BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 18. An exhibition
entitled “Heritage in Stitches: A Journey Through Embroidery and
Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” opened at the Heydar Aliyev
Center, Trend
reports.
The First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mehriban
Aliyeva, and the Assistant to the President of the Republic of
Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, attended the opening of the
exhibition.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Assistant to the President of
the Republic of Azerbaijan and Director of the Heydar Aliyev
Center, Anar Alakbarov, said that the centuries-old friendly and
fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan had been
successfully developing, in recent years in particular, on the
basis of personal relations between President Ilham Aliyev and
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Noting that cultural ties have a
special place in Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations, the Assistant to
the President recalled the successful organization of culture days
of the two countries.
Emphasizing that this exhibition was further evidence of
friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries, Anar
Alakbarov said, “The Heydar Aliyev Center has become a platform for
international conferences and exhibitions. We would like to express
our gratitude to the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan and
President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, for
supporting the event. Today, thanks to the Assistant to the
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, and the
Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan, we are
holding the first event dedicated to Uzbekistan at the Heydar
Aliyev Center. Yesterday, there was a fantastic ballet performance
“Lazgi. Dance of soul and love”. This is a dance that has been
included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list. As you know, Novruz
holidays will be celebrated next week. During these festive days,
visitors will be able to review the exhibition that opened today,
as well as the installation by Daniel Wurzel “Air Fountain”, which
was presented in the run-up to this exhibition.
Speaking at the event, the Assistant to the President of
Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, expressed her satisfaction with the
visit to Azerbaijan and the organization of the exhibition in the
country. “A large-scale exhibition “Heritage in Stitches: A Journey
Through Embroidery and Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” is opening
at the Heydar Aliyev Center today. This exhibition is not just a
collection of arts and crafts, it is a living testimony to the rich
diversity of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage, an embodiment of its
historical depth and cultural evolution”.
Noting that Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan had a unique historical
connection, Saida Mirziyoyeva emphasized that both states were the
embodiment of centuries-old history and rich cultural traditions.
“Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan share many common moments in history,
culture and traditions. Both nations are famous for their
hospitality, rich national cuisine and a huge heritage of folk
crafts such as embroidery, wood carving and ceramics. Let this
significant event become yet another bridge between our peoples and
a testimony of common aspiration for beauty and harmony,” the
Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan concluded.
After the speeches, the First Vice President of Azerbaijan,
Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan,
Saida Mirziyoyeva, familiarized themselves with the exhibitions
“Azerbaijani Carpet – A Dance of Loops” and “A Doll in Art”’
prepared with support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
The collection of carpets was prepared in eight years. The
carpets demonstrated in the exhibition are “Creation”, “Shikargah”,
“Khan’s Hunt”, “War and Peace”, “Bendi-rumi”, “Shabakali”, “Adam
and Eve”, “Aghajli”, “Narli”, “Gollu”, “Lechek-turunj”, “Four
Seasons”, “Taghli”, “Jamadet”, as well as “Birds of Paradise” and
“A Paradise Garden”. The carpets have breathed a new life into the
ancient art of carpet weaving and aroused interest as unique
samples of art.
The exhibition “A Doll in Art” features more than 200 dolls.
Most of the works of art presented in the exhibition are made in a
single copy and have great artistic value. Many of these works have
won international puppet festivals and biennales.
Then, Mehriban Aliyeva and Saida Mirziyoyeva cut a ribbon
symbolizing the opening of the exhibition “Heritage in Stitches: A
Journey Through Embroidery and Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” and
were familiarized with the exposition.
The exhibition held jointly with the Art and Culture Development
Foundation of Uzbekistan, displays more than 140 samples of
decorative and applied arts from the museum collection of this
country. The exposition dedicated to cultural and historical
heritage and national costumes of Uzbekistan reflects the revival
of crafts characteristic of this country in the 19-20th centuries.
Gold embroidery patterns of Bukhara have always occupied a special
place among art forms of Uzbekistan.
The exhibition “Heritage in Stitches: A Journey Through
Embroidery and Sewing Traditions of Uzbekistan” consists of several
sections: gold-embroidered chapans (robes), which represent the
main element of men’s national costume, samples of decorative
embroidery suzani on decorative textiles with predominantly floral
and star motifs from cities such as Tashkent, Jizzak, Samarkand,
Shakhrisabz, Nurata and Bukhara, as well as jewelry made of silver,
turquoise and other precious stones by ancient craftsmen from
Samarkand, Bukhara and Karakalpakstan.
National music of Uzbekistan was performed at the event.
Residents of Baku and visitors to the capital city have the
opportunity to see the exhibition at the Heydar Aliyev Center until
July 1, 2024.