My Urban World is international contest of art photography, organized by Gilavar Photo Club under the Azerbaijan Urban Campaign on the road to World Urban Forum 13

Contest consists of 1 digital section:
Theme: Urban/City (color/monochrome)

Urban planning and management, infrastructure and transport systems, technological urban solutions, protection of cultural heritage and urban environment, green and ecologically sustainable urban development. The world faces these questions every day. Azerbaijan contributes to this work as a reliable and responsible member of the international community in solving global challenges related to climate change and urban development, in the formation of innovative approaches

Azerbaijan has a rich centuries-old history of urban planning and architectural traditions. Valuable architectural monuments have played an exceptional role in shaping the unique image of our large cities, located on the Silk Road and establishing close economic, political and cultural ties with Eastern countries as important trade, craft and cultural centers.

The rare treasures included in the UNESCO World Heritage List – the Old City and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in Baku, which embody the urban culture of ancient and medieval times, the Maiden Tower, which has preserved its majestic spirit to this day, the historical center of Sheki and the Khan's Palace – are relics that occupy a worthy place among the world pearls of Azerbaijani urban planning and architectural art.

And for this purpose, 2026 has been declared the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” in Azerbaijan. In addition, this year Azerbaijan will host such a prestigious event as the Thirteenth Session of the UN World Urban Forum - WUF13. Tens of thousands of guests and tourists from different countries of the world are expected to visit this event.

On the road to the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) within the framework of the Azerbaijan Urban Campaign (#AUC2026), jointly initiated by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan the Azerbaijan Photography Federation and Gilavar Photo Club are organizing an international photo competition. The theme and goal of the photo competition, held with the permission of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) and the International Association of Art Photographers (IAAP), is to show the urban development process taking place around the world through photographs. All photographers from all over the world can participate in this competition with their photos. The city and people, cultural heritage, historical buildings, the coexistence of the new and the old, the harmony of centuries and styles, green city, ecological city, smart city, safe city, human-scale city, construction, reconstruction and restoration works, demolished, destroyed buildings, abandoned areas, urban zones under threat, the traces left by time on the city, the city by day and by night, etc. are accepted.

Closing date: 30.04.2026
Judging start: 01.05.2026
Notification: 10.05.2026
Awards delivery: 01.07.2026
Catalogues delivery: 01.07.2026
Exhibition: 20.05.2026

Entry: An Entry consists of, up to and including, four (4) images entered by a single entrant into the same Section. An entrant may only enter a specific Section once. Entrants may not enter identical or similar images into the same section or different sections of the same exhibition. Similar is defined as almost identical in subject, composition, props, lighting, or technique so that a reasonable person viewing the entries together would decide the entrant has duplicated the previous image except for minor changes.

Titles: Each image must have a unique title that relates to the content of the image. Titles must be 35 characters or fewer. No titles may be visible to the judges, and nothing in the image may identify the entrant. Titles may not include file extensions such as .jpg or .jpeg (or any other camera capture filenames such as IMG 471). Titles may not consist of personal identifiers possibly augmented by a number; or include words such as “untitled” or “no title”. Titles may not consist solely of numbers unless those numbers are prominently contained within the image, such as a contestant number in a race.

Color and Monochrome:
Color and Monochrome images from the same capture that share substantial pictorial content in common will be considered the same image and must be given the same title.

The entrants have to register on web-site salon.gilavar.net. After registration and authorization the applicant enters personal account and uploads images for the contest. The images on CD sent via regular mail are subject to rejection.
Technical requirements for the uploaded images:
Photos must be in JPEG format, dimensions no more than 1920 pixels horizontal by no more than 1080 pixels vertical side max. at 300 dpi, max. 2MB.
Each image must have a unique title that is a description of the image. No title or photos containing visible watermarks, names or initials will be disqualified and for this reason will not be included in the verdict. Please use only English alphabet and numeric (A-Z, 0-9).
An author may not enter identical or similar images into different categories and sections of the same salon.

The Exhibition will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the FIAP.
An entrant’s images will not be presented to the judges consecutively. An entrant’s four images will be distributed throughout four rounds of judging in that section. Distribution of images will be in the same round order as submitted by the entrant. At no stage will a judge be able to view all the entrant’s images together.

By entering this exhibition, you are explicitly consenting to the personal details you have supplied, including physical addresses, email addresses, being held, processed and used by the exhibition organizers for purposes associated with this exhibition. You also explicitly consent to such information being sent to organizations that have accorded official recognition, patronage or accreditation to this exhibition. You acknowledge, agree and accept that by entering this exhibition, your participation status which includes your first and last name, name of the country used during registration at the exhibition, number of sections entered and number of photos entered in those sections will be made public in a published status list and that the results of your entry shall be made public in exhibition gallery, exhibition catalog. You also agree and accept the policies regarding Breaches of Rules of the FIAP.

FIAP Breaches of Rules:
The mention that by the sole act of submitting his/her images or files to a salon under FIAP Patronage, the entrant accepts without exception and with no objection the following terms: - that the submitted images can be investigated by FIAP to establish if these obey to FIAP regulations and definitions even if the entrant is not a member of FIAP, - that FIAP will use any means at its disposal for this undertaking, - that any refusal to cooperate with FIAP or any refusal to submit the original files as captured by the camera, or failure to provide sufficient evidence, will be sanctioned by FIAP, - that in case of sanctions following the non compliance with FIAP regulations, the name of the entrant will be released in any form useful to inform the breaches of the rules. It is recommended to leave the EXIF data in the submitted files intact in order to ease eventual investigations. If, at any time, it is determined in the reasonable discretion of the exhibition organizer or the judges before, during, or after the judging of an exhibition that an entrant has submitted entries where one or more images may fail to comply with these Conditions of Entry, including the stated definitions, the exhibition organizers reserve the right to delete the entry from the exhibition and void any or all acceptances or awards in connection with the exhibition. Fees may be forfeited or refunded in these circumstances. The entrant acknowledges that the decision of the exhibition organizers or the judges is final.

Ioannis Lykouris, FIAP General Secretary Greece
Vladimir Jovanovski, IAAP President North Macedonia
Steven Yee Pui Chung, Asia Photographers Union President Singapore
Reha Bilir, Chairman of Sille Sanat Sarayi Türkiye
Ilgar Jafarov, Member of Gilavar Photo Club Azerbaijan
Dilavar Najafov, Azerbaijan Photography Federation President Azerbaijan (alternative)

At the contest there will be 31 international awards from FIAP, IAAP and Gilavar Photo Club

FIAP special medal, IAAP gold medal, Gilavar gold medal, IAAP silver medal, Gilavar silver medal, IAAP bronze medal, Gilavar bronze medal, 6 x FIAP blue ribbon, 6 x IAAP diploma, 6 x Gilavar ribbon, 6 x Gilavar diploma (PDF)

The organizer reserves the right to change the number of awards, depending on the total number of the entrants.

Statement on Subject Matter applicable to all sections
The fundamental rule that must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in exhibitions with FIAP recognition is that the welfare of living creatures is more important than any photograph. This means that practices such as baiting of subjects with a living creature and removal of birds from nests, for the purpose of obtaining a photograph, are highly unethical, and such photographs are not allowed in any exhibition with FIAP recognition. Under no circumstances may a living creature be placed in a situation where it will be killed, injured or stressed for the purpose of obtaining a photograph. Images that show live creatures being fed to captive animals, birds or reptiles are not permitted under any circumstances.

There are also concerns about the use of aerial photography, drones, helicopters, low flying aircraft. These should not cause any interference with other individuals or animals which causes a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment.

FIAP Definition of Monochrome
A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category; such a work can be reproduced in black and white in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage. On the other hand a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one colour becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category; such a work requires colour reproduction in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage.

For the purpose of this exhibition any border added to a digital file must be a single border of white or grey, no greater than 3-5 pixels in width.

Notification cards will be sent by email.
The results and PDF Exhibition catalog will be publishing on website urban.gilavar.net and it will be possible to download. All entrants of the contest (participants which submitted works and paid entry fee) will receive on-line PDF catalog of the photo contest.

Salon Chairman Mr. Rashad Mehdiyev, EFIAP, ESFIAP
e-mail: [email protected]