BAKU, Azerbaijan

The cultural capital of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, Shusha is hosting the Khari Bulbul music festival.

Music and dance groups from member countries of the International Organization of Turkic Culture performed at the festival, which started in Shusha's Jidir Plain.

At the opening of the festival music groups and artists from several countries took part. In addition to Azerbaijan, among them were Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Hungary, Moldova's autonomous Gagauzia region, Uzbekistan, the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan, Russia's Altai, Khakassia, Yakutia, Tatarstan, and Tuva republics.

At the end of the event, soloists from different countries of the Turkic world sang the composition “Karabakh” together.

Organized jointly by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Azerbaijan's Culture Ministry, the festival will continue until May 11.

In Shusha, declared this year's Cultural Capital of the Turkic World, the Khari Bulbul music festival -- named after a flower seen in the region -- was held every year before the Armenian occupation.

The festival could not be held during the Armenian occupation period, and the tradition was resumed with the liberation of the lands in the 2nd Karabakh War in 2020.