Department of Ashig Art

The Department of Ashig Art was established in 2011. From 2011 to 2022, it was headed by Honored Cultural Worker, PhD in Art Studies, Associate Professor Ahliman Rahimov Rahim oglu.

Since 2022, the position has been held by Honored Cultural Worker, PhD in Art Studies, Associate Professor Samira Aliyeva.

In the 2022–2023 academic year, courses are taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the Department of Ashig Art.

The faculty members of the department have prepared a number of monographs and teaching aids on Ashig art. These publications primarily focus on the study of Ashig art across different regions, taking into account the influence of environmental factors. For example, notable works include the teaching aid “Ashig Melodies of Shirvan: Characteristics, Classification, and Teaching Methodology” (2014), co-authored by Ahliman Rahimov and Altay Mammadov; the monograph “The Performance Art of Shirvan Ashigs” (2016) by Ahliman Rahimov; the teaching aid “The Ashig Environment of Goycha (Based on the Works of Z. Abdulla)” (2019) by Nemat Gasimov; as well as the monographs “The Poetics of Zodlu Usta Abdulla” (2015) and “The Musical Creativity of Borchali Ashigs” (2019) by Hafiz Karimov.
Fazail Orujov’s monograph “Manifestations of the Dastan Genre in Azerbaijani Theater Culture” (2005), the teaching aid “Ashig Art and Theater” (2017), and Samira Aliyeva’s teaching aid “Dastan Performance as a One-Actor Theater” present the unique features of dastan traditions in comparison with theatrical art.
Since the 2016–2017 academic year, the department has been offering the course “Specialization — Notation Performance.” In this regard, Hafiz Karimov’s sheet music guide “Works of Azerbaijani Composers (Transcriptions and Arrangements for Saz and Piano)” (2021) is also of significant importance.
Additionally, valuable publications for the study of Ashig art include books prepared by Altay Mammadov—who is also a staff member of the Azerbaijani Ashigs’ Union—and published under the auspices of the Azerbaijani Ashigs’ Union: “The Dastan Tale of Novres Iman” (2019), “Anthology of Poems by Contemporary Azerbaijani Ashigs” (2019), “Folk Artists of Derbent” (2020), “Ashig Divanis and Mukhammases” (2022), “Ashig Tecnis” (2022), and “Ashig Deishmes” (2022). These works represent valuable contributions to the study of Ashig art.

A number of significant events have been organized by the Department of Ashig Art. Notably, in 2018, concerts dedicated to the works of master ashigs Panah Panahov and Miskin Vali were held at the Seda Training Theater. In 2019, a concert dedicated to the Sufi sheikh Miskin Abdal took place at the International Mugham Center. In 2024, the concert “Spring Months Have Come Again” was held, honoring the creativity of Ashig Ahliman Rahimov.
In 2021, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the great ashig poet Alesker, the department organized a nationwide competition titled “I am Alesker, Above All Sciences” among students studying the “Ashig Art” (saz) specialty in secondary specialized and higher education institutions across Azerbaijan.
Additionally, in 2022, the event “Return of Karabakh” was held; in 2023, a concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts (ADUCA); and the concert project “Unwavering in Hope and Aspiration, From Homeland to Homeland” in 2023, dedicated to the love of homeland among Western Azerbaijanis.

The department’s staff regularly participate in events of national importance as well as international events abroad.
Altay Mammadov took part in the 2016 “5th Turkic World Ashigs Festival and Pervin Behmani Qashqai Folk Science Symposium” held in Giresun, Turkey; the international scientific conference on “The Epic of Koroglu and Its Role in World Culture” in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; the 2018 “Turkic World Korkut Ata Ashigs Caravan” festival in Osmaniye, Turkey; and the 2019 5th International Festival of World Peoples’ Epics in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Nemat Gasimov participated in the Novruz celebration event in Moscow (2012), organized under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan; and the “Science and Culture Festival” in Turkey (2013).
Fazail Orujov took part in the Muslim World Music Festival in Malaysia, as well as an international conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2016.
Samira Aliyeva performed at the 2019 International Bakhshi Festival in Uzbekistan and participated in the 2022 “Year of Shusha” event organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani diaspora in Austria.
Hafiz Karimov gave a presentation at the 2016 “Turkey-Georgia Bektashi Culture and Ozans” symposium held in Tbilisi.

The faculty members of the department actively participate in events organized by UNESCO in Azerbaijan. In March 2009, during a series of concerts held in France dedicated to the inclusion of Ashig art in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Altay Mammadov, Nemat Gasimli, and Samira Aliyeva duly represented Ashig art.
In 2012, UNESCO…

A film dedicated to the creativity of Nemat Gasimov was produced under the auspices of UNESCO. In 2012, Nemat Gasimov participated in a state event marking the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan-UNESCO relations. In 2019, he took part in a cultural event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO.
Also in 2019, Samira Aliyeva and Hafiz Karimov, together with the department’s students, performed at the opening ceremony of the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku.
Additionally, Nemat Gasimov showcased his talents at the concert dedicated to the 2015 European Games. Samira Aliyeva and Murad Samedzade performed at the “Kharibulbul” festival in Shusha in 2021, and Samira Aliyeva again demonstrated her skills at the 5th International Kharibulbul Folklore Festival in Shusha in 2022.

The faculty members of the department have been active participants in a number of significant events related to Ashig art held in Azerbaijan. Ahliman Rahimov, Altay Mammadov, Nemat Gasimov, Fazail Orujov, and Samira Aliyeva took part in the 1st and 2nd International Ashig Festivals held in Baku in 2010 and 2014, respectively.
In 2013, Nemat Gasimov, together with the department’s students, participated in the opening ceremony of the Gedabey Ashig School.
Samira Aliyeva delivered a successful performance as Leyli in the premiere of the epic drama “Leyli and Majnun”, dedicated to the 880th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi.
In connection with the 200th anniversary of the great ashig poet Alesker, the department’s staff took part in numerous events and organized a national competition at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts (ASUCA).

On various occasions, Samira Aliyeva, Nemat Gasimov, and Fazail Miskinli performed together with the department’s students at the official Novruz celebrations in Azerbaijan, which were solemnly attended by the President of the Republic.
In 2022, Samira Aliyeva founded the “Sazəndə Ashigs Group” composed of students from the Department of Ashig Art and presented the project titled “From Misri to Jangi.”

The faculty members of the Department of Ashig Art have been awarded various national and international honors for their scientific and cultural contributions.

List of prominent events organized by the Department of Ashig Art:

• May 20, 2021 — concert dedicated to Republic Day.
• December 13–15, 2021 — competition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Ashig Alesker.
• December 8, 2022 — concert “Return of Karabakh.”
• April 11, 2023 — concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts (ASUCA).
• June 17, 2023 — concert project “Unwavering in Hope and Aspiration, From Homeland to Homeland” dedicated to the love of homeland among Western Azerbaijanis.
• April 6, 2024 — concert “Spring Months Have Come Again” dedicated to the creativity of Honored Cultural Worker Ashig Ahliman Rahimov.