President Ilham Aliyev has signed a Decree on celebrating the 900th anniversary of the Great Azerbaijani poet Khagani Shirvani.
Elchi.az reports that the Decree states:
“In 2026, the 900th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet Afzaladdin Khagani Shirvani will be marked.
Khagani Shirvani is one of the giant figures that the golden age of Azerbaijani literature and culture has contributed to the treasury of universal culture. A powerful master of words who deeply knew the most diverse sciences of his time and rose majestically on the basis of the centuries-old cultural traditions of the East, left behind a rich heritage consisting of works of art standing at the pinnacle of poetry. The call for justice, the spirit of struggle and personal freedom, spiritual elevation, human dignity and faith in the power of intellect are the characteristic features of this rare heritage. The intellectual artist uniquely interpreted socio-historical events in his humanistic works of high aesthetic value, intertwined with socio-philosophical and didactic-moral thoughts, and recommended learning from them. Patriotic motifs, expressed in bright lyrical panels in Khagani’s works, are a complete poetic manifestation of the poet’s endless love for his native land and its beauties. Khagani Shirvani, who was amazingly closely connected with the cultural life of his century, greatly influenced the development of the literary and philosophical thought of the peoples of the Near and Middle East as a whole with the innovations he brought to classical literature. The master poets of subsequent centuries have always treated Khagani’s genius with respect and benefited from him as a school.”
According to the Decree, the Ministry of Culture, together with the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, must prepare and implement an action plan dedicated to the 900th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet Khagani Shirvani, and the Cabinet of Ministers must resolve the issues arising from this Decree.