SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, September 6. A roundtable dedicated to International Gastronomy Day has been held in Shusha with the joint organization of the State Tourism Agency, the Shusha City State Reserve Department, and the Azerbaijan National Culinary Center, TurkicWorld reports.
Culinary representatives from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, which are considered the main target tourism markets among Islamic countries, took part in the event.
Director of Shusha City School No. 1 Sabina Gozalova spoke at the event about the history of the city and notable musicians born in Shusha, a historic and cultural center of Azerbaijan.
She highlighted that Shusha, as the capital of the Karabakh Khanate, played a significant political, cultural, and strategic role in Azerbaijan's history.
Gozalova emphasized that the heroic Azerbaijani Army, led by the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, liberated Shusha from the occupation.
According to her, the rapid restoration work on the cultural capital of Shusha, including the restoration and commissioning of historical, cultural, and religious monuments, deserves commendation.
Head of the Gastronomy Department at the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau, Sakina Asgarova, presented a video on "Azerbaijan as a Tourist Destination".
Professor Umar Farooq from Pakistan's University of Agriculture delivered a speech on the topic "Pakistani Gastronomy and National Cuisine".
Iranian expert Mona Shahbazi spoke about the potential for gastronomic tourism in Islamic countries, and Jahongir Azamov representing the State Committee for Tourism Development of Uzbekistan shared insights into Uzbekistan's rich cuisine, culture, and traditions.
Professor Huseyin Pamukcu from Turkish Afyon Kocatepe University briefed on Turkish and regional cuisine.
Pamukcu highlighted the close cooperation between Islamic countries in the culinary field and described the ongoing projects in this area as crucial steps.
The roundtable concluded with a Q&A session involving the experts.
