President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva have attended the opening of Marionette Theatre in Icherisheher.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the theatre.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva viewed the conditions created here.

The head of state and his wife were informed about the work done here.

Marionette Theatre was built in neoclassical style in 1880 using antique images and motives. It has operated under the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration since 2013.

Complex measures were taken to expand the activities of the theatre through support of President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijan's first lady Mehriban Aliyeva. This included allocation of a building for the theatre in Icherisheher.

Marionette Theatre was first established in the mid-1980s in Azerbaijan at the initiative of director and artist Tarlan Gorchu.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva then watched a scene from Leyli and Majnun opera performed by marionettes.

Arshin Mal Alan (The Cloth Peddler) operetta, and Leyli and Majnun opera are major highlights of the repertoire of Marionette Theatre.

The theatre successfully premiered Arshin Mal Alan in France in 1990, then traveling to a number of other countries. Today, the theatre's tour map includes Germany, the U.S., Russia, Poland, Switzerland.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva also reviewed the new "Shirvanshakhs" collection of the Icherisheher Center of Traditional Arts here. The center was established in October 2012 at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation under an agreement between the Administration of Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve under the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan and the Prince's School of Traditional Arts of Great Britain.