Azerbaijan National Academy of Science

Active member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Ziya Musa oghlu Bunyadov, was born on December 21, 1923 in Astara, in a family of military interpreter.

Z.Bunyadov entered the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies named after N.Narimanov in 1946 and he entered postgraduate study at the same institute in 1950. Prominent Soviet arabist prof. Y.A.Belyayev was his teacher in the years of his education.  In 1954, Z.Bunyadov defended his dissertation entitled "The Imperialism of Italy in Africa", which was the first research work in the department led by Y.A.Belyayev.

In 1954  Z.Bunyadov returned to Baku and was admitted to the post of senior scientific worker at Azerbaijan AS History Institute.

Z.Bunyadov was a lecturer at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the Azerbaijan State University in 1958-1959.

Z.Bunyadov headed the Medieval History Department of the Near and Middle East People`s Institute in 1964-1981 and  worked as director of the Azerbaijan AS Oriental Studies Institute in 1981-1986 and 1988-1990.

Z.Bunyadov defended his dissertation on "Azerbaijan in VII-IX centuries" to get a scientific degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences in 1964. In 1965 he received a professor's title.

The book "Azerbaijan in VII-IX centuries", published in 1965, has earned a serious researcher and specialist fame in Azerbaijan's medieval history to Z.Bunyadov. Z.Bunyadov was elected as Corresponding Member of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in 1967.

He published the monograph " Azerbaijan Sate of Atabeys (1136-1225)" in 1978.In 1980,  the work was awarded the Azerbaijan State Prize in Science and Technology.

Z.Bunyadov was awarded the honorary title of Honored Scientist of the Azerbaijan USSR in 1982. In the same year, he was elected as a corresponding member of the Turkish Historical Society for his great contribution to studying the history of Turkish nations.

From January 1986 to May 1988, Z.Bunyadov worked as the head of the Middle Age History of the East Department of the Oriental studies İnstitute of Azerbaijan USSR AS.

Z.Bunyadov was awarded the prize named after H.Z.Taghiyev in "Translation of the Holy Quran" in 1990 and A.A.Bakikhanov in 1993, for scientific and commentary publication of Gulistani-Iram by A.Bakikhanov.

Z.Bunyadov was the head and advisor of 30 candidate works and 12 opponents of his doctoral dissertation.

Z.Bunyadov was elected to the deputy of Milli Mejlis on November 12, 1995.

Active member of ANAS Z.Bunyadov died on February 21, 1997 in Baku. His tomb is in Honor Alley.