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Laman Ismayilova

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An opening ceremony has been held at the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan for the exhibition titled "Baku. 1926: Language, Thought, Unity," dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress, AzerNEWS reports.

The exhibition was jointly organized by the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. The project aims to present to the wider public the historical significance of the First Turkological Congress, the shared scientific and cultural heritage of Turkic peoples, and the developmental stages of Turkology as a field of science.

Opening the event, Director of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, academician Naila Valikhanli, stated that the First Turkological Congress was a turning point in the scientific and cultural history of the Turkic world. She noted that it laid an important foundation for the scientific study of fundamental issues such as history, language, literature, alphabet, terminology, toponymy, and ethnography of Turkic peoples, as well as for defining future development directions in these fields.

She emphasized that many of the ideas put forward by the congress participants 100 years ago remain relevant today and continue to serve as key directions for cultural integration in the Turkic world. According to her, decisions and proposals on alphabet and orthography, terminology, teaching methods, and common literature still retain their importance.

Valikhanli also noted that today more favorable conditions exist for implementing the goals defined by the First Turkological Congress, and that strengthening cultural and spiritual unity among Turkic peoples creates broad opportunities for realizing these ideas. She added that exhibitions presenting this historical legacy play an important role in preserving and passing it on to future generations.

Deputy Minister of Culture Sadaat Yusifova stated that the 1926 Congress held in Baku was a major milestone not only for Azerbaijan but for the entire Turkic world. She emphasized its contribution to strengthening cooperation in language, culture, and science, as well as to the development of Turkology.

She also noted that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, relations of friendship, brotherhood, and strategic partnership among Turkic states continue to develop consistently, while the protection and promotion of shared historical and cultural heritage remains a priority of state policy.

President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Aktoty Raimkulova, stated that the First Turkological Congress marked an important stage in the intellectual history of the Turkic world and gave strong impetus to ideas of common language, culture, and scientific cooperation. She described the exhibition as an expression of respect for shared historical memory and rich cultural heritage.

Raimkulova also noted that the Foundation has implemented several international projects to mark the centenary of the Congress, including the publication of a major scholarly monograph, international exhibitions and scientific symposiums, and educational media projects. These initiatives aim to preserve and promote the shared historical memory of the Turkic world and strengthen scientific and cultural cooperation among Turkic states.

After the speeches, participants familiarized themselves with the exhibition.

The exhibition presents key historical themes such as the shared cultural roots of Turkic peoples, alphabet reforms in the 19th–20th centuries, the language policy of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the New Turkic Alphabet movement, the First Turkological Congress of 1926, the repressions of 1937–1938, and the reintegration of the Turkic world in the period of independence.

The exposition includes rare documents from the collections of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan and the National Archives Administration of Azerbaijan, official protocols and reports of the Congress, periodical press materials, as well as photographs and valuable historical items from the private collection of Professor Adalat Tahirzadeh.

Photo Credits: Azerbaijan Culture Ministry