Baku event brought together worlds of retro cars, equestrian sports PHOTO

Baku invited its residents and guests of the city to a distinctive celebration on August 30 that combines two distinctive worlds: that of classic automobiles with traditional equestrian art.

The celebrations began with an exhibition of classic cars spread across the Baku Boulevard, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The display featured private vehicles that had registered for participation in the event, as well as several exhibits from the permanent collection that is displayed at the Heydar Aliyev Center.

Visitors could view over 100 vintage cars from different time periods, which reflected the various stages of the global automotive industry development. The displayed cars later set off for a ride throughout the city center on their way to their next destination, the Equestrian Center in the Bina settlement. The parade travelled along the Neftchilar Avenue to the White City, passing the Heydar Aliyev Center and from there along the Heydar Aliyev Avenue.

Leyla Aliyeva, the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, was among the many spectators that were given not only an opportunity to indulge in the beauty of the elegant cars but in a rich cultural program.

In Bina, an exhibition and a video presentation showcased the activities of the automobile and equestrian federations.

A particular highlight of the event was a show titled "Zafar" (English: Victory) that featured Karabakh horses, Azerbaijan's most cherished horse breed. These horses participated this year in the Royal Windsor Horse Show in England for the ninth time, as well as in the Ethnosport Festival in Istanbul.

There was also a demonstration of Azerbaijan's traditional equestrian sport named Chovgan, which is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

In the course of the event, the announcement was made that Baku would be hosted the second Chovgan World Championship next year. As part of the celebration, a friendly match took place between the national teams of Azerbaijan and Italy, ending with a 2-1 victory for the hosts.

The show also included an award ceremony, were participants were presented with prizes in the following categories: “Best Male Rider,” “Best Female Rider,” “Most Unique Car,” “Most Original Car,” “Most Legendary Car,” “Oldest Car,” as well as “Best Cars of the 1950s–1960s and 1970s–1980s.” Awards were also given to visitors that attended dressed in creative retro outfits.

The evening concluded with a musical concert featuring tenors Vittorio Grigolo (Italy) with Yusif Eyvazov (Azerbaijan), soprano Afag Abbasova (Azerbaijan), and popular Romanian singer Minelli.

The open-air event was jointly organized by the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation (AAF) and the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation (ARAF).

The AAF received the “Heritage Preservation Award” in 2024 for organizing a classic car exhibition by FIA, which is the international governing body of motor sport. The Equestrian Federation, for its part, actively works to preserve and promote Karabakh horses.

By Nazrin Sadigova