A ceremony marking the opening of the Swahili Cultural Library and the presentation of the first Swahili-language issue of IRS-Urithi magazine was held at Fort Jesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mombasa, Kenya. The library was renovated with financial support from the Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA).

The event was held with the support of the Mombasa Governor’s Office, the National Museums of Kenya, the Swahilipot Hub Foundation, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Kenya, and the Centre for Cultural Heritage Studies at Baku State University. Public and political figures, government officials and media representatives attended the ceremony.

Addressing the event, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Kenya Sultan Hajiyev emphasized the importance of cultural dialogue. He thanked the National Museums of Kenya for its effective cooperation with AIDA in implementing the Fort Jesus Swahili Cultural Library project, as well as an initiative supporting the Nairobi National Museum.

Musa Marjanli, Editor-in-Chief of the international IRS magazine and Director of the Centre for Cultural Heritage Studies at Baku State University, spoke about the magazine’s origins, development and international activities. He expressed gratitude to all partners who had supported the preparation and presentation of the first Swahili-language issue. The magazine is published in 22 languages and distributed in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Speakers at the event included Edwin Jacob Abonyo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Museums of Kenya; Professor Mary Gikungu, Director-General of the institution; Ambassador Philip Thigo, Special Envoy of the President of Kenya; Natasha Ali, Chairperson of the Mombasa Law Society; Professor James Kahindi, Vice-Chancellor of Pwani University; and Mahmoud Noor, founder of the Swahilipot Hub Foundation.

On behalf of BSU, books and journals were donated to the newly renovated Swahili Cultural Library, contributing to its collection and supporting the promotion of cultural exchange and knowledge sharing.