Nowruz was solemnly celebrated at UNESCO

Nowruz was celebrated at the UNESCO Headquarters jointly by Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan on March 17, 2022.

The event began with a group photo of the Ambassadors of the Nowruz countries.

Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, spoke at the ceremony as the head of the organizing committee. He spoke about the Nowruz holiday, its moral significance and the preservation of Nowruz traditions in each of the 12 countries.

Ambassador Santiago Irazabal Mourão, President of the UNESCO General Conference, was the guest of honor at the event. He thanked the Azerbaijani delegation for organizing the event, noting how Nowruz sends a beautiful and important message in today's world, which is still trying to recover from the pandemic as well as plays the role of a bridge between past and future. PGC stressed that power of the culture is necessary.

Then Deputy Director-General of UNESCO Xing Gu noted the essence of Nowruz, which was included in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO in 2009, because it unites different people, reflects universal values ​​such as peace and solidarity, and is an example of national identity passed down from generation to generation.

Attending the event, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay greeted everyone and congratulated them on Nowruz holiday. She said that despite the difficult times for people living in different parts of the world, this beautiful holiday is a symbol of renewal, dreams, awakening of nature, meetings with our families and friends, and hope. Afterwards, the Director General approached the holiday tables prepared by the countries and got acquainted with them.

After the official part of the event, musicians from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan performed their national music and dance.

Azerbaijan was represented at the cultural event with the musical pieces such as "Sari Gelin", "Bahar gizi", "Heyva Gulu" accompanied by oud and drums. Talented Azerbaijani living in France Saddam Novruzbeyov performed in Balaban.

The concert program was accompanied by a reception featuring national dishes of 12 countries.

It should be noted that due to the pandemic, Nowruz events have been postponed in UNESCO for the last two years, and this year, after a two-year hiatus, it was initiated by Azerbaijan.