Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

International Mugham Center marked the 300th anniversary of Azerbaijani poet Molla Panah Vagif on October 24.

The evening was organized by TV channel "Mədəniyyət" (Culture) and the International Mugham Center with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Trend life reported.

The mugham singers Ehtiram Huseynov, Abgul Mirzaliyev, Mammad Najafov, Babek Shushali, Khatai Hajiyev and Zeynal Ahmadov, accompanied by the instrumental ensemble "Aypara", presented the ghazels of Molla Panah Vagif "Baxdın maral kimi", "Sənə qurban", "Şirin yuxu olaydım", "Gözlərin "," Humayun təsnifi " etc.

Guests were shown fragments from the film of the Azerbaijani television "Vagif". The host of the evening was People's Artist Eldost Bayram. The concert program was met with great interest by the audience.

Media partners of the event are Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az, Azernews.az

Molla Panah Vagif was an 18th-century Azerbaijani poet, the founder of the realism genre in the Azerbaijani poetry and also a prominent statesman and diplomat, vizier – the minister of foreign affairs in the Karabakh khanate.

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

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".

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.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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