On September 25, at the Circular Conference Hall of ANAS Main Building has started the international scientific symposium on “From Ashig Alasgar to Uzeyir Hajibeyli: Cultural Codes of the Turkic World” has organized by the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Foundation for Turkish Culture and Heritage and the Azerbaijan National Conservatory.
First, the symposium participants respectfully commemorated the memory of the National Leader of our people Heydar Aliyev and his lifelong companion, Academician Zarifa Aliyeva, and laid flowers at their graves in the Alley of Honor. They also visited the grave of the great Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli.
Later, the conference participants visited the Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Mahtimgulu Faraqi, China and Pakistan centers operating at the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS, as well as the Electronic Hall, and received information about their activities.
The opening ceremony of the international symposium was attended by the President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, members of the Presidium of ANAS, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Murad Huseynov, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Prof. Dr. Aktoty Raimkulova, the leadership of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, deputies of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, directors and employees of scientific institutions and organizations of ANAS, as well as scientists and media representatives from Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan.
Opening the event the President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that by the Decree of the Head of State dated February 3, 2025, this year, the 140th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani composer, creator of the first opera in the East, great musicologist-scientist, well-known public figure, academician Uzeyir Hajibeyli is being celebrated in our country and internationally.
Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that by using Azerbaijani folk music in his rich creativity that amazed the world, Uzeyir Hajibeyli actually created the vision that folk ashug music can become professional music, and as a result, ashug music is the source and great stage of our professional music. The head of ANAS said that the monumental work of the great Uzeyir Hajibeyli entitled “Fundamentals of Azerbaijani Folk Music” proves this.
Academician Isa Habibbeyli, who said that Uzeyir Hajibeyli was recognized worldwide as an outstanding representative of our great art, culture, art, public thought and science, drew attention to the fact that his 140th anniversary was celebrated at a high level at UNESCO with his participation these days. He noted that by returning to Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Ashig Alasgar, the whole world clearly saw how rich, unique and original our folk music and ashig art are, as well as how national and humane they are.
Although there are many famous composers in the history of world music, Uzeyir Hajibeyli stands out from them with his universal creativity and there is no one who can be compared to him, the President of ANAS noted that it is difficult to show a genius in musical art at this level, as our outstanding figure is the creator of the first opera in the East, as well as the founder of the conservatory, symphony orchestra and choir school in Azerbaijan.
Then, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Murad Huseynov, who spoke, said that extensive events dedicated to the 140th anniversary of Uzeyir Hajibeyli were held at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, and that the Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival, which began in 2009, was held for the 17th time this year. He noted that the 140th anniversary of the great composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli is also celebrated in various countries of the world, and international conferences, seminars, and symposiums are held.
President of the Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation, Prof. Dr. Aktoty Raimkulova, noted that the great Uzeyir Hajibeyli breathed new life into Azerbaijani and world music by combining Eastern and Western music and strengthened national identity by using folk creativity. Stating that Ashig Alasgar showed the way to the future with his gossams and epics, Aktoty Raimkulova emphasized that with today's event we will learn the music of the Turkic peoples and this will open up wide opportunities for future research.
Then, the event continued its work with plenary reports. The rector of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, Prof. Dr. Kamila Dadashzadeh, the director of the Ch. Aitmatov Institute of Language and Literature of the Kyrgyz National Academy of Sciences, Academician Abdyldajan Akmataliyev, the director of the Institute of Turkic World Studies of the Aegean University of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Metin Ekici and Hikmet Guliyev, Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, delivered plenary lectures.
Also, the deputy of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Hikmet Babaoglu, the general director of the M. Auezov Institute of Literature and Art of Kazakhstan, academician Kenjekhan Matzhanov, the rector of the Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts of Turkey, prof. Dr. Erhan Özden, and the director of the A. Navoi Literary Museum of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, prof. Dr. Jabbor Eshongulov, spoke about the musical culture of the Turkic peoples and wished success to the work of the symposium.
Then, a number of gifts and certificates were presented, and commemorative photos were taken.
It should be noted that the symposium will continue its work on September 25-26 at the Azerbaijan National Conservatory.
