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Laman Ismayilova

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International Conference titled "Mapping the World in Lexicography: on the 950th anniversary of Diwan Lughat al-Turk," has been held at at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Azernews reports.

The 950th anniversary of the famous work by Mahmud Kashgari, Diwan Lughat al-Turk- one of the most valuable books in the Turkic world-was celebrated within UNESCO.

The international conference brought together was successfully concluded at the UNESCO headquarters, at the initiative of the National Commissions for UNESCO of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Hungary and jointly organized by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, as well as the Permanent Representations to UNESCO.

The international conference was moderated by Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev.

In his speech, Elman Abdullayev noted that the eternal legacy of the work of Mahmud Kashgari, a masterpiece and testament to the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Turkic-speaking world, is being celebrated.

"This decision emphasizes the importance of preserving such cultural treasures as part of the common heritage of humanity, and demonstrates UNESCO's commitment to supporting initiatives that celebrate and protect linguistic and cultural identities around the world," he added.

The conference conveyed to a wide audience its goals of re-examining the significance of Mahmud Kashgari's monumental work created in the 11th century, emphasizing its relevance for the modern era, and proposing new initiatives to pass this heritage on to future generations.

President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Aktoty Raimkulova stressed the great importance of celebrating the 950th anniversary of Diwan Lughat al-Turk, regarded as one of the most valuable works of the common Turkic cultural heritage within the framework of UNESCO in 2024-2025, the historical essence of this masterpiece and the role it currently plays in intercultural dialogue.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General of the Africa Department and External Relations Firmin Edouard Matoko welcomed the conference participants. He emphasized the great significance of this work by Mahmud Kashgari not only for the Turkic world, but also for the global cultural heritage, calling “Divan-u Lughat-it-Türk” an encyclopedia reflecting the history of the Turkic peoples.

President of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), academician Isa Habibbayli, Director of the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics, Professor Nadir Mammadli, Acting Head of the Department of Speech Culture and Monitoring at Nasimi Institute of Linguistics, Associate Professor Vafa Abdullayeva-Nabiyeva, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, provided detailed information on the research, translation into Azerbaijani and publication of Diwan Lughat al-Turk.

In their remarks, members of the Azerbaijani delegation recalled the words of President Ilham Aliyev "Our family is the Turkic world!" and drew attention to the fact that today's international conference is a continuation of this idea.

In addition, a specially prepared replica of the Diwan Lughat al-Turk, the original of which is kept in the Ali Emiri Efendi Library in Istanbul, was exhibited as part of the event, as well as stands reflecting the history of the work and information about Mahmud Kashgari.

At the 42nd General Conference of UNESCO, the 950th anniversary of Diwan Lughat al-Turk (Compendium of Turkic Dialects and Languages) written by lexicographer and philologist Mahmud Kashgari (1074) was included in the list of anniversaries related to UNESCO for 2024-2025.

This decision was made based on the joint proposal of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with the support of Hungary, Mauritania, Morocco, Qatar and Tajikistan.

The conference was held with the support of the national commissions of the Turkic states to UNESCO, as well as their permanent representations.

The event was attended and delivered by ambassadors of Turkic states accredited to France, Secretaries General of the National Commissions for UNESCO and permanent representatives to UNESCO, prominent scholars from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Hungary and other countries, representatives of international organizations, as well as well-known intellectuals of the Turkic world.

Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev made a closing speech and stated that Diwan Lughat al-Turk is much more than a linguistic masterpiece, it is a bridge connecting cultures, languages ​​and history.

A book "Mahmud Kashgari's Diwan Lughat al-Turk", published with the support of the Azerbaijani National Commission for UNESCO was also presented as part of the event.

According to information preserved in the Istanbul National Library and recorded on the last page of the only existing copy, M. Kashgari began writing this masterpiece in 1072 and completed it two years later. Various sources mention that he intended to present this work to the Turkish ruler of the time, Sultan Muhammad Alp Arslan. However, due to the martyr's death of the ruler, the work was presented to the Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, Muhammad al-Muqtadi Bi-Amrillah, who ruled in Baghdad from 1075 to 1095.

The work is considered the first dictionary of the Turkic language family, written by M. Kashgari to teach the Turkic language to Arabs and to demonstrate that it is richer than Arabic. During the writing of this work, M. Kashgari visited various Turkic regions of the 11th century and based his work on the linguistic materials he gathered.

In addition to being a dictionary, it also serves as a grammatical compendium that reflects the characteristics of the 11th-century Turkic language, shedding light on phonetic and morphological knowledge. Furthermore, the work provides information about Turkic surnames, individuals, and geographical names and contains rich information about Turkic history, geography, mythology, folklore, and oral literature. It is also notable as an encyclopedic work that offers insights into the medicine and healing methods of that time.