Azerbaijan Showcases Culture at The Hague’s Annual Embassy Festival

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in the Netherlands has participated in the annual “Embassy Festival”, organized by the municipality of The Hague.

Held under the theme “A World Trip in One Day” at the historic Lange Voorhout square, the event celebrated the rich cultural heritage of countries from around the world, The Caspian Post reports via local media.

The festival, attended by thousands, featured over 60 national pavilions. The Azerbaijan pavilion stood out for its vibrancy and diversity, becoming one of the most popular attractions. Visitors explored exhibits highlighting Azerbaijan’s history, culture, and tourism potential, alongside traditional carpets, national costumes, and culinary specialties such as plov (dish of rice cooked with meat, vegetables, and spices), dolma (a dish consisting of ingredients such as meat wrapped in grape leaves), kebab (a dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit), gutab (a thin, half-moon-shaped dough filled with various ingredients like herbs, meat, or pumpkin, then cooked on a hot griddle called a saj), and local sweets.

Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, visited the pavilion, meeting with Ambassador Mammad Ahmadzade and other members of the Azerbaijani community. He praised Azerbaijan’s active participation and highlighted the country’s rich cultural heritage and traditions of hospitality.

As part of the festival’s music and dance program, the Caucasus dance group, composed of Azerbaijanis living in Europe, performed traditional dances to enthusiastic applause. Many attendees joined in, performing the traditional “Yalli” dance.

The festival offered a valuable platform to showcase Azerbaijani culture internationally, highlighting the nation’s heritage, hospitality, and creative spirit.