Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

On May 18, an international conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the People’s Poet, prominent representative of modern Azerbaijani literature, Academician Bakhtiyar Vahabzade was held in Sheki city, jointly organized by the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and the Mahmud Kashgari International Foundation.

The event was attended by Elkhan Usubov, Head of the Executive Power of Sheki city, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, President of ANAS, Birol Akgun, Ambassador of Türkiye to Azerbaijan, Ufuk Turganer, Representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Alim Bayel, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, Maksat Mamitkanov, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan, Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TURKSOY and People’s Writer of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mehmet Sureyya Er, Secretary General of TURKPA, Javanshir Feyziyev, Member of the Milli Majlis and President of the Mahmud Kashgari International Foundation, Samad Seyidov, Chairman of the International and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee of the Milli Majlis, Musa Guliyev, Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Social Policy, Nadir Mammadli, Director of the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, as well as representatives of other organizations, scientists, and intellectuals.

At the beginning of the conference, participants laid flowers at the monument of the National Leader in Sheki city, paying tribute to his memory. They also visited the Heydar Aliyev Center, where the event was held.

In his speech at the conference, Head of the Executive Power of Sheki city, Elkhan Usubov noted that a series of events had been organized in Sheki in accordance with the Decree by President Ilham Aliyev on celebrating the 100th anniversary of People’s Poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzade. He emphasized that the great master of words, Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, created remarkable works aimed at preserving and promoting the high national and moral values shaped over centuries. Through his numerous writings, he made significant contributions to the development of Azerbaijani literature.

Following this, a film dedicated to Bakhtiyar Vahabzade was demonstrated.

President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Academician Isa Habibbeyli emphasized during his speech that Sheki is the hometown of many great figures, who made big contributions to history, culture, and literature of Azerbaijan. He noted that while celebrating the jubilee of the Azerbaijani great thinker and poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, it is our duty to remember also those who created literary, cultural traditions in Sheki, such as Mirza Fatali Akhundzade, Rashid bey Afandiyev, Sabit Rahman, Emin Sabitoghlu, Shirmammad Huseynov, and many others.

“Bakhtiyar Vahabzade came to literature with lyrical poems. His creative work, which spanned more than 50 years, was dedicated to the national and spiritual self-awareness of the Azerbaijani people, the idea of Azerbaijanism, our people’s freedom, unity, and national independence, as well as the struggle for the unity of the Turkic world. The poet’s national thinking grew from the idea of Azerbaijanism and was raised to the level of a common Turkic worldview in literature. That is why Chinghiz Aitmatov, one of the world’s great figures, highly valued Bakhtiyar Vahabzade as a thoughtful poet with a strong national mind,”-said Academician Isa Habibbeyli. 

Member of the Milli Majlis and President of the International Foundation named after Mahmud Kashgari, Javanshir Feyziyev said in his speech that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade is one of the most beloved poets of Azerbaijan as well as the entire Turkic world. Through his creativity and thoughts, Bakhtiyar Vahabzade was able to reach the hearts of millions of people and earned their love.

Speaking at the conference, the Ambassador of Türkiye to Azerbaijan, Birol Akgun emphasized that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade is not only loved by the people of Azerbaijan, but also by the whole Turkic world. He is a great poet who left an unforgettable mark on the memory of our nation with his works, poems, and thoughts.

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, Alim Bayel noted that national spirit, human values, ideas of freedom, and loyalty to the homeland and history are always at the forefront in Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s creative work.

Samad Seyidov, Chairman of the International and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee of the Milli Majlis, Musa Guliyev, Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Social Policy, Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TURKSOY and People’s Writer of the Kyrgyz Republic, Nadir Mammadli, Director of the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, Mehmet Sureyya Er, Secretary General of TURKPA, Maksat Mamitkanov, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan, and Ufuk Turganer, Representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus delivered speeches, discussing Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s literary heritage in detail. It was noted that the People’s Poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzade made significant contributions to the development of modern Azerbaijani literature with his valuable works. Bakhtiyar Vahabzade was one of the most powerful masters of words not only in Azerbaijan but also in the entire Turkic world. His works are read with great love not only in Azerbaijan, but also in Türkiye and other Turkic-speaking countries.

Within the framework of the event, the Secretary General of TURKSOY, Sultan Raev, was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of ANAS and presented with the Kashgari Medal.

The President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli also presented famous Mahmud Kashgari’s “Diwan Lughat al-Turk”, published by ANAS, to the Head of the Executive Power of Sheki city, Elkhan Usubov, and gifted the book of ANAS on distinguished figures to the House Museum of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade located in Sheki .

Later, Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s daughter, Gulzar Vahabzade, expressed her gratitude to the organizers of the conference in her speech.

The conference concluded with a concert program prepared by the Sheki-Zagatala Regional Department of Culture.

Reyhan Majidli, Public Relations, Press and Information Department of the Presidium Administration of ANAS

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