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Laman Ismayilova

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The 9th meeting of the Council of Directors of TURKSOY State Theatres member states has been held in Shusha.

The meeting was organized within the 1st TURKSOY International Theatre Festival in Shusha and Baku, Azernews reports.

The theatre festival is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev and the announcement of the city of Shusha as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2023.

The festival also marks the 150th anniversary of the Azerbaijani professional national theatre and the 30th anniversary of TURKSOY (International Organization of Turkic Culture).

Before the meeting, the guests got acquainted with the sights and picturesque nature of Shusha city. The delegation was briefed about the history of the city and Shusha Castle.

Shusha Castle is considered one of the city's most iconic monuments. The historical core was named "Panahabad fortress".

In 1753, Panah Ali Khan enacted a decree on the reconstruction of Shusha Castle amid unfavorable geographical position of Bayat and Shahbulag castles. So, the center of the Garabagh khanate was transferred to Shusha Castle.

The castle has a strategically favorable location. The monument is constructed in the Arran style of architecture. Mainly, the local stone, lime, and yolk mixture were used in the construction of the Shusha castle. During the occupation, the fortress walls were subjected to Armenian vandalism.

Shusha Castle walls were built with four gates. The main gate was facing north towards the road to Ganja, and was therefore named Ganja Gate.

The Ganja Gate bears architectural importance and is often mentioned among other significant 279 attributes of the Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve.

A battle tower is placed on the walls of the fortress every 50 metres. During the attack of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, the walls of the fortress collapsed as a result of artillery fire.

The guide of the Shusha State Nature Reserve also spoke about other historical and natural sites in Shusha, including Khan Gizi Spring, the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque, the Mehmandarovs’ Mansion, and the Gazanchi Church.

The guests then visited the Molla Panah Vagif Moseum-Complex and shared their thoughts about the common literary values.

During the excursion, information was also given about the damage caused to Azerbaijan's cultural monuments during the Armenian occupation. Large-scale restoration work started here after the liberation of Shusha city. At the end of the tour, the delegation admired the view to the picturesque landscapes from Jydyr Duzu.

Furthermore, a joint declaration was signed at the 9th meeting of the Council of Directors of TURKSOY State Theatres.

The document envisages an expansion of cooperation between Turkic peoples in the field of theatrical art, including the exchange of experience.

The 10th meeting of the Council of Directors of TURKSOY State Theatres will be held in the city of Anev in Turkmenistan. The city has been announced as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2024.

Note that TURKSOY has its roots in meetings during 1992 in Baku and Istanbul, where the ministers of culture from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkiye, and Turkmenistan declared their commitment to cooperate in a joint cultural framework.

The International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY is the UNESCO of the Turkic World and was established in 1993 upon the signature of its founding agreement by the Ministers of Culture of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkiye.

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

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