ISESCO and Heydar Aliyev Foundation establish award in honor of Khurshidbanu Natavan

The Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ICESCO) and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation announced the establishment of the "Natavan" award in honor of Azerbaijani public figure Khurshidbanu Natavan.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this is stated in the ICESCO announcement.

It is noted that the award will recognize individuals who have contributed to "achievements in promoting and popularizing best practices in the management and preservation of cultural heritage in the Islamic world."

The press release explains that effective preservation and management of heritage has a profound impact on people's self-awareness and ensures that future generations will preserve heritage they can be proud of.

"Given the current problems in the world caused by unsustainable development, conflicts and climate change, humanity faces many challenges that threaten the world's heritage," the statement says.

According to ICESCO, due to rapid and numerous challenges, it is necessary to create an environment that encourages innovative and technologically sound thinking to ensure the preservation of heritage in the Islamic world for current and future generations.

It is noted that the award recognizes and promotes best practices in the preservation and management of tangible heritage, as well as contributes to the popularization and recognition of heritage in the Islamic world.

"It encourages outstanding initiatives that ensure the preservation of memory and celebration of the best examples of heritage in our world. Its goal is to highlight innovative practices in heritage preservation and management in terms of the skills used, as well as the social and economic impact of the project on local communities," the press release states.

The award will include a monetary prize of $30,000 for an individual project and $100,000 for a joint project.

The criteria that a project must meet to receive the "Natavan" award are: it must be implemented in one of the ICESCO member states, the project must be led by one of the ICESCO member countries, and it must be planned for a period of 3 years.

It is also noted that organizations, institutions, as well as specialists, architects, conservators, and curators can be awarded.

According to the conditions, the deadline for submitting projects for the award is September 30, the shortlist of selected projects will be announced on February 1, 2026, the winners will be announced on April 18, and on July 1, 2026, the best projects will be published and the award announcement will be made.