NEWS

Baku House of Photography will host a lecture in Russian entitled "170 years of photography in Azerbaijan" on July 16.  

During the lecture, Bahruz Huseynzadeh, an independent researcher of the history of photography will provide insight interesting facts about the 170-year history of photography in Azerbaijan, unique photographs and negatives included in his personal collection, which have never been shown anywhere.

Baku Photography House opened in 2019 in the old Zanjerli Bina mansion with the support of the Icherisheher Historical-Architectural Reserve.

It includes four exhibition halls. Expositions are devoted to documentary, national and world photographic art.

In addition to the regular photographic exhibitions, Baku Photography House holds photography courses, creative evenings, lectures, master classes and photo tours.

"Inner City" was the name of the first exhibition of Baku Photography House. The project presented a century and a half long dialogue between the city and the photographer.

The exposition featured the photo collections of two "time travelers" - Sanan Alasgarov and Bahruz Huseynzade.

The artist and researcher Bahruz Huseynzade has been collecting pictures for 15 years. His collection today includes hundreds of original photographs from the late 19th - early 20th century, as well as an archive of about 20,000 prints and digital copies.

The collection of photographer Sanan Alaskarov was created in Icherisheher, where he was born and raised.

Eldar Amirov's book "The Thinker Overshadowed by the Poet's Fame" has been presented in the Art Tower Gallery.

The book tells about the scientific worldview of Nizami Ganjavi, one of the most prominent figures of medieval Azerbaijani philosophical poetry.

Speaking at the event, the head of Arts Council Azerbaijan, author of the idea and head of Art Fest Nizami, artist Dadash Mammadov provided insight into the book devoted to the analysis of Nizami's scientific views.

The publication contains many unique facts researched by the head of the National Science Academy's President Secretariat, Doctor of Philosophy in Political Sciences, associate professor Eldar Amirov.

In his speech,  Eldar Amirov stressed that book presents the scientific views on Nizami's "Khamsa".

"Khamsa" is a kind of encyclopedia of its time, which reflects the issues of history, social and political life, natural science, medicine and psychology, moral and educational aspects, images of legendary characters, traditions and heroism of the Azerbaijani people," said Eldar Amirov

The author also used various sources, scientific research and bibliographic information related to the work of the great poet.

The book presentation was held as part of Simurg Music festival and  Art Fest Nizami.

"Art Fest Nizami features workshops for photographers and artists, exhibitions, screenings of animated films and other events dedicated to the work of Nizami Ganjavi. The festival encourages talented people to participate in various joint projects.The project also focuses on raising awareness of the young generation about the poet's literary heritage," said Dadash Mammadov.

The festival is curated by the director of the Art School Sona Guliyeva.

Simurg Music Festival 2021 aims at identifying all creative abilities of young people. The festival is headed by talented pianist Saida Tagizade.

The previous festival was held only among pianists. This year, the festival's program is more diverse and spectacular as it brings together not only pianists but also musicians and even vocalists.

Simurg Music Festival 2021 has opened with a marvelous open-air concert held in Icherisheher, next to Art Tower Gallery.

The festival is supported by the Ministries of Education and Culture, Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve, Baku City Main Cultural Department, Baku Media Center,  Arts Council Azerbaijan, Pasha Holding and Aqua Vita.

Next, People's Artist Fidan Hajiyeva and Honored Artist Farid Aliyev and tar player, Honored Artist Sahib Pashazadeh delighted the audience with a spectacular concert.

Many public and cultural figures, including People's Artist Mabud Maharramov, Honored Cultural WorkerZohra Aliyeva, Head of the Department of Cultural Programs at YARAT, poet Ulviya Akhundova, poet Irana Gasimova, artist and designer Khuraman Kaplan, scientist Nushana Gasimzade and others attended the event.

In conclusion, Eldar Amirov held an autograph session and answered questions from the guests.

For the first time in Azerbaijan, Turkish Golden Palm Awards has been held in Baku. 

Golden Palm Awards is a prestigious award in Turkey, which has been awarded since 2014 for achievements in the fields of culture, art, media, business, medicine, sports, fashion, and architecture.

The project is co-organized by Brand Investment Group and Reputation Incorporated. 

The prize has been awarded to such celebrities as Sinan Akchil, Murad Boz, Kenan Dogulu, Mustafa Checheli and many others. 

This Golden Palm Awards ceremony was the eighth in a row. The seventh presentation ceremony took place in 2019 in Istanbul (Turkey).

The gala evening took place at Four Seasons Hotel Baku with the participation of public figures, cultural representatives, diplomats and guests from Turkey. 

Speaking about Golden Palm Awards, the head of Reputation Incorporated Agil Mamiyev said that the holding of the awarding ceremony in Baku is yet another evidence of fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The award was presented in various nominations in social, cultural, educational, sports and other spheres.

Charge d'Affaires of the Azerbaijani Embassy in South Africa Yamin Jafarov, Egyptian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Adel Ibrahim, MPs Vugar Iskenderov and Ganira Pashayeva, Honored Art Worker Fakhriya Khalafova, People's Artists Faig Aghayev and Roya Aykhan, Vice President of Azerbaijan Orienteering Federatio Parvin Sharifov, 25-time world kickboxing champion Eduard Mammadov, poet and pianist Zahra Badalbeyli, artists Nigar Abbasbeyli and Halima Aleskerova, poetess Leyla Alakbarova, TV presenter Lala Azertash, architect Rafael Abbasov, young performer Kamilla Mammadzade and others were among the laureates of the award.

The Turkish representatives included Hilal Surdem, Shahin Kirbyik, Cuneit Asan, Sonay Gokhan, Sevgi Ekyor and others.

The hosts of the evening were Elvin Mardanov and the Turkish actress and model Ozge Ulusoy.

The founder of the Golden Palm Awards project is Nadim Delibash. The project director in Azerbaijan is Sadig Jafarli, PR Director - Vugar Safarli.

Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers has discussed prospects for the future work aimed at promoting domestic cinema.

The filmmakers touched upon a number of issues such as the Day of National Cinema as well as the results of the script competition "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!"

The main purpose of the competition is to reflect in the scenarios the National Army's heroic struggle for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. 

The competition will feature the following nominations: "Best script for a feature film", "Best script for a documentary film", "Best script for a short film", "Best Screenplay for an Animated Film". 

Nearly 48 script applications had been submitted for the competition.

Elnur Rzayev, who presented the script for the film "Caspian Wave", won the contest in the nomination "Best script for a full-length feature film".

Leyla Nasibli's script "Kharibulbul" was named best in screenplay for a short feature film. 

Unfortunately, scripts of documentaries were not submitted for the competition, while the scripts for animated films did not meet the necessary requirements.

The jury, chaired by Honored Art Worker Intigam Gasimzadeh, included Honored Art Workers Ayaz Salayev and Elkhan Jafarov, People's Artist Shafiga Mammadova and Honored Cultural Worker Elchin Hami Akhundov.

Furthermore, new members were admitted to the organization, including Honored Art Worker, professor Ilham Rahimli, Honored Art Worker, screenwriter Firuz Mustafa, Honored Artist Okem Iskandarov, producer, director and screenwriter Vahid Mustafayev. 

Founded in 2012, Azerbaijan Filmmakers Union (AUF) focuses on development of local cinema as an integral part of national culture and world cinema.

Azerbaijani cinema has come to be an internationally recognized modern art enjoying a huge popularity and recognition at international film festivals, which frequently award the national films.

Over the past years, more than 300 films and 1,200 documentaries, as well as hundreds of cartoons were filmed.

The Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers is a member of the Confederation of Unions of Cinematographers of the CIS and Baltic States.

Azerbaijan State Art Gallery has displayed art works by Vidadi Narimanbayov, regarded as one of the most distinctive art figures of the 20th century.

This year marks the 95th anniversary of talented artist known for his stunning  aintings "On the road", "Portrait of Nazife", "Memory", "Oath", "Portrait of a son", "Student girl", "Nameless height", "Portrait of daughter Nigar", "Great Patriotic War. Memory" , "Ilandag", "Childhood memories", "Landscape of Absheron" and many others. 

The main heroes of Narimanbayov's works are soldiers, heroically fighting for their homeland, women who accompanied their husbands and sons to the frontline and children who experienced all the hardships of war.

He made many sketches dedicated to the military theme while serving on the frontline.

In 2009, the 90th anniversary exhibition of incredibly talented artist was held in National Art Museum.

The exhibition featured landscapes and portraits painted by the prominent artist over the last years of his life.  

For many years, these canvases did not leave the walls of the painter’s workshop.

The theme of patriotism runs through all his paintings.

His stunning painting "Under the banner of the Motherland" was also presented for the first time in Baku.

The art work was dedicated to Azerbaijani soldiers who lost their lives during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The painting was finished just a few days before the death of the truly inspiring representative of national art.

Narimanbayov's solo exhibitions were successfully held in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Finland, and other countries.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Morocco Oktay Gurbanov has met with ICESCO Director General Salim M. AlMalik to discuss ICESCO's initiative to declare Shusha Asian region's Capital of Islamic Culture next year.

In his speech, Salim M. AlMalik noted that ICESCO will take all necessary measures to implement this important initiative at a high level. 

At the same time, a delegation of technical experts will visit Azerbaijan's liberated territories to identify Islamic heritage monuments and include them in the Islamic World Heritage List.

The members of the delegation will work with the relevant structures of Azerbaijan on a draft plan for the restoration of historical monuments.

In January, ICESCO Director-General Salim bin Mohammed AlMalik visited Fuzuli region to witness the consequences of Armenian vandalism.

Hundreds of cultural institutions, including 927 libraries with 4.6 million books, 808 palaces of culture, clubs and other cultural institutions, 85 music and art schools were destroyed by Armenian occupants.

The ICESCO delegation first inspected the ruins of Fuzuli and saw traces of Armenian vandalism in the city cemetery.

During the inspection of the destroyed Juma Mosque, it was revealed that Armenians kept cattle and pigs there, as in other mosques.

The ICESCO delegation then visited the ancient caravanserais and the remains of a 17th-century mosque in the village of Gargabazari, as well as the ruins of a destroyed mosque in the village of Gochahmadli.

The sides also exchanged views on other projects implemented by Azerbaijan and ICESCO in the fields of science, education and culture.

Azerbaijan and ICESCO have been enjoying successful partnership in education, culture and science since 1991.

These relations have entered into a new stage after Azerbaijani First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva was awarded as ICESCO Goodwill Ambassador on November  24, 2006.

Mehriban Aliyeva was honored for her services in the development of education and dialogue between civilizations.

The country also closely cooperates with various  ICESCO organizations, including the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Conference of Parliamentary Union, etc.

Over the past years, Azerbaijan and ICESCO have built strong ties, based on common values.

The visit of the ICESCO delegation to Azerbaijan early in January was an important step in this direction. Moreover, ICESCO has proposed to declare Shusha as the capital of the Islamic world.

Azerbaijan implemented numerous international projects with ICESCO. Baku (2009) and Nakhchivan (2018) were named the Capital of Islamic Culture.

Azerbaijan's capital hosted the meeting of the ICESCO culture ministers in 2009. The 12th General Conference and the 36th meeting of the ICESCO Executive Board were held as well.

ICESCO is also one of the main partners of the Baku Process initiated by President Ilham Aliyev and adopted by the United Nations. The organization has been an official partner in the 5th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue held in 2011.

The organization will also assist Azerbaijan in the restoration of monuments destroyed as a result of Armenian aggression. Training courses will be organized for specialists in this field.

Azerkhalcha OJSC has presented the largest carpet of the last two years woven in Gabala.

The 24-square-meter (4x6) carpet belonging to the Guba school weighs 57.2 kilograms. Aygun Nasirova, Khatira Shakarkhanova and Ulviya Sariyeva started weaving the Pirabadil carpet in 2018 as part of the workshop held by Azerkhalcha OJSC.

However, the carper weaving process stopped amid coronavirus pandemic. For a whole year, the carpet was carefully looked after in order to protect it from moths.

Finally, the carpet weavers resumed the working process this April and finished the carpet in July.

Carpet-weaving art is considered an integral part of Azerbaijani culture and craftsmanship. Azerbaijani carpets are stored in many prestigious museums and private galleries around the world.

In 2010, Azerbaijani carpet weaving art was included in UNESCO's Intangible Heritage List.

According to their technical aspects, Azerbaijani carpets are classified as flat-woven (pileless) and knotted (pile). The flat-woven carpets are linked to the earlier period of carpet weaving. There are several kinds of pileless carpets such as Shadda, Verni, Jejim, Zilli, Sumakh, Kilim and Palas.

Shadda is a flat weave carpet, made primarily in Nakhchivan, Agdam, Gubadly, Agjabadi. The artistic composition of shadda made by complicated whipping, as well as its constituents have a complex form.

One of the most widely spread types of the flat-weave carpet is "verni". The key pattern of "verni" is the S-element. Its shape varies, it may resemble both figure 5 and letter S. This element means "dragon" among the nomads and “water” among the village people.  According to ancient beliefs, a dragon featuring carpet would protect the family from foul weather. Agjabadi, Barda, Aghdam, Nakhchivan are the centers of this type of pileless carpets.

Jejims are woven on simple horizontal looms by narrow stripes 30–35 cm wide and 15–10 cm long. The resulting product is a cloth to be used as a wall carpet, a bedding coverlet, or curtains.

The major jejim production centers are Barda, Nakhchivan, Zangilan, Shusha, Shamakha.

Zilli carpet is characterized by stylized forms of animals and vegetal elements. In terms of their composition and pattern the Azerbaijani zillis are very diverse. They feature images of large elements in the shape of big lozenges, paired horns, and various stylized elements.

The Sumakh carpets have become widely spread and recognized over the last few centuries. Since the 18th century, they have been made in the country's Guba and Gusar regions.

The Sumakh carpets feature the diverse stylized vegetal motifs, various geometrical elements such as large hexahedral, square, rhomboid medallions.

Kilim is the most widespread type of flat-woven carpets. They are made by passing the weft through the warp using the technique of compound interweaving. Kilim is characterized by a slot-like gap (opening) around the geometrical patterns.

The technique of kilim weaving predetermines the pattern shapes in the form of a lozenge, triangle, and trapezium. Images of animals, birds and humans are geometrized in kilims. Kilims of different regions are distinguished by their composition, pattern, and colors. In terms of their technical peculiarities, kilims can be classified into five major groups based on the area of production: Kazakh, Karabakh, Absheron, Shirvan and Tabriz kilims.

Palas is one of the widely spread flat-weave carpets. The palas weaving process consists in passing the weft through the warp by a simple technique.

The weavers decorate the palas by traditional patterns in the form of horizontal stripes commonly used throughout Azerbaijan. As a rule, the palas is not framed by a border.

The Culture Ministry has launched a project to honor the memory of cultural figures who became martyrs during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. 

As part of the project "From the stage to the trenches", the Culture Ministry has released a video about  the martyr Togrul Hajiyev where his family and friends talk about the hero's valor and his creative life.

The Hajiyev family became refugees from the Fuzuli region in August 1993 as a result of Armenian aggression.

From a young age, Togrul was fond of music and dreamed of coming back to Fuzuli, which he knew only from the memories of his parents.

The young talent studied at the refugee school №18 in Zangilan region. With high scores, he entered the Azerbaijan National Conservatory. He graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees with great honors. The tar musician also participated in a number of concert programs. 

Togrul's father fought in the First Karabakh War. In the winter of 1994, he was seriously wounded during the Horadiz operation.

From the first days of the war, Togrul Hajiyev fought valiantly against the Armenian invaders. 

He became a martyr on October 10, 2020 during the liberation of his native Fuzuli region. He was posthumously awarded the medals "For Motherland" and "For the liberation of Fuzuli".

Azerbaijani composer Kamala Alizade has recorded a music piece to mark Italy's victory at EURO-2020.

The composition "Minuet for flute, String orchestra, Harpsichord and Tar" presents a synthesis of Italian Baroque music and Azerbaijani mugham, Trend Life reported. 

The music piece was recorded by the Dante in Venice Orchestra and Lucie Sello (flute), the Baku Opera String Orchestra conducted by Honored Artist Eyyub Guliyev, and Honored Artist Sahib Pashazade (tar).

Since 2006, Kamala Alizade has been living in Modena (Italy). She completed an internship in the class of Professor Antonio Giacometti and taught music at the Oxbridge Academy.

Her works have been performed in Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, USA, China, Japan and other countries.

Kamala Alizade is married to Italian composer, guitarist and musicologist Stefano Muscaritolo. The musicians have successfully implemented numerous projects both in Azerbaijan and abroad. 

Italy became the Euro 2020 champion in the final with England after the match went into a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. The football teams went to extra time following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes at Wembley.

EURO 2020 was held from June 11 to July 11 in 11 European cities. Four Group A games were held in Baku within EURO 2020.

UEFA  has awarded the Baku Olympic Stadium for the successful holding of EURO 2020 matches. 

Despite the short time intervals between three matches within the European Championship and hot weather, the stadium's turf was in perfect condition.

Ancient graves have been discovered in Guba's Giriz village. The graves were found in the area dug for the auxiliary building during the construction of the school.

The archeological discoveries are dating back to the 16th-17th centuries. More information will be available after research. 

The construction of the school was stopped and the relevant government agencies were informed about the fact.

Guba has always been a favorite place of local and foreign tourists. The city enjoys favorable geographic location, mild climate, fruitful soil and natural resource.

One of Guba's most visited natural features is its unique waterfall in Pirbanovsha, where the flowing water creates graceful natural sculptures. Guba is also known for its hydrogen sulfide sources, located near the Khashichay. Here, in the narrow gorge, hot water with healing properties flows from the rocks.

History enthusiasts will also find enticing places to visit, like settlements dating to the 12-13th centuries, a temple dating back to the 9th century and several 19th-century buildings.

Guba is also known for its unique mountainous Khinalig village. The population of the village consists of a separate ethnographic group.

Khinalig is famous for its unique language, peculiar customs and traditions. Due to the isolation, its residents managed to preserve their own language, not belonging to any language group.

This wonderful village, nestled in the mountains strikes with its unique architecture.

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

The ceilings of the house are fitted with a smoke flap, through which the locals can also visit each other. The floors and walls are covered with carpets.

There are many historical places, including tomb of Khidir Nebi, mosques of Sheikh Shalbuz and Abu Muslim, ancient cemeteries as well as holy caves of early humans.

To protect the village, the Azerbaijani government declared the area a cultural-historical and ethnographic reserve in 2007. 

In 2020, Khinalig State Cultural-Architectural and Ethnographic Reserve was included into UNESCO's Tentative list.