UNESCO expert on Intangible Cultural Heritage, Coordinator for Central Asian at the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum

Azerbaijan Carpet Museum will bring world professionals in the field of arts and crafts in Baku on October 25-27 to participate in the 3rd International Symposium Common Language of the Turkic World ˗ Patterns on the topic Intersections in Felt. A scientific conference Intersections in Felt comprises three topics ‒ Felt as a Tradition; Felt in Contemporary Art; and Felt as a Fashion Trend. Two thematic exhibitions, workshops, a fair exhibition, and a fashion show will be organized within this symposium.
Dinara Chochunbaeva (Kyrgyzstan), the participants of academic sessions within the symposium, will make a presentation on the theme Kyrgyz Traditional Felt Carpets: Ala-Kiyiz and Shyrdak. She is the member of the Union of Artists of Kyrgyzstan, UNESCO expert on intangible cultural heritage, expert on the development of crafts, and the author of the book Kyrgyz Traditional Felt Carpet Shyrdak. In Kyrgyzstan, as is known, felt art is one of the main folk handicrafts and therefore never completely lost its importance.
Dinara Chochunbaeva, an artist, public figure, and art manager, has brilliantly shown herself in all these areas. Currently, she is the Director of Central Asian Crafts Support Association’s Resource Center in Kyrgyzstan (CACSARC-kg) and coordinator of UNESCO Award of Excellence Program for Central Asia (since 2004). In 2006, she established the Public Foundation Crafts and Traditional Knowledge, the aim of which is to make the inventory of crafts and traditional culture of Central Asian people.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum are the symposium organizers. The symposium aims at the exchange of ideas on the common heritage of the Turkic peoples ‒ felt, as well as research and preservation of this craft’s traditions and customs, the revival of interest in it, and its application in various fields.