NEWS

Chairman of Azerbaijan`s State Tourism Agency Fuad Naghiyev has met with Chairperson of Saint Petersburg`s Tourism Development Committee Sergey Korneev to discuss opportunities for developing tourism relations and enhancing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the creation of joint tourism routes, investment opportunities, educational programs, and the development of relations among the tourism companies in line with the "Roadmap for the development of tourism between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation in 2024-2026".

The two also discussed issues related to hosting various marketing events in 2024, participating in exhibitions, organizing workshops and presentation, and opening a tourism representative office in Moscow to promote Azerbaijan's tourism potential in Russia.

Fuad Naghiyev noted that the number of Russian tourists visiting Azerbaijan increased by 40 percent, reaching 625,000 individuals in 2023 compared to 2022. Furthermore, during the first three months of 2024, the number of Russian citizens arriving in Azerbaijan surged by 24 percent, totaling 147,438 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

As the world celebrates the World Theatre Day on March 27th, an occasion to highlight the role of art in promoting intercultural and civilizational dialogue, as a source of inspiration fostering diversity and cultural openness, and as an integral part of the intangible civilizational heritage reflecting the values of belonging and coexistence, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), seizes this opportunity to renew its commitment to supporting the art of theatre, promoting cultural dialogue and developing the skills of theater practitioners in its Member States.

According to ICESCO, the organization also strives to highlight the efforts undertaken to strengthen this ancestral art (the father of all arts) through its scientific publications and symposia, particularly in light of the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and its impact on reducing human creativity.

In this regard, ICESCO is working towards the publication of a set of guides aimed at anchoring the cultural identity of theatre in the Islamic world, as well as the elaboration of a guiding study on artistic and theatrical education for schoolchildren, with the aim of supporting all art forms, particularly theater.

On this World Theatre Day, ICESCO reaffirms its support for the efforts of its Member States to develop this art form, promote the training of artists and the preservation of performing arts, in addition to integrating people with special needs into theatrical performances and consolidating social cohesion.

An exhibition entitled “Heritage in Stitches: A Journey Through Embroidery and Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” opened at the Heydar Aliyev Center, Report informs referring to Azertac.

The First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, attended the opening of the exhibition.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center, Anar Alakbarov, said that the centuries-old friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan had been successfully developing, in recent years in particular, on the basis of personal relations between President Ilham Aliyev and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Noting that cultural ties have a special place in Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations, the Assistant to the President recalled the successful organization of culture days of the two countries.

Emphasizing that this exhibition was further evidence of friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries, Anar Alakbarov said, “The Heydar Aliyev Center has become a platform for international conferences and exhibitions. We would like to express our gratitude to the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, for supporting the event. Today, thanks to the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, and the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan, we are holding the first event dedicated to Uzbekistan at the Heydar Aliyev Center. Yesterday, there was a fantastic ballet performance “Lazgi. Dance of soul and love”. This is a dance that has been included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list. As you know, Novruz holidays will be celebrated next week. During these festive days, visitors will be able to review the exhibition that opened today, as well as the installation by Daniel Wurzel “Air Fountain”, which was presented in the run-up to this exhibition.

Speaking at the event, the Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, expressed her satisfaction with the visit to Azerbaijan and the organization of the exhibition in the country. “A large-scale exhibition “Heritage in Stitches: A Journey Through Embroidery and Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” is opening at the Heydar Aliyev Center today. This exhibition is not just a collection of arts and crafts, it is a living testimony to the rich diversity of Uzbekistan's cultural heritage, an embodiment of its historical depth and cultural evolution”.

Noting that Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan had a unique historical connection, Saida Mirziyoyeva emphasized that both states were the embodiment of centuries-old history and rich cultural traditions. “Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan share many common moments in history, culture and traditions. Both nations are famous for their hospitality, rich national cuisine and a huge heritage of folk crafts such as embroidery, wood carving and ceramics. Let this significant event become yet another bridge between our peoples and a testimony of common aspiration for beauty and harmony,” the Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan concluded.

After the speeches, the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, familiarized themselves with the exhibitions “Azerbaijani Carpet – A Dance of Loops” and “A Doll in Art”' prepared with support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The collection of carpets was prepared in eight years. The carpets demonstrated in the exhibition are “Creation”, “Shikargah”, “Khan's Hunt”, “War and Peace”, “Bendi-rumi”, “Shabakali”, “Adam and Eve”, “Aghajli”, “Narli”, “Gollu”, “Lechek-turunj”, “Four Seasons”, “Taghli”, “Jamadet”, as well as “Birds of Paradise” and “A Paradise Garden”. The carpets have breathed a new life into the ancient art of carpet weaving and aroused interest as unique samples of art.

The exhibition “A Doll in Art” features more than 200 dolls. Most of the works of art presented in the exhibition are made in a single copy and have great artistic value. Many of these works have won international puppet festivals and biennales.

Then, Mehriban Aliyeva and Saida Mirziyoyeva cut a ribbon symbolizing the opening of the exhibition “Heritage in Stitches: A Journey Through Embroidery and Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” and were familiarized with the exposition.

The exhibition held jointly with the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan, displays more than 140 samples of decorative and applied arts from the museum collection of this country. The exposition dedicated to cultural and historical heritage and national costumes of Uzbekistan reflects the revival of crafts characteristic of this country in the 19-20th centuries. Gold embroidery patterns of Bukhara have always occupied a special place among art forms of Uzbekistan.

The exhibition “Heritage in Stitches: A Journey Through Embroidery and Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” consists of several sections: gold-embroidered chapans (robes), which represent the main element of men's national costume, samples of decorative embroidery suzani on decorative textiles with predominantly floral and star motifs from cities such as Tashkent, Jizzak, Samarkand, Shakhrisabz, Nurata and Bukhara, as well as jewelry made of silver, turquoise and other precious stones by ancient craftsmen from Samarkand, Bukhara and Karakalpakstan.

National music of Uzbekistan was performed at the event.

Residents of Baku and visitors to the capital city have the opportunity to see the exhibition at the Heydar Aliyev Center until July 1, 2024.

Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer has triumphed at this year’s Oscars taking home seven awards including best picture, best actor and best director.

Report informs via The Guardian that the drama, telling the story of the “father of the atomic bomb”, lost the box office battle to Barbie during last summer’s Barbenheimer showdown but has now won the awards war with Greta Gerwig’s Mattel comedy winning just one Oscar for best original song.

Christopher Nolan has won the best director Oscar for Oppenheimer at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

Report informs via The Guardian that this is the first time Nolan has won the award, having previously been nominated for Dunkirk in 2018. He was considered the strong favourite for the statuette, having won a series of best director awards in the run-up to the Oscars, including a Golden Globe, Bafta, Critics Choice award and Directors Guild of America prize. At the Oscars, Nolan saw off a strong field, which included Martin Scorsese (for Killers of the Flower Moon), Justine Triet (for Anatomy of a Fall) and Yorgos Lanthimos (for Poor Things).

A rare early painting by Vincent van Gogh, known as Head of a Peasant Woman in a White Headdress (Tete de paysanne à la coiffe blanch), has been sold for several million euros at an art fair in the Netherlands, Report informs via The National News UAE.

The sale took place at the annual European Art Fair (Tefaf) in Maastricht, where the painting was listed with an asking price of €4.5 million ($4.9 million).

Bill Rau, president of MS Rau Gallery, confirmed the sale to a museum. He said “It has been sold to a museum outside the European Union.

“We cannot discuss the price,” he said reflecting the gallery's commitment to privacy and discretion in such high-profile transactions.

The painting, which dates back to around 1884, represents a pivotal moment in van Gogh's career when he lived in Nuenen, a year before he completed The Potato Eaters.

The Dutch national news agency ANP said: “Although the name of the private museum was not given, 'it will be accessible to the public',” ensuring that this masterpiece will be enjoyed by future generations.

The TOMRIS international exhibition, showcasing artists from the Turkic world, has opened at the Heydar Aliyev Center.

The event was co-organized by the Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Culture, the Heydar Aliyev Center and the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY).

The exhibition will feature works of about 20 artists from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Azerbaijan`s Deputy Minister of Culture Saadat Yusifova noted that Tomris was one of the central figures in the Turkic world.

TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev noted that the exhibition dedicated to the first female ruler and commander Tomris aims to emphasize the significance of women in the Turkic world.

President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Aktoty Raimkulova underscored that the works of modern artists demonstrate common heritage, heroes, history and traditions.

Following the speeches, TURKSOY presented awards to the artists, whose works were displayed at the exhibition.

Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Culture was also honored with TURKSOY`s special award.

The guests then viewed the exhibition.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Morocco has hosted a presentation promoting Azerbaijan’s tourism potential among tourism agencies and tour operators operating in the city of Rabat.

Head of 16 tourism companies of Rabat city mainly engaged in organizing tours for foreign countries, as well as Turkish Airlines Country Director of Morocco Seyfullah Ilyas attended the event.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco Nazim Samadov provided insights into the tourism potential, the country’s culture and cultural heritage, emphasizing that Azerbaijan will soon organize promotional tours for Moroccan tourism agencies in the coming months.

The diplomat emphasized that 1740 Moroccan tourists visited Azerbaijan in 2023, adding that that the number of Moroccan tourists visiting Azerbaijan during the first two months of 2024 has increased by nearly 2.5 times compared to the same period last year.

Citizens of Morocco arriving in Azerbaijan can obtain an electronic visa through "ASAN Visa" system.

An exhibition titled “Legacy in loops: A journey to Uzbekistan`s embroidery” will open at the Heydar Aliyev Center on March 17.

Co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Center and the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan, the exhibition will showcase more than 148 samples of decorative and applied art from Uzbekistan`s museum collection.

The exhibition is dedicated to the cultural and historical legacy, as well as the national costumes of Uzbekistan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

German’s popular “Enzyklopädie des Islam” literary portal has published musaddas and ghazal (poetic genres) by prominent Azerbaijani poet Mahammad Fuzuli in German as part of the Azerbaijan’s State Translation Centre’s “Mahammad Fuzuli - 530” project.

The translator of the works presented with information about the poet’s creativity is Dr. Yavuz Özoguz, a well-known philologist, German language specialist and academic director of the portal.

The portal, which has a wide auditorium of readers, regularly publishes works by such outstanding poets as Khagani Shirvani, Nizami Ganjavi, Omar Khayyam, Yunus Emre, Imadaddin Nasimi, Wolfgang von Goethe, Theodore Fontaine, Friedrich Rückert, and Rainer Maria Rilke.

The great Azerbaijani poet Mahammad Fuzuli (1494-1556) is the author of the "Leyli and Majnun" poem, the pearl of the Oriental and World poetry.

By the decision of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers dated May 7, 2019, his works were declared state heritage.