A meeting dedicated to discussing prospects for cooperation between the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration and the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) was held. Alongside the staff of the Institute of Folklore, the event was attended by Chairman of the Board of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration Rufat Mahmud, Member of the Board Aytaj Alisultanli, Deputy Chief of Staff Rana Nasirova-Mustafayeva, Director of the Museum Center Murad Mirzayev and Director of the Scientific-Cultural Center Vafa Guliyeva.

During the meeting the guests were provided with detailed information about the areas of activity, structural divisions, research projects and publications of the Institute of Folklore. The representatives then visited the Institute’s departments and exchanged views on ongoing research and future scientific directions.

The discussions focused on opportunities for cooperation in researching, preserving and presenting the rich historical and cultural heritage of Icherisheher within a folklore context, using modern approaches and methodologies.

In his remarks Doctor of Sciences in Philology, Director of the Institute of Folklore Hikmat Guliyev mentioned that Icherisheher was a unique cultural space distinguished not only by its architectural monuments, but also by its centuries-old folklore memory, urban legends, narratives, traditional patterns of behavior and cultural practices. He noted that the systematic collection, scholarly study and dissemination of this heritage to wider audiences through modern communication technologies were of great importance.

The meeting also addressed prospects for cooperation in collecting folklore materials related to historical monuments and the urban environment, integrating them into academic discourse, presenting them through digital humanities approaches and promoting cultural heritage through new technological solutions.

Chairman of the Board of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration Rufat Mahmud highly appreciated the significance of the meeting and stated that the scientific potential of the Institute of Folklore could play an important role in advancing cooperation.

He noted that the approaches presented by Hikmat Guliyev in his presentation “Reactualizing the Folklore Memory of Icherisheher: Digital Solutions and Innovative Presentation Models” not only meet the demands of the modern era, but also opened new perspectives for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties agreed to expand cooperation in scientific research, cultural heritage preservation, digitization and promotion, as well as to implement joint projects in these areas.