UNESCO headquarters hosts Shadows of Gobustan
By Nigar Orujova
The "Shadows of Gobustan" Ballet and inauguration of a photo-exhibition of Gobustan petroglyphs were successfully held at UNESCO headquarters in Strasbourg on September 17.
The UNESCO headquarters is hosting the Gobustan Week co-organized by Azerbaijan's Permanent Mission to UNESCO, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Culture and Tourism Ministry.
Azerbaijan's First Lady and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova attended the show.
The event brought together representatives of UNESCO Secretariat and UNESCO member states, which enjoyed the famous work of great Azerbaijani composer Faraj Garayev.
First staged in 1969, Shadows of Gobustan is a prominent Azerbaijani work inspired by the unique Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, which was inscribed in the World Heritage List in 2007.
The ballet successfully toured Paris, Nice, Luxembourg, Monte Carlo, Saint Petersburg, Kiev, and other cities.
Azerbaijan's First Lady also met with UNESCO's head at UNESCO office. The significance of the projects jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and UNESCO was highlighted at the meeting.
The importance of the presentation associated with Gobustan at UNESCO was also underscored, and the two sides expressed confidence in developing bilateral relations further.
Bokova expressed her pleasure at seeing presentation of Gobustan - one of the masterpieces of Azerbaijan and world's cultural heritage - at UNESCO.
She also hailed the event as "a moral bridge" and "an important element" of bilateral cooperation.
Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev spoke about the works and projects implemented in the country with the aim of preserving Gobustan - Azerbaijan's national treasure - and handing it down to future generations.
The photo exhibition of Gobustan petroglyphs was held on the same day.
Addressing the meeting, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Alfredo Perez noted the importance of Gobustan in the world cultural heritage.
Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev stressed the role of Gobustan in the cooperation between UNESCO and Azerbaijan, noting that the inclusion of this historical monument in the list of the world heritage organization is very important.
The ancient Gobustan is one of the venues that comes to mind when thinking about Azerbaijan. This must-see place for all the tourists is situated 101 km away from Baku and is one of the most ancient settlements in Azerbaijan.
Gobustan's petroglyphs stand out for their thematic diversity, plot originality, and the artistic skill of their makers.
6,000-year-old rock engravings, the evidence of human habitation 25,000 years ago, inhabited caves, settlements, and burials can all be seen in Gobustan.
Pictures of primitive men, animals, battles, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, sun, and stars are engraved on these weather-beaten stones.
This place also holds a unique energy, because it has been a place of sanctuary and worships for ages.