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Laman Ismayilova

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An event titled "A City Woven from National Motifs: The Culture of Urban Planning" has been held at the NGO Agency's pavilion in the Urban Expo as part of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, AzerNEWS reports.

Held by Sönməz Məşəl Cultural Relations Public Union, the event was attended by cultural figures, experts, poets, artists, foreign guests, and members of the public.

Moderating the event, the chairperson of the Public Union, Shahla Nagiyeva, stated that a city is not only about architecture and infrastructure, but also a space of memory, identity, emotion, and culture.

She noted that the concept of a "city woven with national motifs" symbolizes the importance of preserving cultural heritage in the process of urban development.

One of the event's main features was the combination of intellectual discussions with live artistic creativity. Alongside the panel discussions, artworks created by various artists on the themes of city, culture, and identity were exhibited, while poets presented poetic pieces inspired by those works.

During the panel discussion titled "The Role of Culture in Urban Development," writer Sahila Yaya spoke about the importance of culture in shaping sustainable urban life, strengthening social ties, and transforming cities into more humane spaces.

In another panel, Gudrat Ismayilzade delivered a speech on "The Image of the City in Literature and the Formation of Urban Culture," emphasizing the role of literature and poetry in preserving the emotional and historical memory of cities.

In the artistic part of the event, poets Rabiga Nazimgizi, Jale Ismayil, Gunel Khazal, Aysel Karim, and Feyziyya recited poems dedicated to the exhibited paintings.

American poet Alison Mandaville joined the event online and presented a poem dedicated to one of the artworks. She also served as a simultaneous translator of the works created during the event, demonstrating the unifying power of intercultural communication and art.

Later, the poem was recited in Azerbaijani translation.

The participants of the event agreed that the ideas of the project should continue in the future through various cultural and digital platforms.