Acting Deputy Secretary General Saky Sadykov took part at the Conference on “Study and Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Turkic World from the Perspective of UNESCO” held on 14-15 March 2024 at ADA University in Baku.
The conference was co-organized by the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO, the Turkic Academy, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the Institute for Development and Diplomacy of the ADA University.
The two-day event dedicated to the study and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic world brought together representatives of Turkic Cooperation Organizations, Turkic States' National Commissions for UNESCO, international organizations, cultural heritage departments under the Turkic states’ ministries of culture, scientists, academic figures as well as experts specialized in Turkic cultural heritage.
The conference featured welcome and opening remarks, thematic sessions and roundtable discussions. The participants underlined the importance of cooperation among the Turkic states in the field of preserving the Turkic historical and cultural heritage and supporting the creation of the necessary mechanisms to strengthen this interaction.
Opening session of the conference was addressed by Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Adil Karimli, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) Sultan Raev, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev, Chairman of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO Öcal Oguz, President of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History Derya Örs, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the Board of Administration of State Historical and Architectural Reserve “Icherisheher” Shahin Seyidzade as well as by the President of the UNESCO General Conference Simona-Mirela Michulescu through a video message.
Acting Deputy Secretary General Saky Sadykov also delivered a speech at the conference. In his speech, Saky Sadykov emphasized the importance of preserving and popularizing the Turkic cultural heritage, in particular the disappearing traditions and customs, which are the core of nomadic civilization in the current era of globalization. He recalled the “World Nomad Games” as a large-scale historical event, which includes all the spiritual, cultural and historical rituals belonging to the nomadic peoples of the Turkic world. He added that thanks to the joint efforts and mutual support, the Turkic world would be able to preserve and pass on this valuable heritage to the future generations.
An exhibition of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences dedicated to the 950th anniversary of the Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk, a compendium of the Turkic dialects compiled in 1072–74 by the Turkic scholar Mahmud Kashgari, was also organized within the framework of the event.
