BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. An international scientific conference titled "The Shared Cultural Heritage of the Turkic World: Dede Gorgud" was held in Türkiye's Iğdır, celebrating the enduring legacy of the iconic Turkic figure, Trend reports.
The event was jointly organized by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora (SCWD), Iğdır University, Nakhchivan State University, Iğdır Azerbaijan House, and the Azerbaijani Consulate in Kars.
The conference brought together scholars, government representatives, NGOs, media, and students. It opened with the national anthems of both countries and a tribute to fallen heroes, followed by the screening of the documentary "In the Footsteps of Dede Gorgud, in His Words."
Ziya Zakir Acar, head of Iğdır Azerbaijan House, emphasized the cultural and spiritual importance of Dede Gorgud for the Turkic world, noting that the conference reevaluated his historical and literary significance. Iğdır Governor Ercan Turan called Dede Gorgud "the spiritual code of the Turkic nation," while university rectors highlighted his place in collective memory. Azerbaijan’s Consul in Kars, Zamin Aliyev, described Dede Gorgud as an internationally recognized and protected cultural treasure and a source of pride for all Turkic peoples.
The event continued with a panel session moderated by Associate Professors Oğuz Doğan and İsmayıl Abalı, featuring presentations from Kamal Abdulla, Professors Metin Ekici, Ramazan Korkmaz, Esma Şimşek, Salahaddin Bekki, Ayşe Çetin, Mehmet Çeribaş, and Refiye Şenesen on Dede Gorgud’s personality and influence in the Turkic world. Participants received gifts and certificates, and the program concluded with a musical performance titled "Türkiye–Azerbaijan Brotherhood Songs."
Dede Gorgud is a legendary figure, a wise sage and storyteller from the epic Kitabi-Dede Gorgud (The Book of Dede Gorgud), which is considered a masterpiece of Turkic literature. He is often depicted as a wise elder whose wisdom is associated with traditions of birth, marriage, and death, and as the spiritual ancestor of the Oghuz Turks. Whether he was a real person or a fictional character is debated, but in the epic, he serves as a storyteller who frames the heroic adventures.
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