Agaverdi Khalil, Head of the Department of Ritual Folklore and National Culinary Tradition at the ANAS Institute of Folklore, Doctor of Philological Sciences and Associate Professor, has given an interview to the Oxu24.com news portal.

The interview focuses on the origins of the dance “Uzundere” and attempts to misrepresent the intangible cultural heritage of Azerbaijan. During the interview, the scholar discussed the scientific basis for the dissemination of folklore traditions among different peoples, emphasizing that attempts to appropriate Azerbaijani folklore differ fundamentally from the normal processes of cultural interaction and exchange. He noted that the toponymy, musical structure and ceremonial functions of the dance “Uzundere” provide important scholarly evidence confirming its Azerbaijani origin.

Agaverdi Khalil further noted that the most effective response to attempts to falsify the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan was to rely on scholarly research, archival documents and evidence drawn from authoritative international sources.

The full text of the interview is available via the link below.