Baku, September 5 — The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has announced its annual poetry contest, “Cities of Poems.” This initiative is part of ICESCO’s Capitals of Culture in the Islamic World program. This year, the program celebrates Marrakesh in Morocco, Benghazi in Libya, and Shusha in Azerbaijan.
The contest aims to strengthen the connection between poetry and the cities it represents. It seeks to capture the historical and geographical essence of these cities through poetry, honoring their cultural significance and enriching the Islamic world’s poetic landscape.
Entries will be judged by an ICESCO committee and notable poets. Three winners will be chosen from each city. The first-place winner will receive $2,000, the second-place winner $1,500, and the third-place winner $1,000. All winners will also receive certificates of appreciation. ICESCO will publish a collection of the winning and distinguished poems.
To participate, poems must meet the following criteria:
Poems should be written in classical Arabic or Azerbaijani.
Arabic poems must follow a poetic meter, whether free or rhymed. Azerbaijani poems must adhere to meter, enunciative, or prosodic forms.
Poems should reflect the values, history, and geography of the city they describe.
Poems should not exceed thirty lines.