Farah Aliyeva, Head of the Department of Humanitarian Policy, Diaspora, Multiculturalism and Religious Issues of the Presidential Administration, visited the apartment of People's Artist, outstanding mugham singer Arif Babayev to present him with the Heydar Aliyev Award.

Farah Aliyeva conveyed the greetings and congratulations of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva to the mugham singer.

On May 8,2025, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on honoring Arif Babayev, outstanding mugham singer and mentor, with the Heydar Aliyev Award. The artist was honored for his special merits in the development of Azerbaijani culture.

Arif Babayev underscored that National Leader Heydar Aliyev always paid great attention and care to the development of Azerbaijani culture, including the art of mugham. He described the awarding of this highest award named after the National Leader as a testament to a high appreciation of the art of mugham, expressing his deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev.

The artist emphasized that the opening of the Mugham Center in his native Aghdam these days made him very proud and happy.

“I express my deep gratitude to the esteemed President Ilham Aliyev for reviving culture in our Karabakh so quickly, to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which has provided continuous support for our mugham to gain world fame, and to its President, dear Mehriban Aliyeva," the artist emphasized.