On June 21-23, 2024, the "Return to West Azerbaijan" festival-congress was held in the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan with the joint organization of the authorized representation of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Nakhchivan State University and the West Azerbaijan Community. The official opening ceremony of the festival-congress took place in Zangezur National Park, Batabat plateau. At the plenary and section meetings of the event held at Nakhchivan State University, reports of scientists about West Azerbaijan were heard and opinions were exchanged.

Employees of ANAS Folklore Institute also participated in the festival-congress. The reports were made by different scientists such as “Toponyms in West Azerbaijani folklore” by PhD., associate professor Nigar Hasanova, “Traditions of Western Azerbaijan” by PhD Aposh Valiyev, “Epic, lyrical substitution in the Agbaba-Shoreyel folklore development structure” by PhD Tahir Nasib, ‘Marriage rituals in the Western Azerbaijani culture from Amasya and Nakhchivan to Yerevan” by PhD, associate professor Maleyka Mammadova.

Within the framework of the festival-congress, the Olympiad “Return to Western Azerbaijan” was held among schoolchildren. Scientists working in different scientific and educational centers of Azerbaijan were invited to the Expert Council of Olympiad.  Leading researcher of the Department of Folklore of Turkic Peoples of ANAS Folklore Institute, PhD, associate professor Leman Suleymanova was also represented in the Council of Experts in all three rounds of the Olympiad. It should be noted that the first and second rounds of the Olympiad were held in Baku and the third round was held in Nakhchivan State University.  

Afag Mustafayeva, head of the Documentary Department of the Institute, took part in the organizational work of festivals and presented the exhibits from her personal archive to the exhibition from the West Azerbaijan region. Folklore examples, traditions, national cuisine and other values of the region were promoted at the “Return to Western Azerbaijan” festival held in Zangazur National Park, Batabat plateau. The stalls set up separately for each district, national costumes, food, agricultural and weaving tools, daily household items and carpets exhibited in those stalls created a pleasant atmosphere among the festival participants.

The festival-congress “Return to Western Azerbaijan” concluded on the 23^rd of June with the awarding and closing ceremony.