The 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku is a significant event for the cultural life of our country. This distinguished event and establishing high-level cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNESCO has resulted due to the intense and multifaceted activities of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva. The development of Azerbaijan-France relations and the creation of the Islamic Art Department in the Louvre Museum in 2012 started a new chapter in the history of both countries cooperation.

Significant measures are being taken in our country to protect and promote cultural heritage samples inscribed within the UNESCO List. The inclusion of Traditional Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art and Kelaghai Art within the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, as well as the construction of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum’s new building, is of special importance to us and are a prime example of cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNESCO.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition Azerbaijan Heritage in Louvre Museum within the framework of the 43rd Session cultural program created unforgettable impressions and took guests on a short journey into the spectacular world of Azerbaijani carpets. The Session participants, representatives of the Ministry of Culture, ambassadors, prominent representatives of science and culture, art and business, and the diplomatic corps were among our distinguished guest. Here, for the first time in our cultural history, late 18th – early 20th-centuries carpets from the Louvre Museum collection were presented to the audience.

Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, Embassy of France in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Louvre Museum, French Institute in Azerbaijan, and Silk Way West Airlines are the exhibition organizers.

This exhibition in Baku marks the beginning of cooperation between the two museums, which will strengthen these ties and serve as an impetus for large-scale projects representing samples of national heritage preserved in both art centers. This project is the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum contribution to the implementation of the State Program for the Preservation and Development of Carpet Art in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2018–2022.

The exhibition will last until 30 September.