History

If you have never been to Azerbaijan and you plan to visit this country, or you just want to know more about it, you are at the right place. Here you will learn more about Azerbaijan, about the beauty of its nature, ancient culture and history, but also about the people, their customs and traditions which absorbed the elements of various cultures and civilizations.

Time has preserved a great number of archaeological and architectural monuments of ancient epochs. In the photographs in the gallery you can see the Azykh cave, Gobustan – the earliest dwelling site of primitive men, famous for its rock inscriptions skilfully drawn by ancient artists, the ruins of one of the earliest towns of Azerbaijn – Kabaia, sublime medieval architectural monuments of Nakhchivan, Barda, Baku, Shekhi and other cities.

The ancient stone writings, manuscripts, carpet designs which reached us from the ancient times would tell much to those who can, and, above all, are willing to read them, to familiarize with Azerbaijan, to learn the truth about this country, to look at it with kind eyes, with the eyes of friends.

Azerbaijan is a country of ancient culture. The Ogouz tribes, having migrated and settled in the region, found  deep-rooted traditions of culture created in the course of centuries by efforts of many generations, and the Ogouzes, in their turn, enriched it with the traditions of All-Turkic culture.

The talent and creative genius of the people is reflected in the books “Kitabi Dede Korkud”, “Ogouz-name”, “Koroglu” and other early literary monuments.

This fertile, generous and kind land is the cradle of many enlighteners, philosophers, scholars, poets, architects, musicians, artists. According to a legend,  Zoroastrianism was born here. Azerbaijan gave the world such outstanding people as Nizami Ganjevi, Khagani Shirvani, Bahmaniyar, Nasimi, Fizuli, Nasireddin Tusi, Shakh Ismail Khatai, Molla Panah Vagif, A. Bakikhanov, M.F. Akhundov, M.A. Sabir, J. Mammadgulizade, Gusein Javid, J.Jabarly, Samed Vurgun, Aliaga Vahid, Rasul Rza and many others.

The bright, colourful palette of nature of the  land has found its reflection in the canvases of Sattar Bahlulzade, Tahir Salahov, Togrul Narimanbeyov, Mikail Abdullayev and other talented masters of the brush.

Folk music, mugams have inspired many outstanding composers: Uzeir Hajibeyov, Muslim Magomayev, Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov, Niyazi, Arif Melikov, world-renowned singers Bul-Bul and Rashid Beibutov.

The famous Azerbaijani carpets look as if they absorbed all colours of nature and all stages of the history of their native land. Today, like magic flying carpets, crossing the frontiers of time, they spread around the world glorifying the craftsmanship of the carpet-makers.

Many museums of the world have  items of art and crafts of metal, ceramic, silk and wood made by  Azerbaijani craftsmen on display .

Science and education have deep roots in Azerbaijan. The establishment of the Baku State University in 1919 and the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in 1945 played a key role in the development of science, education and culture in the Republic. Today, the interests of the scientists range from the problems of the Caspian Sea and space research to mysteries of human brain and many other fields.

Tenths of higher and technical educational establishments, thousands of schools, colleges and Lyceums – that is the spectrum of educational orientation of Azerbaijan today.

One of the most important issues  which the Azerbaijani scientists are working on now is the ecology and preservation of the Caspian Sea and other regions of the country. The scientists have succeeded in preserving unique natural parks – Kisylagaj, Shirvan, Zakatala, Ag-gel, Girkan and others.

For decades now ,the structure of industry of Azerbaijan has been determined by oil-production, petrochemistry and refining. In agriculture – it is the growing of cotton, grapes, fruits and vegetables  and livestock-breeding.

On the turn of the 20th century Baku becomes the oil centre of the world. Businessmen from all over the world come here. Oil has turnedonce provincial town of Baku into one of the nicest cities of Europe. At that time outstanding architects of Europe, Russia and the East were working and creating here. The look of the city boasts organically interwoven Gothic, Barouqe and moresque styles and the architecture of the national Apsheron school. It was the fusion of these various trends that gave life to a unique architectural style, so-called “Baku eclectism”.

Since the end of the 19th century, thanks to the efforts of the Azerbaijani intellectuals and industrialists, various philanthropic institutions were set up with the aim to develop culture, education and health care. Since 1905 their number increased and the range of their activity widened considerably. The establishment fund of these institutions was made up of donations by wealthy merchants and industrialists, incidentally, the foundation of the most prestigious  Nobel Prize was laid down in Baku. Among the benefactors of that time Haji Zeinalabdin Tagiyev was especially notable. Millionaires Musa Nagiyev, Shamsi Asadullayev, Murtuza Mukhtarov and others were also participating actively in charity deeds. Thanks to their efforts new public buildings were put up, new schools and gymnasia opened, national dramatic art, health care, the press got boost in their development, the city’s water-supply was improved. Gifted young people were sent to study at the best universities of Europe and Russia.