Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, Head of the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Vatican Apostolic Archive, Mauro Mantovani, Executive Director of the Vatican Apostolic Library, and Rocco Ronzani, Executive Director of the Vatican Apostolic Archive, who are currently on a visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).

The guests were welcomed by the Director of the Institute, Academician Teymur Karimli.

President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, briefed the delegation on the architectural features of the historic building, the Institute’s main areas of activity, its rich manuscript collection, the rare historical documents preserved there, and the scientific research carried out at the institution.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that the building housing the Institute of Manuscripts was constructed between 1898 and 1901. He stated that, at the initiative of the renowned philanthropist and oil magnate Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, it originally opened as the Baku Girls’ School. In 1918, it served as the Parliament building of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first republic in the Islamic East. Following the establishment of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan, the building became the seat of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR.

The President of ANAS emphasized the exceptional importance of the manuscripts and historical documents preserved at the Institute for studying Azerbaijan’s history and cultural heritage.

The delegation visited the Institute’s repositories, where they familiarized themselves with the preservation conditions of manuscript collections and rare books and examined valuable manuscript copies and historical documents.

The guests also observed the restoration and bookbinding processes at the Institute’s Laboratory for the Hygiene, Conservation and Restoration of Manuscripts.

During the visit, Academician Isa Habibbeyli presented to the guests the oldest surviving manuscript copy of the works of the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi, transcribed in the 14th century and preserved at the Institute of Manuscripts.

Members of the delegation also visited the Institute’s exhibition hall, where they viewed manuscript copies of “Al-Tasrif” (On Surgery and Surgical Instruments) by the eminent Arab scholar Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, who lived in the Caliphate of Córdoba during the 10th–11th centuries; “The Canon of Medicine” by the great Eastern philosopher and physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna); and “Zakhirayi-Nizamshahi” by the 12th-century scholar Rustam Jurjani. They also became acquainted with “The Book of Flowers,” a poetry album by the poet Khurshidbanu Natavan featuring floral illustrations drawn by the poet herself.

The meeting was attended by Ilgar Mukhtarov, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Holy See; Soltan Mammadov, Member of Parliament and Head of the International Relations Department of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation; Huseyn Huseynov, Director of the Central Scientific Library; Esmira Alirzayeva, Head of the Department of International Scientific Cooperation of the ANAS Presidium Administration; Agahuseyn Shukurov, Head of the Department of Public Relations, Press and Information; and other officials.

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

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