Azernews.Az

An exhibition celebrating the 900th anniversary of architect Ajami Nakhchivani, part of UNESCO's anniversaries program, has opened at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, Azernews reports.

The exhibition was organized with the support of the Azerbaijan National Commission for UNESCO, jointly by Azerbaijan's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, the Azerbaijan Union of Architects, and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, in partnership with UNESCO.

The 900th anniversary of Ajami Nakhchivani's birth, included in UNESCO's list of anniversaries for 2024–2025 by the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference, was marked with a ceremony attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, the Permanent Secretariat of the Azerbaijan National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO Secretariat staff, as well as representatives of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the Azerbaijan Union of Architects.

Speaking at the openning ceremony, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev emphasized Ajami Nakhchivani's exceptional place in world architectural heritage. He noted that the Nakhchivan school of architecture founded by Ajami had a significant impact on the development of Near and Middle Eastern architecture. The Ambassador highlighted that Ajami's works, including the Momine Khatun Mausoleum and the Yusif ibn Kuseyir Mausoleum, are rare gems of 12th-century architecture, distinguished by their precision of craftsmanship, perfect symmetry, and ornamental richness, and remain a valuable source of inspiration for architects, scholars, and researchers today.

During his speech, the Ambassador recalled the carpet dedicated to Ajami Nakhchivani by the prominent carpet artist Latif Karimov, which was gifted to UNESCO in 1983 by the National Leader of the Azerbaijani People Heydar Aliyev. He stressed that this was a vivid example of preserving and perpetuating cultural heritage through art. He also underlined that UNESCO's recognition of Ajami Nakhchivani's contributions to universal culture is another important manifestation of the Azerbaijan–UNESCO partnership.

The Permanent Delegate noted that Ajami Nakhchivani's human-centered and harmonious spatial philosophy remains relevant today, and emphasized that the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), to be held in Baku on May 17–22, 2026, will serve as an important platform for international discussion of these values. Abdullayev expressed gratitude to the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO and the Azerbaijan Union of Architects for their support in organizing the event and exhibition.

Following the opening remarks, Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, stated that Ajami Nakhchivani's creativity turned Nakhchivan into a major cultural center of the region. He emphasized that Ajami's architectural heritage preserved local traditions while embodying universal values that transcend time and borders. Ottone also highly valued Azerbaijan's ongoing cooperation with UNESCO in the field of cultural heritage preservation and promotion.

Next, Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, noted that Ajami Nakhchivani's architectural style, rooted in the rich traditions of the Turkic world, stands out for its profound meaning and originality, clearly reflected in monuments such as the Momine Khatun and Yusif ibn Kuseyir mausoleums.

Nigar Rahimli, representative of the Azerbaijan National Commission for UNESCO, emphasized the importance of including Ajami Nakhchivani's 900th anniversary in UNESCO's 2024–2025 anniversaries program. She noted that his creativity significantly influenced not only Azerbaijani but also Near Eastern architecture. She stressed that the exhibition at UNESCO Headquarters highlights the importance of presenting the great architect's legacy to a wider audience and underlines the necessity of its preservation.

Later, Rasim Babakishiyev, Honored Architect of Azerbaijan and Secretary of the Azerbaijan Union of Architects, underlined that architectural monuments are among the most convincing proofs of the history of nations and states. He expressed pride in Azerbaijan's rich architectural heritage and highlighted the special attention paid by President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva to the preservation and restoration of architectural monuments both domestically and internationally. Babakishiyev emphasized that Ajami Nakhchivani's works, such as the Momine Khatun and Yusif ibn Kuseyir mausoleums, are distinguished by high professionalism and engineering precision, and their survival to this day is due to this mastery.

The event continued with the presentation of a book published with the support of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the Azerbaijan Union of Architects, dedicated to the 900th anniversary of Ajami Nakhchivani's birth. At the end, guests were offered dishes of Azerbaijani national cuisine.

The exhibition at UNESCO Headquarters will remain open until December 19, 2025.