By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Gazakh Literature Museum will mark the 300th anniversary of Azerbaijani poet Molla Panah Vagif on December 4.

The event within the large-scale project "Treasury of Secrets" was co-organized by the International Mugham Center, the National Library, and the National Conservatory with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Executive Power of Gazakh region.

Chairman of the Ataturk Center in Azerbaijan, member of the Parliament Nizami Jafarov, director of the Azerbaijan National Library, professor Kerim Tahirli, chairman of the Azerbaijan Ashugs Association, professor Maharram Gasimli, professor Rustam Kamal, chairman of the Karabakh regional department of Azerbaijan's Writers Union, doctor philosophical sciences, professor and poet Anvar Akhmad, chairman of Gazakh regional branch of Azerbaijan's Writers Union, poet Barat Vusal and others will take part in the event, Trend Life reported.

Actress of the Yerevan State Drama Theater named after Jafar Jabbarli, Ph.D. in philology, Zulfiya Eldargizi, will read lyric poems and gazelles written by great poet.

The event starts at 15:00.

The founder of the realism genre in the Azerbaijani poetry established himself as one of the most influential Azerbaijani poets. He was also a prominent statesman and diplomat, vizier – the minister of foreign affairs in the Karabakh khanate.

After coming to Shusha, the capital of the Karabakh khanate at the time, Vagif became popular and beloved among the people due to his knowledge and talents. There was even a saying: "Not every literate person can be Vagif".

He was one of the most educated personalities of his time, who knew Arabic and Persian languages, studied astronomy and architecture.

With his participation, a defense alliance was concluded between Karabakh, Georgia, Talysh and Erivan khanates against Iran. He was the initiator of negotiations with Russia.

After the death of Vagif, manuscripts of his poems were destroyed or robbed.

Nevertheless, some of the poems remained in the memory of ashugs, and many people even collected and copied his works in special books named "jungs".

The first collection with his poems "Vagif and his contemporaries", which included 70 works, was published in 1856 by the historian Mirza Yousif  Karabakhi in Temir Khan Shura, Dagestan.

Molla Panah Vagif was one of the most outstanding Azerbaijani poets in the Middle Ages. His works had a great influence on the further development of national poetry. The poet used all the classical forms of Eastern poetry.

A special place in his work is taken by the poetic form-goshma. The lyrics of the poet are cheerful. In his poems, Vagif honestly talks  about life and its hardships, finding philosophical meaning even in sorrows. Many works are also devoted to love theme.

His work had a great influence on the further development of national poetry.

Notably, a number of events devoted to the creativity of poet and thinker Muhammad Fizuli, Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan, mugham master Yagub Mammadov were also held as part of the project.