Mugham Center receives international status

The Mugham Center is the first cultural institution in Azerbaijan to be awarded "international" status by legislation, Azernews reports citing the Culture Ministry.

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, continuously pays attention to the development of culture in all its aspects, just like in other areas of national life.

At the same time, important work is carried out, with the initiative and support of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, to improve the social conditions of cultural figures and to expand their creative opportunities.

As a continuation of these efforts, the decision of the Azerbaijan Cabinet of Ministers dated October 22, 2024, has granted international status to the International Mugham Center operating under the Culture Ministry in Baku.

This new status will contribute to improving the financial well-being of the people working at the center, which has been one of the leading concert institutions in Baku for many years.

The Mugham Center was established on the initiative of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, in accordance with the presidential decree dated April 6, 2005.

The center, which laid its foundation that same year and is known as one of Baku's unique architectural projects, opened its doors in 2008.

The design of the building was based on the elements and shapes of the tar, an Azerbaijani musical instrument used in performing mugham. The center was built with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

It is also noteworthy that with the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated October 21, 2024, amendments have been made to the "Rules for granting special statuses to cultural institutions" and to the "Additions specified to the monthly salary of employees of cultural institutions that have obtained special status," which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers' decision numbered 382 on October 5, 2016.

With this decision, the corresponding sections and parts of the "Rules for granting special statuses to cultural institutions," approved on October 5, 2016, have been amended to include the word "international" after the word "academic" where applicable.

The Mugham Center regularly organises large-scale music festivals and concerts by highly acclaimed cultural figures.

The Center also takes important steps towards bolstering cultural ties with Turkiye, Poland, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Morocco, and other countries.

The International Mugham Center is determined to further expand its work and promote Azerbaijani musical culture.

Numerous projects are being carried out by the center in the direction of studying and promoting mugham art.

Being one of the oldest musical styles in the East, mugham music never ceases to amaze music enthusiasts around the globe, serving as a major element in uniting people.

The mugham contains seven main modes - Rast, Shur, Segah (are especially common), Shushtar, Bayaty-Shiraz, Chahargah, Humayun, and three collateral kinds - Shahnaz, Sarendj, and Chaargah in some other form.

In 2008, Azerbaijani mugham was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.