Azerbaijan National Academy of Science

The Second International Symposium "Islamic Civilization in the Caucasus" was held in Baku on July 11-12. The event was organized by the Azerbaijan Institute of Theology, Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture, and the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Academician Z. Bunyadov.

Participants of the event firstly honored the memory of national leader Heydar Aliyev and ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva at the Alley of Honor, put wreaths in front of her grave.

Then, guests came to the Alley of Martyrs to pay tribute to the memory of the heroes of Motherland, who died in the struggle for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and laid a wreath.

Later, a photo exhibition on the historical and religious monuments of Azerbaijan was held within the framework of the symposium.

The event started with a performance of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Head of International Relations, Multiculturalism and Religious Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan Etibar Najafov read the letter of President Ilham Aliyev to the participants of the symposium.

Addressing the event, rector of Azerbaijan Institute of Theology, Ph.D. in theology Jeyhun Mammadov stated that Islam plays an important role in the life of the peoples of the Caucasus, as well as spoke about the contribution of Caucasian scientists and thinkers to Islamic civilization.

He brought to the attention that at the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev who was deeply committed to Islam, the First International Symposium "Islamic Civilization in the Caucasus" was held in Baku on December 9-11, 1998.

Mammadov emphasized that Azerbaijan is known as a model country that promotes and encourages the ideas of tolerance and multiculturalism in the world. He highlighted the merits in this area of the First Vice-President, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva.

Noting that there are exemplary state-religious relations in Azerbaijan, Mammadov brought to the attention that numerous mosques, churches and synagogues were built and repaired in Azerbaijan at the expense of state funds. He underlined the Heydar Mosque which is the largest mosque of the Caucasus.

Speaking at the event, academician Govhar Bakhshaliyeva, director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, noted that since Islam began to spread in Azerbaijan, Islam has deeply rooted in people's behavior, thought, morality and culture. Stating that the Caucasus is a rare region, G.Bakhshaliyeva said that this region can be characterized by its nature, its geographical structure, and the nature of people who lived in ancient times and lived in the millennium.

The two-day symposium will feature scientists, researchers and experts on Islamic Civilization in Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, the United States, Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Caucasus. .

Then, Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman of State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, emphasized the valuable contribution of Islamic civilization to the history of the peoples of the Caucasus. He noted that the majority of the peoples of this region profess Islam.

Gurbanli noted that presently, Azerbaijan is known as one of the significant spaces in terms of preserving Islamic cultural heritage and bringing it to the world in the true form. He said that President Ilham Aliyev’s announcement of 2016 the Year of Multiculturalism in Azerbaijan is a call for peace, friendship, mutual respect and coexistence on the planet.

Through the example of Azerbaijan, the world has been shown that representatives of various religions, nationalities, ethnic groups can live in peace in the country, Gurbanli said.

Afterward, Salman Musayev, Deputy Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office, stressed that state-religious relations in Azerbaijan are at a high level. He said that the work carried out today in the field of preservation and promotion of national and spiritual values, the struggle against religious radicalism in Azerbaijan, the successes achieved have become possible as a result of cooperation and joint activities of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations and Caucasian Muslims Office.

The two-day symposium covered the panels “Impact of Islamic Culture on Religious and Cultural-Social Life in the Caucasus”, “Development of Islamic Sciences in the Caucasus”, “Islamic Architecture, Art and Literature in the Caucasus”, “Role of President Ilham Aliyev in Strengthening the Traditions of Tolerance and Multiculturalism in Azerbaijan", "Spread of Islam in the Caucasus", "Multiculturalism in the Caucasus", “Role of Mosques, Madrasas and Kanagahs in Religious Education in the Caucasus”, “Islamic Policy of Tsarist Russia in the Caucasus”, etc.

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