A solemn conference was held in Shaki on May 18 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, the revered People’s Poet and a towering figure in modern Azerbaijani literature. Co-organized by the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and the Mahmud Kashgari International Foundation, the event brought together leading scholars, government officials, diplomats, and cultural figures to honor Vahabzade’s enduring legacy.
Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s profound contributions to Azerbaijani and Turkic literature were at the forefront of the commemoration. His works, widely celebrated for their national spirit, moral integrity, and dedication to ideals such as freedom, unity, and identity, continue to resonate in Azerbaijan, Turkey, and across the Turkic-speaking world.
The conference was attended by representatives of ANAS, the Shaki City Executive Authority, ambassadors from Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other Turkic countries, along with officials from TURKPA, TURKSOY, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, members of the Milli Majlis, and prominent intellectuals.
Prior to the conference, attendees paid tribute by laying flowers at the statue of the National Leader and toured the Heydar Aliyev Center, the venue of the event.
Elkhan Usubov, Head of the Shaki City Executive Authority, highlighted ongoing regional celebrations in line with President Ilham Aliyev’s decree commemorating Vahabzade’s centenary. Usubov praised the poet’s remarkable literary output that preserved national and moral values shaped over centuries and underlined his contributions as a scholar whose works remain a subject of academic study.
A documentary film dedicated to Vahabzade’s life and works was screened during the event.
Isa Habibbeyli, President of ANAS, emphasized Shaki’s rich cultural heritage, noting it as the birthplace of many luminaries, including Mirza Fatali Akhundzadeh and Rashid bey Afandiyev. He described Vahabzade’s poetry as “as pure as Shaki’s air and as clear as its springs,” dedicated to the spiritual awakening of the Azerbaijani people and the unity of the Turkic world. Habibbeyli cited praise from Chingiz Aitmatov, who regarded Vahabzade as a “thinker-poet with a strong national mindset.”
Javanshir Feyziyev, Member of the Milli Majlis and President of the Mahmud Kashgari International Foundation, noted that Vahabzade remains one of the most beloved poets in Azerbaijan and the wider Turkic world, admired for his creativity and profound insight.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Birol Akgün, spoke of Vahabzade’s lasting impact on the collective memory of the Turkic peoples, emphasizing themes of homeland, freedom, human rights, and identity in his poetry.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador Alim Bayel recalled Vahabzade’s emphasis on national spirit and civic responsibility, remembering him as a poet and a devoted citizen.
Additional speeches were delivered by key figures including Samed Seyidov, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations; Musa Guliyev, Chair 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 Kyrgyzstan; and other dignitaries who reflected on Vahabzade’s literary and cultural legacy.
Gulzar Vahabzade, the poet’s daughter, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the organizers for preserving her father’s memory.
In recognition of his contributions, TURKSOY Secretary-General Sultan Raev was awarded the title of honorary professor by ANAS and received the prestigious Kashgari Medal.
The commemorative event concluded with a cultural concert presented by the Shaki-Zagatala Regional Department of Culture, celebrating the enduring influence of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade on Azerbaijani literature and identity.
