Video “The colors of Azerbaijan”

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a Land of ancient culture and old traditions with a diverse nature, natural wealth and centuries-old history. It’s a Land of fires. Since ancient times, this area is known as the place of burning hearths, temples of fire, that we can see even today. According to the legend, Zardusht (Zoroaster) was born on this land, where Zoroastrianism (the religion of fire worship) spread. The very name "Azerbaijan"  means "Land of Eternal Fire".

The main wealth and glory of Azerbaijan is oil. The extraction of oil and gas has made this land famous since ancient times.

Azerbaijan, a large state in the Caucasus, is located at the junction of two continents - Europe and Asia. The capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, is located on the Absheron Peninsula, the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, is the birthplace of the great representatives of Azerbaijan musical culture. Shusha is the birthplace of the great Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the founder of classic Azerbaijani music, who created a synthesis of national musical art with oral traditions and composer creativity. Uzeyir Hajibeyov laid the foundation of the national school of composition. He is the author of the first opera in the Muslim East - the mugham opera "Leyli and Majnun" (1908).

Mugam is one of the ancient cultural brands of Azerbaijan, the main genre of Azerbaijani traditional music. The roots of mugham are in the ritual chants "mugan", the hymns of the Zoroastrian priests, which were widespread until the first millennium BC in the territory of modern Azerbaijan Republic. An important feature of mugham is the improvisation of a metrically free ornamental melody within a certain system, a canon. In 2008 UNESCO recognized mugham as a masterpiece of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind. The international festival "World of Mugham" is regularly held in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is  the fusion of Western and Eastern cultures obviously. Many international music festivals are held here with the participation of artists from abroad, including Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival, International Shostakovich Festival, International Rostropovich Festival, Gara Garayev International Festival of Contemporary Music, Gabala International Music Festival, International Jazz Festival and Khary Bulbul Music Festival in Shusha (Khary Bulbul, the unique flower growing on the slopes of the Shusha mountains,  is a symbol of Shusha).

In 2012 the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Baku. It was a great event, that attracted the international attention to Azerbaijan. In 2015, the first European Games were also held in Baku.  6,000 athletes from all over the world took part in this Games.

The Land of Fire is famous either for its musical culture as for tourism (thermal waters, recreation on the Caspian Sea coast, winter skiing).

There many important historical sights of Baku in the Old City, which is under the protection of UNESCO.