NEWS

The opening ceremony of a tent set up to promote Azerbaijani culture was held in the Ahlat district of the Turkish city of Bitlis as part of the events dedicated to the 950th anniversary of the Manzikert victory.

The event was attended by Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkey Rashad Mammadov and Consul General in Kars Nuru Guliyev, representatives of the local community, media, and NGOs.

Representatives of local authorities and the public visited the Azerbaijani tent and praised our country and people.

The Shusha mugham group of the Nakhchivan State Philharmonic Society has jazzed up the place where the Azerbaijani tent was set up.

Honored artist, singer Zulfugar Mahmudov was accompanied by Sarkhan Abdullayev with tar and Nurlan Nuriyev with kamancha.

The event will last until August 26 and feature butterfly flights, children's games, archers, equestrian archers, horse races, and leather art sections.

A monitor in a tent set up by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate General in Kars shows Azerbaijan's history, culture, glorious Karabakh military victory, as well as the Turkish President's visit to Shusha, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The tent is decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey. Portraits reflecting the history and culture of Azerbaijan, the mysterious beauty of our homeland, interesting books, manufactured products, national costumes, souvenirs are displayed. In general, representation in this magnificent place is of special importance in promoting Azerbaijan's truth.

The Battle of Manzikert took place in August 1071 between the Seljuk state and the Byzantine Empire and ended with the victory of the Turks.

Famous for her stunning paintings, world-famous artist Nigar Narimanbayova has shared her art secrets within a series of master classes at the Museum of Azerbaijani Painting of the 19th-21st Centuries.

The master classes were held with the organizational support of the Inamli ve Zerif Women's Community in partnership with YARAT Contemporary Art Space.

Each master class lasted two hours and brought together all generations of art lovers.

The first master class was devoted to a patriotic theme, while the second one was inspired by Azerbaijan's beautiful landscapes. The art works left no one indifferent. 

Narimanbayova's third master class was dedicated to Azerbaijani women. The master class participants  presented wonderful portraits reflecting all the grace and beauty of women. 

Many applications were received, but, unfortunately, the number of participants was limited amid coronavirus pandemic. 

Speaking about master classes, Narimanbayova expressed her hope that master classes will continue in the near future. The artist wants to share her experience and knowledge with more art lovers.

Nigar Narimanbayova currently lives and works in France. The artist successfully represents Azerbaijan at international level.

Her unique painting "Marionette", which enters the artist's series of paintings "Love Toys", won the main prize of the Salon of independent artists - TOILE D'OR 2016.

The painting "Adagio" received the prize of the Salon of independent artists - TOILE D'OR 2016.

Moreover, Narimanbayova's five paintings including "The Puppet", "Kiss of a Nymph", "Magic of the Night", "Broken Wings" and "Confession of a Mermaid" were also displayed at the largest international exhibition of contemporary art Salon Business Art Fair 2017.

She was awarded with an honorary diploma signed by the commissioner of the salon Georges Levy and art magazine La Gazette Des Arts, with inscription "For the creation of a magical unique world filled with fairy tales and magic".

In 2020, the artist displayed her colorful paintings "Fantasy" and "Blessing" at the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris. 

Notably, the work "Fantasy" was successfully exhibited at the Salon of French Artists in 2018.The artist's new painting "Blessing" also left no one indifferent. 

Nigar Narimanbayova is a member of the Azerbaijan Artists' Union and the International Association of Art. Her paintings are displayed in the exhibition halls of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism, National Museum of Art of Azerbaijan as well as in private collections.

Charlie Watts, the legendary Rolling Stones drummer, has died at the age of 80, according to DW.

The musician "passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family," his publicist, Bernard Doherty said on Tuesday.

"Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also as a member of The Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation," Doherty added.

Watts revealed earlier this month he would not go on tour with the Rolling Stones in 2021 after undergoing a medical procedure.

Charlie Watts was often described as one of the top musicians of his generation, helping to cement one of the greatest rhythm sections in the history of rock.

As a member of one of the first British bands to conquer the United States in the 1960s, the Rolling Stones went on multi-million pound tours across the world.

Settled since the 8th millennium BC, Gobustan State Historical Reserve never ceases to amaze  everyone with 600,000 petroglyphs.

Gobustan is considered one of the most unique places both in terms of the number and preservation of such images, and in terms of the coverage of such a large historical period.

People have settled in these territories many centuries ago. The natural conditions were completely different 20-25 thousand years ago. 

Gobustan rock carvings were discovered in 1939 at the foot of the mountain Djingirdagh and on the top of Yazili Tepe.

The rock engravings depict primitive men, animals, battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, pictures of sun and stars.

Here a woman is meant as a symbol of goodness and well-being, as a continuer of the family. Apparently, primitive man also considered mother to be an irreplaceable creature, a true Goddess.

Men are depicted in hunting attire - with bows and arrows. They are tall, with slender bodies and big muscles.

These unique petroglyphs were recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2007.

Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002)  was amazed by Gobustan rock art and believed that local boats petroglyphs as the oldest known images of pirogue in the world.

These vessels, similar to the old Scandinavian ships, prompted him to make sensational hypotheses about the connection between Norwegians and Azerbaijanis.

The anthropologist believed that ancestors of the Scandinavians were the migrants from Azerbaijan.

There is also a musical gemstone in Gabala, known as Gaval Dash. It  makes a tambourine-like sound when it is hit in different points.

Many Azerbaijani musicians have used Gaval Dash in their performances. The musical stone and the Yallı chain-dance was also featured in the interval act of the semi-final of Eurovision Song Contest 2012 held in Baku.

Now Gobustan is a real open-air museum that acquired national status in 2006. 

The main purpose of the Reserve is to protect ancient rock carvings, burial mounds.

Thousands of people from all over the world visit this amazing art open-air gallery every year.

Baku Music Academy celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

One of the country's major musical institutions has a rich history connected with  Uzeyir Hajibeyli, known as the first composer of an opera in the Islamic world.

The  legendary composer  played an invaluable role in creating musical institution in the country. 

The outstanding composer  raised the issue of musical education.

In 1920, Uzeyir Hajibeyli  presented a report to the Azerbaijan Commissariat of Public Enlightenment.

In his report, the outstanding composer expressed the need of establishing  a higher educational musical institution.

On August 21, 1921, the Council of People's Commissars of the Azerbaijan SSR made a decision to approve the Charter of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory.

Uzeyir Hajibeyli became one of the teachers, soon founding the eastern department, where Azerbaijani music was taught both orally and from sheet music.

In 1939, Hajibeyli was appointed as  the rector of the conservatory, which was named after his death in 1948.

In 1991, the Azerbaijan National Conservatory was renamed to Baku Music Academy. 

With a rich history spanning 100 years, Baku Music Academy offers a high-quality education for many young talents.

Since 1991, eminent pianist and composer Farhad Badalbeyli  has been the rector of the Baku Music Academy.

The Academy also holds a number of concerts with participation of world-famous musicians.

The Academy's anniversary was solemnly marked within the 12th Gabala Music Festival that brought together the country's most talented cultural figures.

The festival featured marvelous concerts that brought together students and professors of Baku Music Academy.

Azerbaijani archaeologists have discovered a new Neolithic human settlement near the Horadiz city of the liberated Fuzuli region, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) reported on August 23.

The historical monument is located in the Lalatapa area, which was liberated from Armenian occupation during the April battles of 2016.

The archaeological research was conducted by the "Karabakh Neolithic-Eneolithic Expedition" led by the researcher of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of ANAS, Khagani Almammedov.

The surface of the ancient hill-shaped settlement with a height of 6.4 m and an area of 0.9 ha was registered in 2019 and the archaeological excavations started in 2020 and have been continued this year, ANAS said.

The archaeologists have identified three remnants of raw brick buildings and a yard wall in a shape of oval, circular and rectangular during the excavations in four sites, which are 16 square meters large for each and date to the first half of the sixth millennium BC, the Academy reported.

A conical ziggurat made of raw bricks is located in the central part of the archaeological site. To the south, the researchers have discovered a circular building with a diameter of 3.3 meters and a height of 1.5-2 meters that was used for housing.

Moreover, three floors of a demolished house, which was plastered with the mud-ochre mixture, were identified at different levels. Several artefacts such as household jugs, tools made of stone and bone, the remains of a hearth and a child’s skeleton has been unearthed buried under the third floor of the building.

According to the archaeologists, the most distinguishing feature of the Lalatapa monument is its tomb. Although many Neolithic monuments in the South Caucasus have been found to contain human graves and mass burials in one grave (Menteshtapa, Tovuz region), this is the first time that people have been buried in a cemetery where certain rituals have been performed, ANAS commented.

Furthermore, about eight square meters of the cemetery, which expands to the south-west, has been cleared and eight graves have been found on three levels. Fourteen skeletons have been identified in the cleared graves, of which seven are believed to belong to infants (up to one year old), three to teenagers and four to adults.

The skeletons were buried in a special oval chamber. While each grave chamber was plastered with ochre mud, only one grave (grave № 4) was covered with a bast mat. In the graves, people were buried alone and in pairs, in a tightly wrapped position, in different directions. Pastry, malachite and stone beads, bone ornaments and a scepter have been discovered near the buried people.

Almammedov said that the samples taken from the skeletons found in the grave would be analysed by DNA analysis at the "Ancient DNA Laboratory" of Hacettepe University (Turkey) to study the genetic connections, hereditary and bacteriological diseases and diets of these people.

The DNA studies will be of particular importance in terms of studying the ethno-cultural changes that took place in Karabakh in the Neolithic period in general and the role of ethnic or cultural migration in the formation of early production relations, especially in the South Caucasus. At the same time, a radiocarbon dating of the monument will be conducted on the basis of these examples.

It should be noted that the Lalatapa settlement as a part of the Karabakh archaeological Neolithic culture is of great interest to world archaeology.

The Azerbaijan State Translation Centre (AzSTC) has published The Holy Torah containing the first five sacred scriptures of the ancient Hebrew Bible, namely Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy in a perfect cross Azerbaijani translation for the first time.

The book that in ancient Hebrew means “Law”, “Instruction” or “Teaching” is published in cooperation with the Baku Mountain Jews Community.

The book was translated by notable writer-translator Etimad Bashkechid and edited by Bahlul Abbasov.

Azerbaijani feature film "The Island Within" will be screened at 17th Kazan International Muslim Film Festival.

Directed by Rufat Hasanov, the film is included in the out-of-competition program.

"The Island Within" tells about Seymur Tahirbayov who is one of the world’s leading chess grandmasters. A few weeks before the most important game of his career, he secretly travels to an island inhabited by just one resident in order to rediscover himself.

The film was shot by Azerbaijanfilm and Debut film studios, together with Arizona Productions, Coyote Cinema and Mandarin Agency at the initiative of the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry. 

The cast includes People's Artists of Azerbaijan Vidadi Hasanov, Gurban Ismayilov, Rafig Azimov as well as Orkhan Ata and Elvin Adigozal. 

Kazan International Muslim Film Festival is held in Tatarstan since 2005.

The motto of the festival is "To the dialogue of cultures through the culture of dialogue".

The festival focuses on the exchange of the workers in culture and arts between Russia and Muslim countries of the neighboring and far-abroad countries.

The number of the participants and the quantity of the films are increasing year by year. 40 films from 12 countries were sent for the fist festival, and 400 films from 67 countries were sent for the 5th festival.

The 17th Kazan International Muslim Film Festival will be held on September 5-10.

Honored Art Worker Elchin Musaoghlu was appointed chairman as the chairman of the jury.

The short-list of the festival includes two Azerbaijani films - "Bilasuvar" (feature film) and "Bastard" (feature short film). 

Shot by Azerbaijani director and screenwriter Elvin Adigozal, "Bilasuvar" tells about the life Bilasuvar residents, essential human qualities and relationships that reflect the inner essence of people.

The project was implemented by the production centers Karakteres, Memuar Films and Adari Films.

The cast includes actors Kamran Aghabalayev, Gunel Zulfugarli, Ilgar Dadash, Tofig Aslanov, Lachin Aslanova, Niyameddin Amanov, Gunel Mirzali, Jahangir Melik, Mammad Hajiyev, Ruslan Ismayilov, Teymur Guliyev and others.

Daniel Guliyev's film "Bastard" tells the story of a boy who is constantly bullied because of his mother. So, the boy decided to enter a military academy to protect himself and his family. To reach his goal, the boy had to pass difficult exams to test his moral and physical endurance. 

The cast includes Togrul Akhmedov, Gyulyar Babayeva, Zulfiya Gurbanova, Roman Huseynov, Bayram Muradli and others.

Do you miss the festivals and movies you were watching before the pandemic? Then we have good news for you!

ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival is returning for another year. The festival will be organized offline on September 3-7.

The festival's fourth edition promises even more rich and interesting program. 

Dozens of foreign and local animated films for kids and adults are part of the five-day festival. The theme of this year’s festival is "DISABILITY".

All of the competing films will be shown in their original language with English subtitles. Certain foreign films will also have Azerbaijani subtitles.

Opening and closing ceremonies will have simultaneous Azerbaijani, English and sign language interpretations.

Festival will take place in two venues:

·      AUF – The Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers. Address: Hasan Seyidbayli 18

·      Salaam Cinema. Address: Suleyman Rustam 10 

National History Museum has presented an exhibition "Nizami and Azerbaijani Atabeks state" to mark the poet's 880th anniversary.

This year is also the 885th anniversary of the establishment of Azerbaijani Atabeks state that played a vital role in the development of Azerbaijani statehood. 

Over 200 exhibits have been displayed as part of the exhibition aimed at promoting Nizami Ganjavi's legacy and the life of the state he lived in through exhibition.

Historical exhibits were presented by the Funds of Archaeology, Ethnography, Auxiliary historical materials, Numismatics, Weapons and Banners, Special Fund and Library of the Museum.

The exhibits concerning the 12th and the early 13th centuries were discovered in Ganja, Beylagan, Barda, Mingachevir, Shabran, Nakhchivan.

Some exhibits are showcased to visitors for the first time. For example, among displayed exhibits is the book "Sheikh Nizami.

His autobiography" by Mirza Muhammad Akhundov written in old alphabet and published in Ganja in 1909.

National Museum of History is one of the architectural pearls of the country, dating back to the 19th century.

The largest museum in the country was originally the private residence of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, who was the famous national oil baron remembered for his generous philanthropy.

Over 300,000 items are assembled in 10 collections in the museum, including a valuable library consisting mainly of unique books.

There are several departments in the museum: Modern history, Ethnography department, Department of ancient and medieval history, Scientific excursion department, Laboratory for museum restoration, Fund of Numismatics, etc.

The museum's collections provide insight into the history of Azerbaijan from past to present.

House museum of Azerbaijan’s philanthropist, oil baron Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev was re-opened on June 17 after restoration and reconstruction work.

The museum's opening was in line with the 100th anniversary of the National History Museum of Azerbaijan.

Additionally, the museum displayed new exhibits, stored in its fund, including paintings, documents, photographs, orders and books.