"Heydar Aliyev and intangible cultural heritage" - scientific conference

A scientific conference on "Heydar Aliyev and intangible cultural heritage" was held at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Manuscripts, organized jointly by the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the declaration of 2023 as the "Heydar Aliyev Year".

AZERTAC was informed by the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (AMEA) that participants were acquainted with an exhibition featuring Azerbaijani manuscripts included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, held in the Exhibition Hall of the Institute of Manuscripts before the conference.

Dr. Nigar Babakhanova, Director of the International Relations Department at the Institute of Manuscripts and a PhD in history, associate professor, provided detailed information to visitors at the exhibition. She discussed manuscripts exhibited related to medieval medicine and pharmacology history, as well as the ancient manuscript of Mohammad Fuzuli's native "Divan" and the album "Flower notebook" by Khurshidbanu Natavan.

In the conference speech, Academician Isa Habibbayli, the President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (AMEA), stated that this scientific-theoretical meeting is the final one organized this year within the framework of the centenary of the birth of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev and the "Heydar Aliyev Year". He emphasized that even though "Heydar Aliyev Year" in our country is coming to an end, research on Heydar Aliyev studies continues. He highlighted the significance of this conference in terms of fundamental research into the legacy of the National Leader and his unparalleled contributions to promoting Azerbaijani culture worldwide.

Academician Habibbeyli noted that the Great Leader has made significant achievements in the preservation and transmission to future generations of both the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Azerbaijan. He mentioned that President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan and First Vice President, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, are successfully continuing and developing the promotion and dissemination of our national culture. He pointed out that Azerbaijan's achievements in registering examples of intangible cultural heritage in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register are a clear testament to this.

At the conference, Seymur Fataliyev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, spoke on "The Role of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the Preservation of Our Intangible Cultural Heritage." Academician Teymur Karimli presented on "Azerbaijani Manuscripts Included in UNESCO's World Memory Register," while Academician Mukhtar Imanov discussed "Heydar Aliyev's Political Course and Folk Culture."

It has been brought to attention that in the years of independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, after the return of the Great Leader to the supreme political power at the insistence of the people, significant achievements have been made in promoting our culture on the international stage. This includes the recognition of our classical heritage, mugham music, carpet weaving art, national culinary examples, and historical monuments, leading to notable successes in placing many examples of both intangible and tangible cultural heritage on UNESCO's list. These accomplishments are attributed to the successful policies initiated by the Great Leader during the Soviet era.

The speakers provided information about the implementation of the ideals of the National Leader and the steps taken by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in researching and promoting our national culture. They discussed actions such as signing agreements, educational initiatives, and dissemination efforts, highlighting significant achievements. They also spoke about future plans.

Later, there were discussions around the presentations, during which the President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (AMEA) and the Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO conducted discussions about potential collaborative projects that could be implemented in the future.