The academic seminar was held at the Department of Western Azerbaijan Folklore of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS. Along with the department staff, employees of the Departments of Digital Folklore and Artificial Intelligence, as well as Ashiq Creativity, also participated in the seminar.

Leading researcher of the Department of Western Azerbaijan Folklore, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology and Associate Professor Aynur Huseynova, made a presentation titled “The Novruz Ceremonial Cuisine in Western Azerbaijan: Traditional Heritage and Modern Transformations”.

The report provided a scholarly and theoretical analysis of the specific features of the Novruz holiday in the Western Azerbaijan region, including its ceremonial cuisine, belief system and the transformations these traditions have undergone in the modern era. Novruz, one of the ancient national and cultural values of the Azerbaijani people, was examined from the perspective of its regional characteristics and cultural continuity.

Associate Professor Aynur Huseynova also presented a detailed analysis of the rich Novruz ceremonial cuisine and tray-decoration traditions of Western Azerbaijan. The speaker noted that the restoration and transmission of this unique culinary heritage and fading national dishes through digital platforms and family traditions carry significant scholarly and practical importance in the context of preserving national identity and ethnic distinctiveness for future generations.

The seminar continued with academic discussions related to the presented report.