Minister welcomes Azerbaijani instrument tar's inclusion in UNESCO list
By Nigar Orujova
Inclusion of music featuring Azerbaijani national instrument tar into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is of particular importance, Culture Minister Abulfas Garayev said on Tuesday during an event held on this occasion.
Music of tar, one of the anicent stringed intruments, was included in the UNESCO list during the seventh session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Paris on December 3-7.
"Azerbaijani tar, which is the Azerbaijani musical foundation, is now preserved by humanity and has entered the intangible cultural heritage list," Garayev said. "Every notion added recently to the UNESCO Representatives List is very important for us. The UNESCO list already includes Novruz holiday, Azerbaijani mugham, Azerbaijani ashug art and Azerbaijani carpet. These are all the kinds of art created by Azerbaijani people."
Today Azerbaijani tar occupies a worthy place in national music, and in the XX-XXI century Azerbaijani music pallette, the minister said.
The UNESCO session declared to hold the eighth session of the Committee, as well as the tenth anniversary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Baku on December 2-8, 2013. The next session of the Committee will be chaired by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, which was established in 2008, when the mentioned Convention took effect, aims to draw attention to the importance of better protection of such cultural heritage samples worldwide and to ensure public awareness on their significance.