Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The Centenarians' Creativity Festival organized by the Culture and Tourism Ministry will be held in Lerik region of Azerbaijan on September 8.

The event is aimed to promote the republic as the land of long-livers, identify and promote the creative potential of the elderly and to strengthen inter-regional cultural exchange. The festival will be held for the first time in the history of independent Azerbaijan.

The festival is held in Lerik, as it is one of the country's regions where centenarians live and the only Museum dedicated to centenarians is located there. One more reason of holding the festival in this region is enhancing the tourism potential of the region.

The festival will include events like performing performance of Mugham, Ashig music, dancing, crafts, crafts and fine art.

The festival will be attended by the creative people from several regions of Azerbaijan: Lankaran, Balakan, Ismailli, Lerik, Astara, Masalli, Yardimli, Jalilabad, Bilasuvar and Salyan. Centenarians folk groups, people's and honored artists, aged over 70 will show their talents at the event.

The guests of the festival will also enjoy a film about long-livers called "A life that does not fit in a century". The participants will also have a chance to take part at the Plov (national meal, made from rice) festival jointly held with National Center for cooking, aimed to promote Azerbaijani cuisine.

Of course, amid our current environmental troubles, it is difficult to live a long and healthy life. However, there are many centenarians in the world especially among people who lived far from the big cities, in the mountains, where the air is clean and fresh, and the water of mountain streams full of medicinal qualities.

The topic of the longevity is very peculiar to Azerbaijan, which is the lullaby of antiquity. At the end of the last century unique cases of longevity were reported on the territory of Azerbaijan.

Lerik, famous for its majestic mountains covered by forests, fast-flowing rivers and high waterfalls is also very proud of its centenarians. A place you should visit for sure is the museum dedicated to centenarians, where you will be ensure about existence of these phenomenon people.

Here you can get familiar with information and photographs of more than 50 of Lerik's centenarians. Some 40 photographs made by French photographer Frederic Lashop are exhibited in the museum.

Information about such Azerbaijan's centenarian as Mahmud Eyvazov (1808 - 1960) 152 years old man is also available in the museum.

He was a centenarian of Lerik region according to whom, his success of longevity lies in the way of his life. "I never drink, smoke and lie," he used to say.

Here you can also find information about Majid Aghayev who lived 136 years, the 128-year-old Abdul Huseinov, Molla Hasrat Melikov who lived 125 years and the 120-year-old Nani Ahmadova.