Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The Baku 2015 flame will begin its journey in style as it takes to the skies to arrive at the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, one of the most ancient dwelling locations of Azerbaijan and the first destination of the Journey of the Flame.

Following its capture ceremony in Ateshgah on April 26 where President Ilham Aliyev lit the first torchbearer’s flame, it will now embark on 48 days of consecutive travel to 60 locations in Azerbaijan.

The torch will travel nearly 5,500 km before the cauldron is lit at the Opening Ceremony on 12 June – 47 days later.

Nakhchivan, a landlocked exclave, is no stranger to sporting events having previously hosted the Chess World Cup in 2003 and currently holds the traditional Nakhchivan Open for masters each year as well as the annual Nakhchivan Cup – an International Wrestling Tournament.

The area may be renowned as the homeland of national leader Heydar Aliyev, but folklore tells us that the tomb of the Prophet Noah can also be found here and that there is evidence his arc visited the region.

The Festival of Fire taking place this evening promises to be a spectacular event with locals taking to the streets to join in the celebrations and cheer the ten torchbearers along their route as they carry the flame on its inaugural journey.

Polad Aliyev will commence running the 4.1km route before handing the flame to Afgan Gurbanov, the second of the torchbearers. Ibrahim Musayev. Kanan Asadov, Sahil Rusanov, Tural Gozalov, Farida Hanifayeva, Sakina Ibrahimova and Gulkhanim Jalilova will all run part of the relay with Khanim Khudadanova finishing up .

For further information on the Nakchivan Festival of Fire please visit the website on Baku2015.com/flame

The Torch measures 660mm high. The body of the torch features a pomegranate tree, echoing the Baku 2015 brand. The copper head that protects the flame is also in the form of a pomegranate – its 50 pips representing the number of nations participating in the Games.

150 production team members and 132 vehicles will participate in the Torch Relay. A total of 1,000 torchbearers have been selected for their connection to the regions and their support of the European Games. Baku 2015 Celebrity Ambassadors will attend the relay and regional events. Evening events / Festivals of Fire will be held at 15 locations- Nakhchivan, Lankaran, Jalilabad, Sabirabad, Horadiz,

Guzanli, Berde, Genje, Shemkir, Mingechevir, Sheki, Gebele, Shamakhi, Guba, Gobustan. 44 smaller events / welcome ceremonies will take place in the remaining locations.

The innovative new multi-sports event in Baku will include 20 sports, 16 of which are Olympic, during the 17 days of competition in June 12-28. 6,000 athletes will prove themselves in Azerbaijan’s capital.

Twelve of the sports will offer qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Those sports include Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling.

The United Kingdom, France, Russia, and a number of other countries have already reported their respective delegation figure on the list of participants to come to Baku.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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