Deputy Minister: Azerbaijan's Ganja, Baku cities to be included in UNESCO World Book Capital

Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Culture Saadat Yusifova has said that work is underway to declare the cities of Ganja and Baku as UNESCO World Book Capital in the near future.

Yusifova made the remarks at a conference on the theme "Ancient texts and classical sources expose Armenian falsifications and fabrications, or the truths of Zangezur - the ancient Azerbaijani-Turkic lands", held on the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day within the framework of " Year of Heydar Aliyev, Report informs.

According to the deputy minister, the World Book and Copyright Day, established by UNESCO 26 years ago on April 23, is celebrated in more than 100 countries of the world: “Ancient Ganja, which gave the world such a genius as Nizami Ganjavi, as well as the capital Baku are famous for their rich book traditions. Taking into account their potential chances, appropriate work is being carried out so that in the near future these cities will be declared UNESCO World Book Capitals.”

Yusifova noted that books played an exceptional role in shaping the history and culture of mankind: “The Azerbaijani people have a rich literary heritage, rooted in antiquity. Our people gave Azerbaijani and world literature such personalities as Nizami Ganjavi, Fuzuli, Khatai, Vagif, Natavan, Samad Vurgun.”