Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

The Sofia Opera and Ballet Theater has successfully staged Fikrat Amirov's "One Thousand and One Nights" ballet.

The ballet was presented to the audience on the occasion of the Independence Day of Azerbaijan and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria, Azernews reports, citing the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

Azerbaijani and Bulgarian Foreign Ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Teodora Genchovska respectively, the president of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Gunay Afandiyeva, Bulgarian officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Bulgaria, and numerous spectators attended the event organized with support of the Azerbaijan Embassy in Bulgaria and the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

Speaking at the event, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that the first democratic republic in the Muslim East was the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, proclaimed in 1918 and that in 1991 the country restored its independence and underwent great development over three decades.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan has always been committed to the traditions of multiculturalism, and the ballet performed today is an example of multiculturalism as a joint project of Azerbaijani and Bulgarian artists.

Bulgarian Minister Teodora Genchovska congratulated Azerbaijan on the occasion of Independence Day and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. He stressed that the organization of the gala ballet also contributes to the development of cultural cooperation.

The president of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Gunay Afandiyeva, said that Fikrat Amirov, whose 100th anniversary is widely celebrated this year, is a genius composer not only of Azerbaijan but of the entire Turkic world. She stressed the importance of the ballet in terms of promoting Turkic culture.

The ballet "One Thousand and One Nights" was performed under the baton of the principal conductor of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Ayyub Guliyev.

The ballet performance caused great interest and enthusiastic reception, attracting a full house.

Known in English as the "Arabian Nights", the work is about Scheherazade, a Sassanid Queen, who tells a series of stories to her husband, King Shahryar in order to delay her execution.

The ballet was first staged at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in 1979. In 1980, the ballet was awarded the USSR State Prize.

The ballet's new version was premiered as part of the 5th Mariinsky International Far East Festival in 2020.

More than 300 costumes with hand embroidery were made for the ballet show directed by Honored Art Worker of Russia Eldar Aliyev.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lamiva993