Azernews.Az

By Laman İsmayilova

Molla Panah Vagif is considered the founder of the realism genre in the Azerbaijani poetry.

Vagif's poems have had a great influence on Azerbaijani folklore. Most of them are repeatedly used in the folk music of ashiqs.

Molla Panah Vagif was born in 1717 in the village of Salahly. However, the poet spent most part of his life in Karabakh.

Soon after coming to Shusha, the capital of the Karabakh khanate at the time, Vagif became popular and beloved among the people thanks to his talents and wisdom.

There was even a saying: "Not every literate person can be Vagif".

As vizier, Vagif did much for the prosperity and political growth of the Karabakh khanate. Also, he played an important role in organizing the defense of Shusha during the incursions of Aga Muhammad shah Qajar of Persia in 1795 and 1797.

His verses were collected for the first time in 1856 and published by Mirza Yousif Nersesov.

Soon afterwards, his verses were published by Adolf Berge in Leipzig in 1867 with the assistance of the Azerbaijani playwright Mirza Fatali Akhundov.

The mausoleum on the grave of the Azerbaijani poet and statesman was built through instructions of the national leader Heydar Aliyev in 1982.

The mausoleum was built by sculptor A. Mustafayev based on the design by a member of the National Academy of Sciences Abdul Vakhav Salamzade and well-known architect E.I. Kanukov.

It is located in the southwestern part of Shusha, by the Jidir Duzu plain, where the poet was killed and is a part of Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve.

The design of the mausoleum follows the pattern of Azerbaijani mausoleums architectural compositions such as Nizami Mausoleum in Ganja. It rises to 18 meters in height.

The bottom part of the monument is built with reddish Karabakh marble plates, white and grey marble.

Aluminium is used for the decoration pattern in the entire length of the mausoleum. The poet's name was engraved above the entrance door.

Molla Panah Vagif Mausoleum has been heavily damaged as a result of Armenian agression.

As a result of Armenian aggression, Molla Panah Vagif Mausoleum has been heavily damaged in Shusha.

The complex building and dozens of exhibits contained there were destroyed after the occupation of Shusha by Armenia in 1992. Some transportable exhibits were carried to Armenia.

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