Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the Nizami cinema in Baku after major refurbishment and reconstruction

The Nizami cinema in Baku has reopened after major refurbishment and reconstruction.

The opening ceremony has been attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva.

Flowers were presented to Azerbaijan’s First Lady and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva.

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

Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev said that originally commissioned in 1934, the building of the Nizami cinema has been reconstructed in accordance with the Order of the President “On the development of cinema in Azerbaijan”.

In the building’s lobby, President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva reviewed the stands describing the previous and current appearance of the cinema, as well as the progress of reconstruction.

There are two halls with 50 and 80 seats on the first floor of the cinema, a big cinema hall with 500 seats on the second and a VIP hall with 24 seats on the fifth. The building is equipped with state-of-the-art motion picture projectors, sound, lighting, ventilation and fire safety systems made in Germany, Japan and the UK.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva watched parts of movies in the large and VIP halls.

It was indicated that there are various kiosks on the first floor, a café on the second, a café-club and a press center on the fourth, and a 250-seat restaurant on the fifth and sixth floors, where visitors are offered dishes of national and European cuisine. There are also offices here. The ceiling of the restaurant will be mechanically opening and closing in accordance with the time of the year.

The head of state was also shown a project on the reconstruction of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

Praising the work carried out at the Nizami cinema, the President gave recommendations and instructions.