaijan several years ago and now lives in Finland. However, the theme of Karabakh horses still inspires her to create new masterpieces.

Many public and cultural figures, diplomatic missions attended the event co-organized by the Latvian embassy and the Arts Council Azerbaijan with the support of the Icharishahar State Historical and Architectural Reserve.

The art project aims to strengthen the Azerbaijani-Latvian ties. A teleconference was organized with Dace Strausa, who could not attend the exhibition. In her speech, the artist noted that she missed Baku so much and expressed her gratitude for the hospitality of the people living there. 

Dace Strausa's paintings are endowed with deep emotions and feelings. Through her art, she wanted to show the beauty and uniqueness of each horse.

The exhibition was followed by a concert with the participation of talented musicians, laureates of international competitions. 

The performance was accompanied by photographs by  Dace Strausa on a large screen. The exposition will last until  September 28.

An exhibition dedicated to the 880th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi is being held at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, Report informs.

The event was organized by the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation as part of the "Year of Nizami" declared by a decree of the President of Azerbaijan.

The exhibition features mysterious miniatures based on the poems of the great thinker's "Khamsa," who promoted ideals and values ​​such as peace, justice, humanism, high morals, freedom, and equality in his works. At the same time, in a special stand, examples of Nizami Ganjavi's rich creativity and information about his unparalleled contribution to world literature are brought to attention.

The event also coincides with the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). It, in turn, will allow European parliamentarians and other guests to get acquainted with the exhibition, as well as the diplomatic corps and secretariat staff in Strasbourg.

A decision to open theaters, cinemas, and concert halls in October followed constructive talks with the Task Force under the Cabinet of Ministers, Report informs, citing Minister of Culture Anar Karimov.

Karimov said the pandemic rules must be observed.

"The premises must not exceed their 50% capacity and be open only to those with COVID-19 passports. The halls must be disinfected. The Ministry of Culture will strictly control this issue," the minister said.

A large-scale exposition "Carpet Art. Evolution of Meanings​" has opened at the National Carpet Museum.

Speaking at the event, the museum's director Shirin Malikova gave detailed information about the project. She pointed out that the exhibition was previously held in the Kazan Kremlin Historic-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve.

The exposition won the sympathy of the audience. Notably, this event was the first large-scale exhibition in Tatarstan dedicated to Azerbaijan's carpet weaving art.

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum's exhibition provides an opportunity for visitors to discover the wonderful examples of traditional carpets of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Each carpet reflects different regional traditions distinguished by their ornamental features, colors, and techniques.

The audience can enjoy the contemporary interpretation of ancient carpet art, the dialogue between past and present through the works of famous artist and sculptor Chingiz Babayev. 

Professor Mammadhuseyn Huseynov stressed the high artistic content of carpet art, which is the most valuable tangible and spiritual heritage of the Azerbaijani people.

General Director of the Baku Art Center Creative Association Rafael Gulmammadli noted that the ornaments reflected on Chingiz's carpets and full of mysterious meanings came from the artist's deep imagination.

In his speech, Chingiz Babayev said that the Azerbaijani carpet weaving art is an invaluable source for creative people and thanked the participants for their valuable comments on his work.

At the end, the guests got acquainted with the exhibition that will last until October 17.

Meanwhile, the Carpet Museum stores over 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets.

The museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences, and various exhibitions.

In 2019, the museum received the national status for its significant contribution to the popularization and promotion of the Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art.

In 2020, the Carpet Museum enriched its collection with beautiful pile carpets purchased by the Culture Ministry at the Sartirana Textile Show in Italy.

The 19th century Guba carpet Ugakh was donated to the Carpet Museum, while Karabakh carpet Chalabi enriched the collection of the museum's Shusha branch.

The Carpet Museum also focuses on cooperation with world-leading museums like the State Hermitage Museum. 

The two museums implement joint inclusive programs for visually impaired people.

Moreover, the Carpet Museum won the Travelers' Choice Awards for the fourth time in a row last year.  

The National Art Museum has hosted a classical music concert as part of the 13th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival.

People's Artist Ulviya Hajibayova and laureate of international competitions, talented pianist Saida Taghizadeh took part in the concert.

The musicians performed music pieces of Johann Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Frederic Chopin, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Gara Garayev, Arif Melikov, Ismail Hajibayov, Faraj Garayev and Frangiz Alizade.

The musicians captivated the listeners with their virtuosity. The applause was deep and long after each performance. 

The Day of National Music is celebrated in Azerbaijan on September 18 and timed to the birthday of the great national composer, founder of the Azerbaijan national opera Uzeyir Hajibayli. 

The tradition of celebrating the composer's birthday as a holiday was laid by eminent conductor Niyazi, who used to celebrate this day each year after Uzeyir Hajibayli's death. This tradition continues till nowadays.

Numerous cultural events, including gala concerts and festivals, are being held across the country including the international music festival named after the composer.

The 13th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival was held in Shusha, Baku, Ganja and Aghdam.

The festival brought together talented musicians from Azerbaijan, the U.S. and Poland.

Polish soprano has captivated the audience at the 13th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival.

The opera singer was accompanied by the State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Polish conductor Pavel Kotl. 

Iwona Sobotka has successfully performed at major music venues, including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Royal Albert Hall in London, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

She made her opera debut in 2007 at the Opéra National de Paris and appeared also on the stage at Komische Oper Berlin, Polish National Opera in Warsaw, Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre, Grand Theatre, etc. Her operatic repertoire include roles of Violetta (La traviata), Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), Pamina (The Magic Flute), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Mimi (La bohème), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Liù (Turandot) or Micaëla (Carmen).

The concert program started with a suite from Gara Garayev's ballet "The Path of Thunder".

Karol Szymanowski's "Songs of a Fairy-Tale Princess" was performed as part of the concert. Note that a previous version of this work has been discovered a few years ago. However, its performance was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The concert was followed by  Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92.

The State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the  Polish conductor sounded in a new way. The concert program aroused great interest among classical music fans. The repertoire of works was chosen very carefully. 

The Day of National Music was celebrated in Azerbaijan on September 18 and timed to the birthday of the great national composer, founder of the Azerbaijan national opera Uzeyir Hajibayli. 

The tradition of celebrating the composer's birthday as a holiday was laid by eminent conductor Niyazi, who used to celebrate this day each year after Uzeyir Hajibayli's death. This tradition continues till nowadays.

Numerous cultural events, including gala concerts and festivals, are being held across the country including the international music festival named after the composer.

The 13th Uzeyir Hajibayli International Music Festival was held in Shusha, Baku, Ganja, and Aghdam on September 18-24.

The festival brought together talented musicians from Azerbaijan, the U.S., and Poland.

Nikita Simonov, a member of the Azerbaijani national gymnastics team, took first place at the international competition – the Hungarian Grand Prix, Trend reports.

The gymnastics competition takes place in the city of Szombathely, Hungary from September 24 through September 26. The Azerbaijani gymnast won a gold medal in the ring exercise, his result was 14.500 points.

The second place was taken by a gymnast from Austria, the third – by an athlete representing Israel.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has shared footage dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of Azerbaijani martyrs who sacrificed their lives for liberating Azerbaijani territories from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, marked on September 27, Trend  reports citing the ministry.

The footage is called "Heroic Chronicle".

In accordance with President Ilham Aliyev’s order dated December 2, 2020, September 27 is marked annually as the Day of Remembrance in Azerbaijan.

With its breathtaking landscapes, Khinalig village in Guba has turned into one of the country's top tourism spots.

The oldest continuously inhabited place in the world is called an "Island among the Mountains" as it is surrounded by mountains Gizil Gaya, Shahdagh, Tufandagh and Khinalig. The first records of these people date back to the 1st century CE.

Unique language and traditions

The picturesque village has preserved its centuries-old cultural and historical heritage.

Nestled in the mountains, the village is well known for its unique language, architecture and traditions. 

Since the slopes here are very steep, the houses in Khinalig are built very close to each other. So, the roof of one house is the courtyard for another one located above.

The ceilings are fitted with a smoke flap, through which the locals can also visit each other. The floors and walls are covered with cozy and warm carpets such as blankets, pillows, mutakka. Each family has its own patterns for carpets and clothing. 

The villagers are mainly involved with sheep breeding. Shawls woven with wool in the village are famous throughout the entire region.

Khinalig has a population of about 2,000, who speak the Khinalig language. This language is classified as "severely endangered" by UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.

UNESCO's Tentative List

In 2020, the Khinalig State Cultural-Architectural and Ethnographic Reserve was included in UNESCO's Tentative List.

The document was submitted to the organization by Azerbaijan's National Commission for UNESCO.

According to the rules set by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, State Parties should submit their Tentative Lists, properties which they consider to be cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List.

They prepare their Tentative Lists with the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders, including site managers, local and regional governments, local communities, NGOs and other interested parties and partners.

In 2020, Khinalig was included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites called "medieval mountain village".

Best Tourism Village nominee

Azerbaijan has nominated Khinalig village for the "Best Tourist Village" competition announced by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 

The contest aims to discover the best examples of tourism development in rural areas, as well as to identify villages that have retained their cultural and historical heritage and also meet the modern tourism requirements.

UNWTO will announce the results at the 24th annual session to be held in Morocco this year.  Villages that have received UNWTO's "Best Tourism Village" rating will be included in the modernization program.

From the 6th to the 10th of October 2021, the 7th Baku International Book Fair will be hosted at Baku Expo Center. The purpose of this fair is to promote and popularize books and reading habit, while familiarizing visitors with the print media of both Azerbaijani and foreign publishers. The fair’s aim is to support the publishing business and to connect publishers and bookstores for potential co-operation. This Book Fair aims at ensuring an exchange of experience and views on the development of the book business in the digital era. Baku International Book Fair 2021 will be dedicated to the 880th anniversary of a great Azerbaijani poet and philosopher Nizami Ganjavi, a prominent figure in world literature. The fair will feature publishing and printing houses, as well as bookstores and cultural centres; it is expected that about 200 companies from different countries will take part in the fair. Baku International Book Fair 2021 is a unique opportunity for various businesses to demonstrate and sell their printed products, as well as to negotiate and sign lucrative contracts with both local and foreign publishers and authors, as well as national publishing and printing companies. Participants and visitors will enjoy an interesting programme of additional events during five days of the fair. The organiser of the exhibition is the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, gold sponsor – “bp Azerbaijan” company, general TV partner - Azerbaijan Public TV and Radio Broadcasting Company (ITV). Organisational support is provided by Caspian Event Organisers (CEO). The organiser of the event will provide exhibitors with an exhibition space of up to 6 m2, including necessary equipment. Visitors can use the buses which leave every half an hour from Koroglu and every hour from Elmler Akademiyasi metro stations. To participate in the Baku International Book Fair exhibition and receive more detailed information, please contact the organizers at +994124041000, bookfair@ceo.az .