Famous French photographer visits Azerbaijan’s Lachin, Nakhchivan regions PHOTO

The famous French photographer, writer, and director Gregory Herpe visited Lachin and Nakhchivan as part of his trip to Azerbaijan.

The trip, organized by the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France, started from the city of Lachin under reconstruction now, the press service of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora told Caliber.Az.

Gregory Herpe, calling the restoration and creative work done by the Azerbaijani state in a short time in Lachin a grandiose project, admitted that everything he saw in the renovated city touched and delighted him. He spoke about the return of residents to Lachin, and the revival of life there, adding that the city could soon play host to various international festivals and events.

The photographer also visited Nakhchivan, where he got acquainted with such historical, cultural, and religious monuments as the Nakhchivangala, Noah's tomb, the Ashabi-Kahf, Gamigaya, the Alinja fortress, the Momina Khatun mausoleum, the Heydar Aliyev mosque, the Heydar Aliyev museum, and left a note in the books of honoured guests in the ancient Azerbaijani city. The photographer also took pictures of the famous Batabat Lake and the Duzdag Physiotherapy Center.

Gregory Herpe thanked the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora for organizing the trip. The guest was accompanied on the trip by the Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani House in Paris organization, the project manager of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France Mehri Guliyeva, employees of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora Arif Abbasov and Aydin Mahmudov.

Earlier, the French photographer made trips to Karabakh in 2021 and 2022, which was also organized by the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France with the support of the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora. During his trips, he took pictures of samples of Azerbaijan’s historical and cultural heritage destroyed as a result of the 30-year-long Armenian occupation, the work carried out by Azerbaijan to restore, build, and mine clearing.

Those photographs were shown at the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Paris and the Altiero Spinelli building of the European Parliament at exhibitions respectively entitled "Karabakh: In peacetime" and "Karabakh after the war".

The photographer, who is one of the modern representatives of the world of fine arts, was born on February 25, 1969, in France. He is a photojournalist for Polaris Images in New York and Sopa Images in Hong Kong. Previously, he worked as a journalist and editor-in-chief in the media in France and England.

Currently, he regularly collaborates with several NGOs in France. His photographic works were shown in Paris, Cannes, Barcelona, Bristol, Boston, San Diego, Zurich, Athens, Strasbourg, and other cities. He is a winner of several prestigious international awards.

As an actor, director, and writer, he has directed theatrical performances in Europe and published numerous literary works in France and Canada.

Having visited Azerbaijan in 2019, the photographer shared his delightful impressions of the Azerbaijani capital city in the British edition of London Street Art Design magazine.

“If you love architecture and design, then Baku is the right place for you. Walking through this ancient city, you can't help but fall in love with the many architectural styles," he wrote.

Simultaneously, during the 44-day Patriotic War, he made statements and prepared materials supporting Azerbaijan.