NEWS

Azerbaijan State Art Gallery has displayed art works by artists from Ganja city.

The exhibition aims at strengthening partnership between  artists with galleries, museums and improving the quality of art in the regions, especially to ensure the participation of talented people in various art projects.

The virtual exhibition features fascinating art works by Ganja city.

The centuries-old Ganja has left many architectural monuments on its streets.

The city, which plays a significant role in the social, political and economic life of Azerbaijan is at the intersection of trade routes. It was here that the Great Silk Road passed.

The founding of Ganja dates back to the middle of the 9th century, but the first settlements appeared here in the pre-Islamic period, roughly in the seventh century, as evidenced by the ancient mausoleums found in these places.

Ganja silk, porcelain and glassware, as well as delicious fruits grown on this fertile land, have always been famous far beyond Azerbaijan’s borders. Local cuisine is considered one of the best in Azerbaijan.

The city is famous for its nature, namely Goygol Lake and reserve. A large mountain lake surrounded by the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus was formed at a result of a devastating earthquake that destroyed the mountain Kapaz in the 12th century.

The modern city of Ganja is one of the country's scientific, educational and cultural centers. Incredibly beautiful sunny city, literally immersed in the greenery of gardens, every year causes a great interest of tourists.

A book by the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva has been presented in Baku. 

The Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation hosted the presentation of the poetry collection "I want to hear the voice of God" published in Kyrgyz and Russian. 

The event was attended by the Azerbaijan Culture Minister Anar Karimov, the Kyrgyz Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy Kairat Imanaliyev, the President of Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva, the chairwoman of the Azerbaijan Parliamentary Culture Committee Ganira Pashayeva and many others. 

Opening the ceremony, Gunay Afandiyeva highlighted Leyla Aliyeva's poetry and art. She stressed the role of Leyla Aliyeva in the country's public life.

Gunay Afandiyeva said the book "I want to hear the voice of God" was published in Kyrgyzstan as well. The poetry collection includes well-known poems and poetry of recent years.

In his speech, Anar Karimov praised the poetry of Leyla Aliyeva. The Culture Minister noted that the year 2021 has been declared in Azerbaijan as the "Year of Nizami Ganjavi", stressing its importance for all Turkic-speaking states.

The Culture Minister said that Nizami's heritage is  considered one of the brightest examples of the Turkish-Islamic artistic vision.

He noted that many events dedicated to the 880th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet and philosopher Nizami Ganjavi have been recently organized both at the TURKSOY Headquarters and in Istanbul.

The organization of such events in the Turkish states, especially within international organizations, is of exceptional importance in terms of promoting the common cultural and spiritual values.

"TURKSOY has done a great job since its inception in preserving and widely promoting the common cultural and spiritual values ​​of the Turkic peoples. Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation has also signed various projects promoting the culture, rich history, national and spiritual values ​​of the Turkic world in a short period of time," Karimov said.

Kayrat Imanaliyev and Ganira Pashayeva praised Leyla Aliyeva's poetry.

Deputy Secretary General of the  Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) Sultanbek Raev said that Leyla Aliyeva's collection of poems "I want to hear the voice of God" was translated into Kyrgyz by well-known poets.

The poems were translated by the national poet of the Kyrgyz Republic Omor Sultanov, the poets-translators Aida Egemberdieva and Altynai Temirova.

Deputy Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking countries (TURKPA) Ali Yildiz, Secretary of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan, Editor-in-Chief of the 525th newspaper Rashad Majid shared their views on the book.

People's Artist of Azerbaijan Mehriban Zaki and People's Artist of Kyrgyzstan Tinar Abdrazayeva then read the poems from the book.

Kids art contest has been announced in Azerbaijan as part of the 4th Republican Kids Art Festival "My Azerbaijan". The art contest aims at promoting young talents.

Co-organized by the State Art Gallery and the Khatai Arts Center, the project is timed to  the Year of Nizami Ganjavi in ​​Azerbaijan.

The art works are accepted until  May 2, 2021. Those wishing to take part in the competition, should post a photo of his art work in Facebook group of the Khatai Arts Center and to provide personal information. For more information, please visit the galleryi's social networks.

Notably, the year 2021 in Azerbaijan has been declared as the year of Nizami Ganjav.

President Ilham Aliyev declared this year the "Year of Nizami Ganjavi" in Azerbaijan, taking into account the exceptional importance of the poet's work, which always calls people to moral perfection and instills high spiritual qualities as an achievement of human culture.

The country also celebrates the 880th anniversary of  the great poet and thinker with multiple events.

The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to develop and implement an action plan for the Nizami Ganjavi Year.

Nizami's legacy is of great importance for Azerbaijani culture. The poet, who began by writing lyrics in short forms – gasida, gazal, rubai has gained popularity all over the world.

The works of Nizami Ganjavi were translated into many languages. The rare manuscript copies of his works are kept and preserved like precious pearls in famous libraries, museums and literary foundations in cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Baku, Tashkent, Tabriz, Tehran, Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi, London, Paris and others.

In Khamsa (Quintet), the poet revealed the living pages of history. The attack of the Russians on Barda city, a fairy tale of the Russian Princess, the beautiful Shirin amazons, battles, described in various poems of Nizami - all this is historically and geographically related to medieval Azerbaijan and the Caucasus.

The description of a man's inner world, his feelings, and thoughts along with the dynamic development of the main hero's characters underlies the basic aim and content of Nizami’s literary school.

Nizami Ganjavi passed away in 1209 in his native city of Ganja. A grandiose tomb was raised over his grave.

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has showcased Shirvan zili carpet. The carpet is currently on display at the  Russian Museum of Ethnography as part of the joint exhibition.

The exposition "Weaving the thread of fate into the carpet. Decorative and applied art of Azerbaijan in the collection of the Russian Ethnographic Museum" features over 100 unique samples of decorative and applied art. 

The exposition displays around 40 carpets and carpet products  as well as other works of decorative and applied art by Azerbaijani artists of the 19th–20th centuries.

Most of the carpets were made in the second half of the 19th – the first decade of the 20th century.

 The late-18th-century Surakhani carpet is the oldest and most unique piece of the exhibition.

Shirvan zili carpet is adorned with elements of various meanings, characteristic of Shirvan carpets.​ Old carpet weavers called these stylized ornaments givrim (curl), ajdaha (dragon), kilim-gulu (kilim flower), as well as gosha buynuz (double horn) decorated with darag (comb) and tazi (dog) elements.​ The carpet`s border feature kechi (goat) elements against a white background, symbolizing the lunar cult.

The Carpet Museum also provided insight into Lamp carpets of Karabakh carper school, designed on the bas of the Lechek-Turunj composition.

Since the first half of the 19th century, these had been  woven in Shusha and in all carpet weaving centers of Karabakh. 

These carpets decorated the walls and ceiling of big houses. As a rule, Lampe carpets were woven as a set, including two side carpets and one central.

The big eight-pointed medallion in the center is typical for Lampe carpets. The elongated ketebes​ adorn the top and bottom parts of the medallion. Parrot images decorate​ the​ empty spaces of the central field near the medallion. The artistic design of the central field is enriched with big lachaks (petals) in the corners of the carpet.

Notably, Karabakh carpets are distinguished from other national carpet schools by their artistic and technological production and their size.

This carpet school is famous for its pileless carpets, including shadda, zili, verni, kilim and palas products. Karabakh carpets are characterized by bright colors and vegetative motives.

There are 33 compositions of Karabakh carpets. These carpets are produced in the towns Malibeyli, Muradkhanli, Dashbulag, Jabrayil, Horadiz in Karabakh in mountainous part of Karabakh.

In the 19th century, Shusha city and Dashbulag, Dovshanli, Girov, Trinivz, Chanakhchi, Tug, Kohna Tughlar, Hadrut, Muradkhanli, Gasimushagi, Gubadli, Gozag, Mirseyid, Bagirbeyli, Khanlig, Dag Tumas and other villages of mountanious zone of Karabakh had essential role in the carpet weaving production.

With its colorful patterns and manufacturing technique., Zangazur and Nakhchivan are also included in Karabakh carpet school.

These carpet compositions feature classical patterns of Karabakh carpet-weaving school, including "Aran”, "Bagchadaguller", "Balıg", "Buynuz", "Barda", "Bahmanli", "Garabag", "Goja", "Gasımushagı", "Lambaran", "Mugan", "Talısh", "Lampa", "Malıbayli ", "Khangarvand", "Khanlıg", "Khantirma", "Chalabi", and "Shabalıdbuta".  

With its rich colors, this carpet school  comprises all undertones of nature of Karabakh. Besides various plants, these colors are gained from different kinds of insects. The most popular insect from which red color is produced is scale insect or red worm.

Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have discussed prospects of cultural cooperation. 

The Culture Minister Anar Karimov expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Afghanistan in various fields, including culture. He noted that the fraternal ties between the two countries based on common cultural and historical values

Anar Karimov also touched upon the Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation signed between Azerbaijan and Afghanistan. He stressed the  importance of holding joint culture days.

Speaking about Azerbaijan's  victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Karimov thanked the Afghan government for supporting Azerbaijan in its fight for the restoration of the country's territorial integrity. 

The Afghan ambassador to Azerbaijan Amanullah Jayhoon noted the religious, historical and cultural ties between the two countries, which contributed to the cultural cooperation.

Speaking about his visit to the liberated territories, Amanullah Jayhoon touched upon on Armenian vandalism in Fuzuli region. 

The sides also discussed cooperation in the museum field, holding joint exhibitions and events on the occasion of the 880th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi. Special literary corners dedicated to Azerbaijan and Afghanistan will open as part of the cooperation. 

The meeting was followed by a discussion of prospects for future cooperation between the two countries and other issues of mutual interest.

Notably, the Culture Ministry has recently agreed on expanding ties with Morocco, Georgia and Iran. The sides agreed on holding joint cultural projects.

Azerbaijan's National Carpet Museum (ANCM) Director Shirin Melikova has shed light on its future projects, the museum's history, exhibit collections, master classes as well as the activities of ANCM's Traditional Technologies Department at a virtual lecture for a Moscow institute.

The virtual lecture was hosted by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) as part of the Arts and Culture Management master degree program. Chair of ICOM Azerbaijan Committee​ Melikova delivered a lecture on​ Projects of ANCM's Traditional Technologies Department.

She outlined the main objectives of the department such as the revival of ancient, forgotten carpet weaving techniques, weaving the replicas of carpets from the museum collections, production of carpets based on author sketches, collaboration with contemporary artists and students, carpet weaving classes for adults and children, including individuals with disabilities.

Melikova also noted the inclusive project Museum Without Borders for people with visual disabilities. Here,​ the Traditional Technologies Department prepared for visitors new carpet samples for tactile display.​ This project aroused great interest among​ foreign museum societies, expanded the ANCM's international relations, and led to​ the cooperation with State Hermitage Museum.

Shirin Melikova also touched upon the museum's Undyed Wool Carpets project aimed at reviving the ancient kind of carpet weaving.

During the lecture, Dr Melikova mentioned​ the large-scale activities of the museum to promote the art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving around the world.​  The lecture was followed by a Q&A session.

Founded in 1967, the National Carpet Museum never ceased to amaze everyone with its beautiful architecture.

Initiated by eminent carpet artist Latif Karimov, it is beautiful inside and out. The museum's new building is designed in the form of a rolled carpet.

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 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 Chelebi enriched the collection of the museum's Shusha branch.

The Carpet Museum also focuses on cooperation with world-leading museum organizations.

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

Azerbaijani dancer Farid Kazakov has won the prize "Turkiye Zirve Odulleri" in Turkey. He got the title of the "Most Talented Dancer of Turkey 2021"

In February, Kazakov released a patriotic video dedicated to fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. 

As the dancer says he was looking for music for the new video for a long time, as a result, his choice fell on the very heartfelt song "Daima yaşa Azərbaycan" performed by Sinan Akchil and Saida Guliyeva. The song literally captivated the dancer with its beauty and depth. 

The video was seen by the organizers of the Turkiye Zirve Odulleri Awards. The winner was chosen through voting. 

Speaking about the prize, Farid Kazakov expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported his dance performance. 

Notably, Kazakov is a two-time winner of the prize "Most professional young dancer in Azerbaijan". Moreover, the dancer's name has recently entered the book dedicated to Azerbaijan`s prominent public and cultural figures. 

Earlier, Farid Kazakov presented the patriotic project "My Azerbaijan" to the music of (Azerbaijani and Russian opera and pop singer) Muslim Magomayev, which received a huge number of positive reviews and was recognized as "Best patriotic performance" at Solo Star Russia 2020".

Over this time, Farid Kazakov has participated in many large-scale projects.

Kazakov won the Grand Prix of the St. Petersburg Open Word National Award 2020 in performing arts. 

The dancer also thrilled the audience with a one-man show "Enuement" premiered at the YARAT Contemporary Art Space this year.

The one-man show, staged by Russian director Louise Eyre, is considered the first solo choreographic performance in Azerbaijan.

In 2019, the dancer successfully performed at the International Kremlin Stars Competition, Solo Star All-Russian Theatre Festival and the Art Star International Competition and Festival.

He was also named as the most successful dancer according to "Trend of the Year 2019 Awards". The winners were determined by voting on social networks and media monitoring.

Farid Kazakov also shares his skills and knowledge with young people. Farid has been training future gymnasts since 2012. Presently, he is the head coach of the Zabradance Baku School of Gymnastics and Dance.

He is also actively involved in charity work. In February, he presented his new charity project "For Kids of Azerbaijan" at the Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Down Syndrome.

The famous dancer also held a charity project in several organizations such as the Ders Evi Education Centre and the Yaradan Creative Union.

The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Tashkent has announced the winners of the patriotic art competition.

The Azerbaijani-Uzbek joint art contest "Azerbaijan's Karabakh through the eyes of artists" was announced in February last year.

The final night was attended by officials of the Azerbaijani and Uzbek culture ministries, the chairwoman of the Azerbaijan parliamentary culture committee, Ganira Pashayeva, officials from the Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Friendship Society and the Azerbaijan State Art Gallery, TURKSOY representative and young artists.

Speaking about the art contest, the director of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Tashkent, Samir Abbasov, said that the competition reflects the feelings and thoughts of the young artists about Karabakh, a cradle of Azerbaijani culture.

Abbasov spoke about the historical contribution of Shusha to the Turkic world and humanity being the capital of Azerbaijani culture. 

Ganira Pashayeva shared her views about the historical friendship between the two countries, praised the support provided by Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, the solidarity expressed by the Uzbek public and art figures to Azerbaijan.

She stressed that Armenia retained Azerbaijani territories under its occupation for about 30 years, completely destroying cities and villages and national cultural heritage. The MP hailed the project carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Tashkent, adding that the exhibition is not just a drawing competition, but also creates strong friendships and bridges between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. 

Galib Gasimov, who represented the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and leads the State Art Gallery, stressed the importance of the competition, which brought together young artists from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Gasimov also provided insight into Armenia's aggression against the historical and religious monuments of the Azerbaijani people and the ongoing restoration works.

The representative of Uzbekistan's Culture Ministry, Marufjon Yuldashev, noted the successful development of the centuries-old Azerbaijani-Uzbek friendship, adding that the two nations share the same ancestry, culture and traditions. He stressed that Karabakh is reflected in the paintings as an invaluable sacred place for the Turkic world.

Azerbaijan's representative in TURKSOY Elchin Gafarli, Culture and Press Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Uzbekistan Alparslan Akinci, poet-publicist Akbar Goshali, the Khatai Art Centre's director, Zahid Avazov applauded the project, which serves the unity among the Turkic world. 

The event was followed by the awarding ceremony for the winners of the art contest.

Young artist Farah Babayeva's graphic work "Karabakh Musicians' Assembly" won first place, Lala Huseynova's oil painting "Return to Karabakh" took second place, while Gulshan Bakhshaliyeva's "Panorama of Shusha" won third place.

Young artists Ayten Mammadova, Sara Gadimova, Arzu Abdulazizova, and Turkan Babayeva were awarded special prizes.

From the Uzbek side, young artist Gulnoz Jalolova's "Karabakh Village" won first place, Husniya Azadova's "Karabakh Woman" took second place, while Abrorjan Izzatullayev's "Karabakh Nature: Rising Mountain River" ranked third.

Khudayar Atamuradova, Iroda Khudayberganova, Mirjalol Kholikova, Farangiz Komiljonova, Ilgiz Hakimov were awarded as well. 

Furthermore, the attendees watched a video presentation of the works submitted to the contest. The video featured Azerbaijani mugham "Karabakh Shikestesi". 

Azerbaijan has been successfully represented at Expo Culinaire 2021 in Dubai.

The event was organized by the Emirates Culinary Guild with the assistance of the World Association of Chefs' Societies. 

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Chefs Guild Ilkin Akberzade was invited as a  jury member. Speaking about Expo Culinaire 2021, Ilkin Akberzade told Trend that all the chefs strived to achieve excellence in culinary arts.

The work of the chefs was evaluated by a jury in accordance with international criteria.

Expo Culinaire 2021 was attended by representatives of the UK, Germany, Egypt, Pakistan, Syria, South Africa, Vietnam, Indonesia, Jordan, Sri Lanka, India, China, Philippines, Malaysia and other countries.

A number of events - master classes, exhibitions, competitions for chefs, cooks, bakers, pastry chefs, etc. were held in virtually amid coronavirus pandemic. 

Notably, Azerbaijan's traditional cuisine  offers a wide range of spices, meat dishes and vegetables. Fresh herbs, including mint, coriander, dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leek, chive, thyme, marjoram, green onion, and watercress are very popular and often accompany the main dish.

Dolma, bozbash, bozartma, Shish kebab, piti, pilaf, and govurma are unique dishes of the national cuisine.

Shah Pilaf is the signature dish of the national cuisine. The name of this dish is derived from its shape which resembles the crown of a Medieval Eastern ruler. It is traditionally presented as the main dish at wedding ceremonies in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan attracts all those who have a sweet tooth. There are more than 30 varieties of Azerbaijani pastries that use unique ingredients such as poppy seeds, walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, ginger, and cardamom, which make the treats spicy and especially tasty.

Pakhlava, shekerbura, and badambura, symbols of the Novruz holiday, are among the most famous Azerbaijani sweets.

The cultural legacy of Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi has been discussed as part of a relevant video conference.

The webinar on the theme "Nizami Ganjavi's work is Azerbaijan's intellectual property and the cultural wealth of mankind" was co-organized by the Intellectual Property Agency, the Centre for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication and the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation within the framework of the "Year of Nizami Ganjavi".

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Intellectual Property Agency Board Kamran Imanov stressed the importance of the proclamation of 2021 as the "Year of Nizami Ganjavi" in Azerbaijan. He noted that this year is also another example of the state's attention to the life and work of prominent representatives of national classical literary heritage.

Speaking at the webinar, Culture Minister Anar Karimov noted that the president's order to declare 2021 the "Year of Nizami Ganjavi" in the country is an important event not only for Azerbaijan but also for the Turkic world, the East and the world literature.

Nizami's legacy brought national literature to the forefront of world art and raised the Turkish-Islamic renaissance to its highest peaks.

The culture minister emphasized that the poet's lyrical poems "Divan" and immortal "Khamsa" defined the millennium priorities of the Middle East literature and enriched it with a new form, deep content, progressive ideas, laid the foundation of a huge school of poetry with his original thinking and innovative style. 

Anar Karimov noted that in honour of the 850th anniversary of Nizami, the year 1991 was declared as the "Year of Nizami" by UNESCO and its anniversary was celebrated at the international level. With the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, monuments to the poet have been erected in St. Petersburg, Rome and other cities. Moreover, the Nizami Ganjavi International Centre was founded in 2012 to promote the poet's literary heritage.

International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation President Gunay Afandiyeva said that although the great thinker lived for 68 years, Nizami's works are still relevant today.

Deputy Education Minister Firudin Gurbanov noted that Nizami's work had become an important part of the spiritual culture of the Azerbaijan people for more than eight centuries.

Azerbaijani ambassador to Brazil and Secretary-General of the Azerbaijani National Commission for UNESCO Elnur Sultanov said that events dedicated to Nizami's jubilee will be held in foreign countries, as well as at the UNESCO Headquarters.

The meeting was followed by a video message from the co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Centre, Ismail Serageldin, as well as speeches of Cambridge University researcher, Professor Christina van Ruyemberkin, executive director of the Centre for Economic Reforms Analysis and Communication Vusal Gasimli, director of the Institute of Manuscripts, academician Teymur Karimli and others.