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Laman Ismayilova

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The 187th birthday anniversary of Hasan Bay Zardabi, a prominent figure in Azerbaijan's history, is celebrated today, Azernews reports.

His name is associated with the creation of the Azerbaijani theatre, the press, an advanced educational system, and the first charitable society.

Known as the founder of Azerbaijan's national press and a distinguished educator, Zardabi's legacy continues to be honoured with deep respect and admiration.

Born on June 28, 1837, in the village of Zardab in the Goychay district, Zardabi's early education began in a mollakhana and later continued in Tbilisi, where he completed his secondary education before graduating from Moscow University.

For many years, Hasan Bay Zardabi tried to implement his idea - publishing a newspaper in the Azerbaijani language.

He brought the necessary equipment from Istanbul and after some time, having overcome all difficulties, on July 22, 1875, "Akinchi" was published in the provincial printing house in Baku - the first newspaper in the Azerbaijani language, writing about a variety of news from local life and giving advice in the field of agriculture and medicine , hygiene.

Although short-lived, this publication marked a significant milestone in Azerbaijani journalism.

One of the main tasks of "Akinchi" from the first day was the dissemination of knowledge in the field of agriculture, various information about the latest methods of soil fertilisation, and the use of improved agricultural tools.

In addition, the publication gave a lot of advice on medicine, hygiene, and physiology. But most importantly, serious articles were published about the reasons for the backwardness of the population.

The newspaper received a great response: in a matter of days, its first issue was distributed not only in Azerbaijan, but also in Russia.

The newspaper was initially published twice a month with a circulation of 300-400.

Collaborating with Najaf Bay Vazirov and Asgar Agha Adigozalov, Zardabi played a pivotal role in staging Mirza Fatali Akhundzade's comedies "Haji Kara" and "Lankaran Khan's Vizier" in 1873. Notably, in 1901, he played a crucial role in establishing the first school for Azerbaijani girls in Baku.

On July 22, 1875, Zardabi made history by launching the first national newspaper in Azerbaijan, "Akinchi."

Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, Zardabi continued to contribute scholarly articles in Azerbaijani and Russian languages to various newspapers, including "Ziya," "Kashkul," "Kaspi," and "Novoye obozreniye," published in Baku and Tbilisi.

In his later years, Zardabi dedicated his efforts to the educational department of the Baku City Duma.

He passed away on November 28, 1907, and was laid to rest near the Old Bibiheybat Mosque. In 1957, his grave was relocated to Fakhri Alley, a testament to his enduring legacy.

Today, institutions such as the Azerbaijan Museum of Natural History and the Ganja Pedagogical Institute proudly bear his name, ensuring that Hasan Bay Zardabi's contributions to Azerbaijani culture and education are remembered for generations to come.

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

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