The 10th anniversary of Mugham’s inscription on UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was celebrated in Paris

A reception and a concert were held in Paris on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the inscription of Azerbaijani Mugham on UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Organized by the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO and with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and the National Commission, Anar Karimov, head of the Permanent Delegation gave detailed information on Mugam performances, its place in the world and the lives of Azerbaijan people.

He said that the Mugam is highly valued by our people as the marker of the cultural identity. Mugham, being under the seventy years of harsh control, has regained its place in the international arena by the initiative of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva. A.Karimov underlined that successfully passing of Mugham art from the deep roots and historical challenges to a completely new level in modern time and inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is connected with the tireless efforts of Mehriban Aliyeva.  He spoke about the contributions our country made to UNESCO projects.

Referring to the candidacy of Azerbaijan to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, A.Karimov noted that our country became an active member of the Committee after the ratification of the 2003 Convention, and a number of national legislation were adopted in our country for the protection of cultural heritage and projects have been implemented in this area.

He talked about the great importance attached by our country in cooperation with the organization, its contribution to the protection and safeguarding of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Elnur Sultanov, Ambassador-at-Large, Secretary General of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, spoke about the role of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Mehriban Aliyeva in the promotion of Mugham at national and international level, adding that Mehriban Aliyeva contributed greatly to the development of relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCO.

E. Sultanov stressed that our country, which is a political, commercial and cultural bridge between North and South, East and West, has become a center of dialogue between cultures and religions. He noted that there is an international platform for promoting mutual understanding among representatives of different religions and cultures in Azerbaijan. Recalling that our country was an active and reliable partner during its membership in the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010-2014, E.Sultanov said that it would be more dynamic if re-elected. He noted that our country is a reliable global partner in the safeguarding of cultural heritage, as well as intercultural dialog. He said that re-election to the Committee would contribute to sharing our rich experience with other member states and create opportunity in working with them in the spirit of partnership and cooperation.

E. Sultanov called on the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to support the candidacy of Azerbaijan.

Then the members of the band "Mugham Souls" accompanied by Elnur Mikayilov (kamancha), Kamran Kerimov (Nagar), Alesker Mammadov (tar), Vasif Huseynzade (piano), Shirzad Fataliyev (balaban), Yusif Azizov (bass drum) performed "Sari Gelin", "Rast", "Shur", "Bayati-Shiraz" and "Bayati Kurd".

The participants were presented with the special issue dedicated to the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan inscribed on the UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, prepared by the Ministry of Culture's and IRS magazine.

Then the participants tasted the national cuisine of Azerbaijan.