Photography school might open in Shusha

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

World-famous photographer Reza Deghati has expressed his hope to create a photography school in Shusha.

"I have worked in more than 100 countries  but I have never seen such a beautiful place as Shusha. The city is very unique and it's necessary to introduce Shusha to the whole world through photography,"  he said at the presentation of the "Shusha talks" project.

"I would also like to create a photo school and hold festivals of photography in Shusha. Thirty years ago the city was under siege. I could hardly walk there. They shot my hat with a sniper. I keep that hat as a reminder of that time," the photographer added.

Famous photographer Reza Deghati has been traveling across the world for over 40 years.

Reza Deghati for the first time visited Azerbaijan in 1987. In 1997, he lived in Azerbaijan for several months and traveled across the country capturing the ordinary people in their everyday life, customs and traditions of various people.

World-famous photographer has always drawn attention to the Black January and Khojaly genocide that befell the Azerbaijani people in the 90s.

He provided insight into the results of  Armenian vandalism, destruction, and other atrocities, which he witnessed in Azerbaijan as a result of Armenian aggression.

As a researcher at the National Geographic Society, Reza Deghati received a number of international awards.

The photographer was awarded the glory medal of the University of Missouri and the title of honorary doctor of the American University of Paris (AUP). For his services, the French government awarded him the National Order of Merit.

In 2013, his exhibition "Azerbaijan - Land of Tolerance" organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation opened at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The same exhibition was shown at UN headquarters in New York and the European Parliament in Brussels.

In 2021, Reza Deghati's open-air exhibition "History of Photos" took place  near Heydar Aliyev Center. The exhibition featured over 100 works by the famous photographer.