BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. On May 8, 2026, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan jointly organized the presentation ceremony of the book “The Genius of Azerbaijani Architectural Heritage”, dedicated to the 900th anniversary of architect Ajami Nakhchivani, as well as commemorative postage stamps TurkicWorld reports.
The event was held in accordance with the relevant Decrees of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, on celebrating the 900th anniversary of the outstanding architect Ajami Nakhchivani and declaring 2026 the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, recalled the words of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, whose birth anniversary will be commemorated in two days: “The stronger the cooperation among Turkic states, the stronger our peoples will become".
She noted that the projects implemented by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, including the presented publication, serve precisely this idea - further strengthening the unity of Turkic peoples around shared cultural values.
According to the President of the Foundation, on December 15, 2025, at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, the 900th anniversary of Ajami Nakhchivani was celebrated internationally within the framework of the Turkic Language Family Day. During the event, the book was presented and an exhibition reflecting the rich creative legacy of the great architect was organized.
She also emphasized the special role of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan and everyone involved in preparing the publication, expressing her gratitude to them.
Continuing the official speeches, Chairman of the Board of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan Elbay Gasimzade stated that Ajami Nakhchivani is one of the most prominent architects in Azerbaijani architecture and the founder of the Nakhchivan architectural school.
A video address by Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, was then presented.
Within the framework of the event, speeches were delivered by Member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture Polad Bulbuloglu, President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Isa Habibbayli, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Saadat Yusifova, as well as the author of the book “The Genius of Azerbaijani Architectural Heritage", Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture Rahiba Aliyeva, who highlighted the scientific and artistic significance of the publication.
The event continued with an artistic program.
