By Mete Erdurcan.
On the occasion of Navruz ‘The Holiday of Spring, renewal and peace’ the Uzbek Embassy organized a reception on 18th March at the Arsenaal Building of Leiden University. Navruz is a holiday celebrated in Central Asian countries around 21st March each year, including Uzbekistan.
Navruz has a history over 2500 years. in 2009 it was officially recognised by the UN as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.
For a full photo-album of the event, please click here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157651104492879/
Navruz is celebrated throughout Uzbekistan, and especially in Tashkent, where grand celebrations are held at the Alisher Navoi National Park. The common belief is that Navruz sets the precedent for the upcoming year. Activities include festivities with songs, dances and performances, in addition to the sports competitions.
During the reception in Leiden, His Excellency Vladimir Norov gave a speech in which he explained the socio-economic prosperity of Uzbekistan since its independence. The Ambassador also took a moment to express his gratitude to Leiden University and in particular to Dr. Gabrielle van den Berg and Dr. Elena Paskaleva for ‘their assistance in organizing this event and their significant efforts to develop mutually beneficial cooperation in education between Leiden University and Uzbekistan’.
