Culture policy

Home page

Culture policy

Azerbaijanâ€™s ashug music and Novruz holiday included into UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage

30 September 2009 14:53 (UTC +04:00)

He said the activities for including Azerbaijanâ€™s ashug music into the UNESCOâ€™s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage were carried out by Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. For this purpose, file â€œAzerbaijanâ€™s ashug musicâ€ was prepared and presented to UNESCO.

After the file was presented to the UNESCO, Culture and Tourism Ministry prepared a Plan of Activities to promote and develop ashug music. Large-scale activities were carried out to hold roundtable on the implementation of the plan, hold congress of ashugs for restoration of Ashugs Union, organize concerts abroad with participation of ashugs, establish Ashugs Union, give honorary titles, celebrate jubilees of ashugs, print books, teach ashug music in secondary and higher music schools. Due to the joint cooperation of Azerbaijani government and Maison des cultures du Monde company of France, CDs were released in Azerbaijan and France, Azerbaijani ashugs gave concerts in Paris (Louvre Museum) and Strasbourg, were invited to a number of significant events in the country and abroad. Due to the activities carried out by Azerbaijani state, especially UNESCO and ISESCO goodwill ambassador, parliamentarian Mehriban Aliyeva to protect, improve and promote ashug music, Azerbaijanâ€™s ashug music was included into the UNESCOâ€™s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage according to the final decision of UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee at the 4th session of UNESCOâ€™s Intangible Heritage Committee in Abu Dhabi on September 28 â€“ October 2.
â€œDue to the expedient policy pursued by Azerbaijani government we see Azerbaijani ashug music among the examples of the world intangible heritage. It once more proves that ashug music is one of the most ancient examples of Azerbaijanâ€™s cultural heritage,â€ he said.
The spokesman said Novruz holiday was also included into the UNESCOâ€™s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Taking into account that Novruz holiday is marked in a number of countries, it was presented to UNESCO as an example of the international intangible cultural heritage. Mugham was included into the UNESCOâ€™s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003.