Ghazi Burhanaddin: Eminent Representative of Azerbaijani Vernacular Poetry
Ghazi Burhanaddin, the poet, eminent statesman, and renowned military commander who laid the foundation of the first native-language divan, was born in 1344 in present-day Kayseri (Qaysariyyah), Turkey. The poet’s given name was Ahmad, his honorific was Abul-Abbas, and his pen name was Ghazi Burhanaddin. His father, Shamsaddin Muhammad, was among the prominent qazis (judges) of his time. Burhanaddin’s mother was the daughter of Abdullah Chelebi, son of Jalaladdin Mahmud Mustafa, a distinguished figure of the Seljuk period. Having lost his mother at an early age, Burhanaddin was raised by his father. In 1356, due to unrest in Qaysariyyah, Burhanaddin and his father relocated to Damascus.
Famous photographer Reza Deghati
Reza Deghati (Rza Diggati), the world-renowned French photographer of Azerbaijani origin, was born on July 26, 1952, in Tabriz to an Azerbaijani family. Deghati published his first photograph at age 14 in the magazine “Parvaz”. Although he studied architecture at Tehran University, he continued working as an amateur photographer. However, his photos displeased the Shah’s regime, leading to his imprisonment for 3 years and 5 months at age 22. After release, he abandoned his architecture studies to pursue professional photography, beginning with documenting the Iranian Revolution. Facing continued pressure, Deghati left Iran in 1981 for France.
Eminent composer Vasif Adigozalov
Vasif Zulfugar oghlu Adigozalov was born on July 28, 1935 in Baku city. Having received his initial music education in the piano class of a specialized music school, Vasif Adigozalov entered the Uzeyir Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Conservatory in 1953. He graduated from the conservatory in 1958 with a degree in composition and in 1959 with a degree in piano. Vasif Adigozalov began his creative work while still a student. His first compositions were performed in 1956 at the First Congress of Azerbaijani Composers.
Prominent educator and public figure Habib bey Mahmudbeyov
Habib bey Haji Ibrahimkhalil oghlu Mahmudbeyov, who made exceptional contributions to the formation of Azerbaijani enlightenment, was born on July 29, 1864, in Shamakhi. Descended from the Shirvan nobility, Habib bey’s great-grandfather, Haji Sadig, served as the renowned treasurer of Nadir shah, while his father, Haji Ibrahimkhalil bey, was recognized as one of Shamakhi’s distinguished and respected intellectuals. At the age of eight, Habib bey received his primary education at a local school under the guidance of scribe Mirza Huseyn, later enrolling in a city school.
Eminent poet Mohammad-Hosseyn Shahriyar
Mohammad-Hosseyn Shahriyar was born in 1906 in the Baghmesha district of Tabriz, into the family of Haji Miragha Khoshginab, a jurist. His father, while practicing law to support the family, played a significant role in his upbringing through his own love of poetry and music, which deeply influenced the young Shahriyar. His literary inclination emerged early: by age seven, he composed poetry in Azerbaijani, and by nine, in Persian, nurtured by his father’s extensive library. After receiving his preliminary education in a Tabriz madrasa, Shahriyar spent summer vacations in Khoshginab, at the foothills of Mount Heydarbaba, where he advanced his studies under the guidance of Molla Ibrahim.