From August 31 to September 3, the rich culture, culinary, and artistic gems of Azerbaijan were presented to the Albanian audience in Tirana.
On the first day of the event, an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the national leader Heydar Aliyev was opened at the National Museum of Tirana. It provided visitors with an insight into the remarkable life and diverse heritage of the national leader. In addition, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation presented the photo exhibition "Architect of Progress", while the National Art Museum of Azerbaijan displayed works of our famous artists. The National Carpet Museum of Azerbaijan displayed exquisite carpets, and visitors were able to explore Azerbaijan through virtual reality (VR) devices.
On the same day, the treasures of our national music graced the audience in Tirana's Skanderbeg Square. Under the artistic direction of People's Artist Fakhreddin Karimov, the Chamber Orchestra performed with People's Artists Fidan Hajiyeva and Azer Zeynalov, as well as Honored Artists Ramil Gasimov, Inara Babayeva, Elvin Ganiyev, Sadaf Budagova, and Ibrahim Babayev. The concert was attended by the Albanian Minister of Culture, Elva Margariti, foreign ambassadors in Albania and other officials.
The following day, the rhythm group "Natig" and the dance ensemble "Mirvari" gave a lively performance. The local audience enthusiastically received compositions such as "Gavaldash", "Karabagh", "Yanardagh", "Mehriban", "Sari Galin", and others and actively participated in the dances. The splendid fusion of our music and dance was accompanied by a visual journey through the history of Azerbaijan, its geography, our national carpets, shabaka art, and captivating views of Icherisheher, Shusha, and Jidir plains, all displayed on the stage monitor, which attracted the attention of the audience.
On the final day of the event, the Azerbaijani cinematic masterpiece "Arshin Mal Alan" was screened. This cinematic gem, originally produced in 1945, was restored in color format in the heart of the global film industry, Hollywood, with the initiative and support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The screening was held at the Reja "The Cloud" Pavilion in Tirana.
On September 2, the Buta ensemble, led by People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan Anvar Sadigov and Honorary Artist Emil Afrasiyab, performed an ethno-jazz concert at Tirana's Italian Square. The group fused tradition with modernity and performed blended improvisations in various genres.
As part of the Culture Week of Azerbaijan and on the initiative of the National Culinary Center of the State Tourism Agency, samples of our national cuisine, garlands of our national sweets, and various promotional materials were presented to the local residents at Skanderbeg Square.
Within the framework of the Culture Days, the Azerbaijani delegation held meetings with the Albanian Minister of Culture, Elva Margariti, the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and the Director of the National Library of Albania, Piro Misha, and discussed the prospects of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
