Country's finest artists gather in Shamakhi

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

"From Regions to Regions" Creativity Festival is underway in the country's regions.

The festival has been already held in Shamkir, Kurdamir, Masalli, Lerik, etc.

This time, the creativity festival has come to Shamakhi and gathered the nation's finest artists, Trend Life reported.

Representatives of the Ministry of Culture, heads of regional departments of culture and artists attended the event.

Festival guests enjoyed performances of "Nagharachalanlar" and "Pirgulu" ensembles.

The festival program also featured the orchestra of folk instruments and choir, "Buta" dance group and much more.

At the same time, the audience was captivated by the performance of students of the children's music school of art.

Also, there was a book corner dedicated to the Year of Nasimi at the festival. It is noteworthy that in connection with the 650th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet Imadaddin Nasimi, President Ilham Aliyev declared 2019 the Year of Nasimi. Various scientific institutions and cultural centers hold a series of events dedicated to the life and work of the great poet.

During the event, an exposition of products of various types of decorative and applied arts was also presented to the festival's guests.

Copper products, household items, artistic embroidery, woodwork, etc. were put on display to promote the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people and demonstrate the cultural potential of the country's regions.

The "From Regions to Regions" project serves to familiarize with the cultural diversity of Azerbaijan’s regions, expansion of cultural ties between them and emergence of new initiatives.

For centuries, Shamakhi was one of Azerbaijan's most prominent cities, an important cultural and trading centre and the residence of the Shirvanshahs (9th-18th centuries).

The "must see" attractions in Shamakhi are Juma mosque with its two minarets built in the 10th century, the mausoleum of Shahihandan and Diri-Baba, the tomb of the Shirvan Khans, the ruins of the Gulistan citadel and the Gala-Bugurt fortress.

The Juma Mosque, also called the Friday Mosque of Shamakhi, dates back to 734-744. Considered the landmark of Shamakhi, it is the only building that withstood giant earthquakes.

Another picturesque area of the city is "Girkh-Bulag"(forty springs), well-known for its impressive springs. To protect the beautiful nature of the region, Pirgulu State Reserve covering 1,521 hectares was established.

The largest astrophysical observatory in Azerbaijan and the whole Caucasus is also located in Pirgulu, Shamakhi. The observatory named after famous Azerbaijani architect, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher Nasreddin Tusi is equipped with modern facilities and one of the largest in the CIS telescope with a mirror diameter of 2 meters.