Azerbaijan joins cultural exhibition in Türkiye PHOTO

Azerbaijan’s material and cultural values have been presented as part of a photo exhibition entitled "Cultural Heritage of the Turkic World of the 19th Century" in Istanbul's Yildiz Palace, in Türkiye.

Some 75 photographs from the collection of the Yildiz Palace, taken during the reign of Sultan of Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II, were selected for the exhibition of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Report informs citing Kazinform.

This collection is one of the fullest photo archives in the world, including 918 albums and 36,585 photographs.

The photographs reflect centuries-old examples of architecture in geographic regions stretching from Samarkand to Edirne. These samples have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Among them are the material and cultural monuments of Samarkand, Bukhara, Kokand, Khiva, as well as the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in Baku, the first Abu Menucihr mosque in Anatolia built in Kars, the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan and Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum in Aulie-Ata, as well as monuments of Istanbul, Konya, Ashgabat and many other cities.

The attention of the guests was attracted by the presentation of the book "Turkic Cultural Heritage in the Ottoman Archives", published by the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

President of the Foundation Gunay Efendiyeva said that this photo collection is a special vision at the secrets of the cities of the member states and observers of the Foundation.

“This clearly testifies to the urban planning culture of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Hungary, which has developed since ancient times. This is the discovery of the distinctive features of architectural samples belonging to the Turkic world, as well as the revival of cultural heritage,” she added.

Deputy chairman of the board of national palaces Adnan Gayhan noted that the collection of photographs of the Yildiz Palace not only is a source of knowledge about the ancient Ottoman Empire and the world as a whole, but also a valuable treasure for the Turkic peoples and a universal cultural heritage.

Exhibitors emphasised that the art of photography experienced a golden age during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The Yildiz Palace itself has a big collection of photographs reflecting the cultural heritage of various countries, including the Turkic Islamic civilisation, which has preserved a common history, language, religion, cultural values and traditions from time immemorial.