Azerbaijan has been one of those little gems of philately that deserves better recognition. They are a treasure trove of beautiful design and a great resource to begin any exploration of the country. One of my favourite sets, and I confess I was waiting for it to arrive before writing this article, is the yearly Novruz Holiday releases.
International Novruz Day was declared, by the United Nations, in 2010. It recognises the importance of this celebration to over 300 million people world wide:
Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.
Lucky for stamp collectors, it results in some wonderfully expressive stamps. Here are the issues from 2020, 2021 and 2022
And before you ask, yes, Azerbaijan is on my “one day I’ll visit” list of countries … which is starting to turn into a rather large list. That’s the thing about stamps, they really are an incredible gateway to discovering cultures and history. As someone who grew up in a time and place when there was zero exposure to different ideas and cultures, this is one of the most exciting things about having this website – the opportunity to explore the world. I really hope you get as excited as I do when I learn something or am exposed to ideas and cultures that see the world differently. It’s a wonderful place to be.
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Oh, and this year artist Orkhan Garayev’s Year of the Rabbit stamps were glorious! Nothing makes me smile more than a dapper rabbit in a cloak. How can you not fall in love with a country that issues rabbits in cloaks?
February
Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit
Topics: Lunar New Year | Events
8 stamps, sheets of 8, 8 FDCs, cancel
Offset lithography with gold foil
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: February 13, 2023
100th anniversary of the Supreme Court
Topics: history | architecture
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset lithography
Designer: non listed
Release date: February 13, 2023
March
Novruz Holiday Sweets Carpet
Topics: events | holidays
4 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset lithography
Learn more about traditional sweets served during Novruz Delicious sweets for Novruz holiday [PHOTO] (azernews.az)
Here’s one of my favourite videos about Novruz. Of course it’s about food, and the videography is top notch.
Artist: Sayali Mammadova
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: March 17, 2023
April
The 100th anniversary of Academician Zarifa Aliyeva
Topics: women | medicine
1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
Special attention was also paid to the psychology of color in the layout of the postal block. In the symbolism of colors, Green has many positive meanings, and most importantly, it denotes life, health, happiness, harmony and spiritual wealth. A postage stamp was put into circulation on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Academician Zarifa Aliyeva (azerpost.az)
100 years pass since birth of prominent ophthalmologist Zarifa Aliyeva | Report.az
Designer: Nariman Mammadzada
Release date: April 28, 2023
165th Anniversary of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping
Topics: history | maritime
2 stamps on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel
Offset lithography
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: April 28, 2023
May
Heydar Aliyev – 100th Anniversary
Topics: history
6 stamps, souvenir sheet, special souvenir pack, 3 FDCs, cancel
offset lithography. The souvenir set has a transparent lacquer, inscriptions in gold foil.
Designer: Nəriman Məmmədzadə
Release date: May 9, 2023
July
PostEurop 30 Years
Topics: PostEurop | history
1 stamp, sheets of 30
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: July 10, 2023
World Art – Vincent Van Gogh
Topics: art| artists
6 stamps, souvenir sheet
Designer: Zohra Babayeva
Release date: July 10, 2023
EUROPA 2023 – Peace is the Highest Value
Topics: EUROPA | peace
2 stamps, souvenir sheet, sheets of 8
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Baku based artist Garayev has designed over 90 stamps for Azerbaijan, including this year’s thought-provoking companion to the EUROPA Peace knot. I couldn’t find a website for Mr. Garayev, but did find his Instagram page which has proven to be a rich resource for anyone who admires his work.
Release date: July 10, 2023
August
FIDE World Cup 2023 – world cup chess competition
2 stamp & 2 labels on sheets of 8, FDC,cancel
Designer: Zöhra Babayeva
Release date: August 8, 2023
Heydar Aliyev’s Investing in the oil Industry
12 stamps on a souvenir sheet, 24 stamps on a single sheet
offset
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: September 20, 2023
October
74th International Astronautical Congress
4 stamps on souvenir sheet
offset
Designer: Turqay Malikli
Release date: October 2, 2023
Azerbaijan-Slovakia Joint Issue
2 stamps, souvenir sheet
offset
Designer: Marcel Benčík
Marcel Benčík — Slovak Design Centre (scd.sk)
Release date: October 2, 2023
Shusha the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World
offset
November
Uzun Hasan 600 years
1 stamp on souvenir sheet
offset
Designer: Zohra Babayeva
Release date: November 1, 2023
Folk crafts – Copper Craftsmanship of Lahij
Azerbaijan – Belarus joint issue
2 stamps, 3 souvenir sheets
offset
Copper craftsmanship of Lahij is the traditional practice of making and using copperware concentrated in the Lahij community in the Caucasus. The copper-smelting master coordinates the entire process and is accompanied by an apprentice who learns the necessary techniques while helping the master. The coppersmith-hammerer pumps the air into the ovens and hammers the smelted copper into thin plates. A craftsperson then polishes the hammered copper plates and decorates the ready copperware with engravings. This final stage of the process is said to be particularly important as the designs used often have an environmental focus, reflecting the bearer’s traditional knowledge and cultural values.
Copper craftsmanship of Lahij – intangible heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO
Designer: Gunel Isgandarova
Release date: November 28, 2023
December
Heydar Aliyev 100 Years
4 stamps on souvenir sheet
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: December 1, 2023
Heydar Aliyev 100 years
1 stamp on souvenir sheet
offset
Designer: Nariman Mammadzada
Release date: December 12, 2023
Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev 200 years (1823-1924)
1 stamp on souvenir sheet
Designer: Aydin Asgerov
Release date: December 13, 2023
100th Anniversary of People’s Artist Tofig Kazimov
1 stamp, sheets of 16
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: December 25, 2023
25th Anniversary of the Union of Philatelists of Azerbaijan
1 stamp on souvenir sheet
Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Release date: December 25, 2023
Ismailiyya Palace 110 Years
2 stamps, sheets of 8
Designer: Aydin Asgerov
Release date: December 27, 2023
Our Pets: More than Friends
6 stamps, sheets of 6
Designer: Javid Mirzali
Release date: December 27, 2023
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