Novruz festival celebrated at UNESCO headquarters

Azerbaijan and 12 other countries jointly celebrated Novruz at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Azerbaijan's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO told Report that Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, India, Mongolia, and Pakistan joined Azerbaijan as organizers of the event.

At the opening, Tajikistan's Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dilshod Kamolzada Rahimi, who spoke on behalf of all 13 states, emphasized the spiritual significance of Novruz and stated that it is the most important example of cultural heritage uniting all peoples who celebrate this holiday.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in France, diaspora organizations, and other guests also participated in the event.

Following the official part, participating countries presented a rich program consisting of national music and dance performances.

A fashion show of a national clothing collection created by Azerbaijani designer Leyla Babazade was a special highlight of the cultural segment.

Babazade is known as a designer and creative researcher inspired by Azerbaijan's cultural heritage. The foundation of her work is the study of ancient ornaments and symbolic forms, and their reinterpretation from a modern aesthetic perspective. At the same time, each garment is presented as a bearer of history, memory, and cultural identity.

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan also made their cultural presentations.

Guests were able to taste traditional dishes from various cuisines. Azerbaijani cuisine was represented by dolma, plov, and gutabs.

The Novruz holiday was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage back in 2009.