A delegation of the International Organisation of Turkic Culture – TURKSOY, which is carrying out activities aimed at strengthening Turkic culture and its promotion in the world, is paying a two-day visit to Rijeka.

The delegation of the International Organisation of Turkic Culture, consisting of H.E. Düsen Kasseinov, Secretary General of the International Organisation of Turkic Culture – TURKSOY, Shokrukh Akbarov, Head of the International Department of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tleuzhan Seksenbay, Counsellor at the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Croatia and Fatih Aliyi, Project Coordinator for the Balkans of the International Organisation of Turkic Culture – TURKSOY, have been received today by the mayor of Rijeka Vojko Obersnel, by the deputy mayor Marko Filipović, the president of the City Council Andrej Poropat and by the director of the company Rijeka 2020 Irena Kregar Šegota.

Following the reception, the delegation visited the exhibition titled “Impressions from Khiva”, exhibited on Korzo, presenting the Uzbek city of Khiva. Also, the delegation will visit Rijeka and Rijeka’s sights during the day.

The exhibition was opened in cooperation with the Organising Committee of TURKSOY, the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan and the City of Rijeka with the aim of presenting the cultural capital of the Turkic World 2020. The most important goal of this exhibition is to contribute to learning and bringing cultures closer.

The city of Khiva is considered one of the oldest cities of Eastern civilisation. The recognisability of Khiva’s cultural heritage is evidenced by the fact that Khiva was the first city in Central Asia included in the World Heritage List by a decision taken by the UNESCO General Assembly in December 1990.

The city is located in the north-western part of Central Asia, in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Khiva, often referred to as an open-air museum, is the capital of the Khorezm region.

The city developed as an important trading centre on the Silk Route with numerous markets and bazaars, both inside and outside the city. Missionaries, researchers, and scholars often joined trade caravans. The diversity of cultures and nations played a significant role in shaping the identity of Khiva, creating not only madrassas and mosques dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries AD, but also one of the first Zoroastrian and Buddhist temples and Jewish synagogues. Khiva is also known as a city of education and science in Central Asia with as many as 29 madrassas covering an area of 26 hectares ofthe inner city which totals 64 madrassas.

TURKSOY is an international cultural organisation of countries and regions inhabited by Turkic people speaking Turkic languages. It was established in 1993 after the culture ministers of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey signed a founding agreement. TURKSOY is headquartered in Ankara, Turkey. The organisation has its roots in meetings in 1992 in Baku and Istanbul, where culture ministers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan pledged to co-operate in a common cultural framework. TURKSOY was subsequently established by an agreement signed on 12 July 1993 in Almaty.

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