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Laman Ismayilova

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Spring has come, and everything around us has come to life. The sun's rays break through the clouds, chasing away the cold. With the arrival of spring, new life is born, as all living nature awakens at this time.

The Novruz spring feast marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

The Azerbaijan National Art Museum has celebrated the arrival of spring by opening the exhibition "Hello, Novruz," Azernews reports.

Co-organized by the Culture Ministry and the National Art Museum, the exhibition perfectly reflects the traditional values of the Azerbaijani people.

Prominent public figures, heads, and representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Azerbaijan, as well as renowned art and cultural figures.

The museum`s director and the project curator, Honoured Cultural Worker Shirin Malikova, said that the event is timed to coincide with the first harbinger of the spring holiday - Su Chershenbesi (Water Tuesday).

"The exhibition space, which has an interesting concept, is divided into five thematic halls dedicated to Su (water), Od (fire), Yel (wind), and Torpag (soil) Chershenbesi (four pre-holiday Tuesdays, symbolising the elements of the universe), as well as the Novruz holiday itself," the museum director said.

The exhibition aroused great interest among museum visitors; at the entrance to the exhibition halls, they were greeted by an interactive "Tree of Wishes", and everyone could write down their cherished dreams on pieces of paper, which would then be attached to the tree as if enveloping it in green foliage, thereby contributing to exhibition design.

Four Elements of Nature

Around 80 works of decorative, applied, and fine art from the museum's collection were presented as part of the event.

The hall dedicated to Su Chershenbesi (Water Tuesday ) displays ceramic water vessels of the Bronze Age, decorated with geometric patterns, as well as examples of artistic metal of the 19th century, distinguished by the beauty of their forms and exquisite patterns. Here you can see dolcha and sahang jugs, Chiljam ritual bowl, which is also called "Forty Keys", etc.

In the next room, dedicated to Od Chershenbesi (Fire Tuesday), the museum visitors can see samples of ancient ceramics, reflecting the beliefs of the ancestors associated with fire and the sun.

Among them are sophisticated artistic embroideries of the 19th century in various techniques, distinguished by excellent colours and decorated with ornaments and images with the symbolism of the sun; samples of weapons - helmets and shields, as well as other unique examples of art.

The hall dedicated to Yel Chershenbesi (Air Tuesday) showcases examples of decorative art associated with the element of air: an elegant kelagayi (traditional headscarf), graceful fans and a Ney flute.

Continuing the theme of the exhibition, the hall dedicated to Torpag Chershenbesi (Earth Tuesday) is decorated with carpets, artistic embroidery and other types of folk art with ornaments symbolising soil, fertility, and productivity, as well as exhibits related to folk rituals held on this day, which is also called Ilahir Chershenbesi.

The fifth hall reflects the astronomical new year, the spring equinox, the end of winter, and the onset of spring. Here at the museum, visitors can see a colourful interactive khoncha, decorated with the main Novruz attributes.

The main elements of the Novruz holiday are brought to life through photo and video projections.

Before entering the thematic halls of the exhibition "Hello,Novruz!", the visitors enjoy paintings and graphic works by Azim Azimzade, Sattar Bahlulzade, Elmira Shakhtakhtinskaya, and other outstanding Azerbaijani artists dedicated to this ancient spring holiday.

The project "Hello,Novruz!" fully reflects all the attributes and symbols of Novruz. The exhibition will run until April 15, 2024.

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

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