Director of the International Mugham Center (IMC), Honored Artist, Associate Professor, Cultural Ambassador of Uzbekistan Sahib Pashazade and Leading Researcher of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, Associate Professor Ilhama Gasabova participated in the seminar and master class on the topic “The Art of Azerbaijani Tar Performance - Tradition of Azerbaijani Ashiq Art and Saz Performance” at the Faculty of Folk Instruments of the Ankara University of Fine Arts and Music at the invitation of the educational institution.

At the seminar Sahib Pashazade gave an extensive report on the traditions of Azerbaijani tar playing, the development of the art of tar playing, the improvement of the tar instrument in Azerbaijan during the 19^th and 20^th centuries and the performance of mughams and composers’ works on the tar.

It should be noted that at the seminar, Ilhama Gasabova provided comprehensive information about Azerbaijani ashiq creativity, the historical stages of development of this art, genre characteristics and poetic system, as well as the essence of the master-student relationship and traditional transmission mechanisms. The role of ashiq art in preserving national and cultural memory, its importance in terms of folklore studies, the scientific and practical activities carried out to preserve it in the modern era were explained in detail during the master class.

At the end of the seminar Sahib Pashazade and Ilhama Gasabova were awarded certificates by the university administration.