On June 13, the First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, and the First Lady of the Republic of Turkiye Amina Erdogan visited the Old City, which is one of the world’s cultural heritage sites in Baku. Visiting the historical-architectural reserve, the first ladies also got acquainted with the ABAD ethno-boutique which is also located within the territory of the reserve.

It was brought to the attention of Amina Erdogan and Mehriban Aliyeva that the ABAD ethno-boutique is located in the ancient Haji Bani bath and the bathhouse is a monument of the 15th century. With the joint support of TİKA, PASHA Holding, and SOCAR the restoration work was carried out within the bath in 2017 and the first ethno-boutique of ABAD was inaugurated on March 18 of the same year.

Handicrafts, artisanal food products, and furniture made by ABAD craftspeople are offered for sale at this ethno-boutique.

It was noted that tens of thousands of products from more than 560 artists are presented here.

In the end, both ladies were presented with handmade national souvenirs on behalf of the ABAD artisans.

Following the meeting, the First Lady of the Republic of Turkiye, Amina Erdogan, delivered her comments about ABAD:

“I explored the ABAD Centre (Facilitated Support to Family Businesses)  which started to function with the support of TIKA and got information from its official representatives.  The project keeps Azerbaijan’s traditional crafts alive, introduces them to the world, and contributes to the household economy. It is impossible not to admire each and every one of these handicrafts that were made with great attention to detail. I wholeheartedly congratulate everyone who contributed to the implementation of this project which in turn serves branding of the country, as well as  the Turkish culture.”