Ilham Aliyev visits CIS National Culinary Festival and attends official reception

On October 8, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited the CIS National Culinary Festival held in the city of Turkmenbashi.

TodayPress TV reports that the CIS National Culinary Festival is being held as part of events organized by Turkmenistan in connection with its chairmanship of the organization in 2026. Eight countries are represented at the festival.

A national pavilion representing Azerbaijan, consisting of two sections, has been established at the festival venue through the joint organization of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Tourism Agency. The culinary section of the pavilion showcases Azerbaijan’s national cuisine and rich gastronomic traditions. Visitors are also presented with local plants, fruits, grains, nuts and other products characteristic of various regions of Azerbaijan, as well as the country’s tea culture tradition, which is included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The second section of the pavilion showcases carpet weaving, kelaghayi, copper craftsmanship, wood carving and ceramics. This section also features a recreation of the interior of a 19th-century Karabakh house based on the exhibition of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.

The pavilion also featured performances of Azerbaijani music, including mugham, by young khananda singers.