TODAY.AZ / Society

A miniature Europe in Azerbaijan’s capital

21 September 2015 [14:39] - TODAY.AZ

By Amina Nazarli - AzerNews 

Baku once again was host to the EuroVillage festival on September 19.

Held in the Icherisheher, or “Old City,” a unique state historical and architectural preserve in the center of Baku, the event attracted many residents of the capital as well as foreign tourists.

Supported by the European Union and various European embassies in Baku, event guests had a chance to acquire information about the cultures, histories, and national characteristics of the various countries.

A festival program included a wide range of entertainment such as various contests, quizzes, karaoke, concerts, and guided tours to museums.

Each European country, participated at the festival has a stand that provided visitors with information about the national culture, education system, and tourism.

Everything was perfectly organized in the Eurovillge: at the entrance visitors received a small passport-like booklet, where they could paste in their photo. The passport was stamped for every participating European Union country’s stand that was visited.

When visiting a stand, guests got acquainted with the culture, traditions, and cuisine of the country. Some featured quizzes about the country and winners were awarded a symbolic gift.

Special open-face cardboard cutouts of were scattered throughout the EuroVillage, where guests were made to feel like Duke William and Duchess Kate Cambridge or mimic the enigmatic of the Mona Lisa.

Guests were also given the opportunity to be astounded by the famous Azerbaijani magician Anar Aliyev, see a demo on how pizza is prepared by the Italian chef Pasqualino Barbasso, and watch traditional German and Greek dances.

Malena Mard, the Head of the European Union’s delegation to Azerbaijan thanked each European Union country for their commitment in making the event a success.

She said that, the distinctive feature of this year's EuroVillage is the presentation of national cuisines of the EU member states.

The ambassador said that culinary traditions in many ways reflect the spirit of the people, that's why this year the organizers decided that some European countries would showcase their cuisines.

“The European village is the window to Europe and the chance to get acquainted with the rich and diverse cultures of the European countries. We are happy to share it with our Azerbaijani friends,” she noted.

Ambassadors of several EU countries also participated at the event.

Embassy of Romania, which fulfills the mandate of NATO Contact Point Embassy to Azerbaijan for the fourth time in a row, organized a NATO presentation stand at EuroVillage festival.

At the festival NATO promotional materials have been widely distributed.

European Union and NATO are unique and essential partners who share common values and strategic interests. NATO and the European Union now have 22 member countries in common. As a NATO and EU member, Romania actively supports Azerbaijan to enhance its relations with the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions.

The Scottish band Peatbog Faeries and Croatia’s Klapa More were headlined as the main musical acts in the final.

The first EuroVillage was held in the capital of the Land of Fire in 2012 in the run-up to Eurovision 2012. Since then, the festival has become a tradition, gathering hundreds of people every year.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/143853.html

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