Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has declared 2019 as a Year of Nasimi in the country as he chaired the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socioeconomic development of 2018 and objectives for the future.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed that taking into account the 650-th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet Imadaddin Nasimi, he declared 2019 as a Year of Nasimi in Azerbaijan, Trend reported.

Seyyid Imadeddin Nasimi was a great Azerbaijani poet and eminent figure in the poetry and philosophical thought of the Orient. He was the founder of a school of philosophical poetry in the Azerbaijani language.

Known mostly by his pen name Nasimi, he created a number of works in Azerbaijani, Persian and Arabic.

His poetry is rooted in the social, political and cultural development of the countries of the Near and Middle East, and especially of his homeland, Azerbaijan.

Having thought his life, the poet wrote about 300 poems, including ghazals, qasidas ("lyrics"), and rubais ("quatrains").

His Turkic Divan is considered his most important work, which contains 250–300 ghazals and more than 150 rubais.

After his death, Nasimi's works continued to exercise a great influence on many Turkic language poets such as Fuzuli (1483–1556), Khatai (1487–1524).

By the way, the first ever Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts, and Spirituality was held in Azerbaijan last year.

The event was co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and supported by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture.

The festival was held under the slogans "Beyond the Limited Self", reflecting the philosophical views of the poet, and "I am a Particle, I am the Sun" which are the poet’s lines.

Exhibitions, installations, video projections, fashion show, concerts were organized as part of the festival.

The project was implemented on an international scale with the participation of world-famous singers, philosophers, scientists, who write about spirituality in modern society, as well as professionals, amateurs in this field and young people.

Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality was also held in Russia.

The festival named after one of the brilliant poets and thinkers of the East, Imadaddin Nasimi took place at the Moscow State University and the Institute of Asian and African Studies.

Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony. The event was supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia.

A scientific-practical conference on "Nasimi's spiritual heritage in the historical and cultural context of the Middle Ages in the East" was held within the festival.

Influence of Islamic mysticism on the formation of the humanist outlook of the poet, the literary-philosophical heritage of Nasimi and other topics were discussed at the conference.

Notably, TURKSOY Permanent Council of Culture Ministers proclaimed 2019 as the year of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker, Imadeddin Nasimi, as well as the great Turkish poet, Asık Veysel.

The decision was adopted at the council's 36th meeting held in Kastamonu, Turkey.

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

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