Mustafa Shabanov: A New Manuscript Related to the Heritage of Fuzuli has been Discovered

Protecting the common cultural heritage of the Turkic world and strengthening scientific cooperation are vital priorities. Events marking the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress help reinforce the scientific and cultural unity of the Turkic world.

According to AZERTAC, Mustafa Shabanov, First Secretary of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, made the remarks at the 8th international scientific symposium titled “From a Common Turkic Past to a Common Turkic Future”.

He noted that the international recognition and promotion, within the framework of UNESCO, of Nowruz, the “Book of Dede Gorgud”, lavash, tea culture, the anecdotes of Molla Nasreddin, and other examples of shared heritage represent successful outcomes of cooperation among the Turkic states.

Mustafa Shabanov noted that the nomination “Craftsmanship knowledge and cultural practices related to the preparation of Pakhlava/Baklava,” jointly submitted by Azerbaijan and Türkiye, as well as a nomination on the art of felt-making prepared by several Turkic states, are currently under UNESCO's consideration.

A key highlight of the speech was the discovery of a new manuscript related to the legacy of Muhammad Fuzuli. Mustafa Shabanov said that the ancient manuscript contains more than 300 ghazals, qasidas, rubais, and other poems written by Muhammad Fuzuli in Azerbaijani Turkic. According to him, the manuscript has already been made available for scholarly study with the participation of researchers from the Nəsimi Institute of Linguistics of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).

He stated that the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO is ready to provide financial support to publish a facsimile edition of the manuscript and an edition in the modern Azerbaijani alphabet. He also called on Turkologists and relevant academic institutions to join international cooperation efforts in this area.

The First Secretary of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO emphasized that the symposium would make an important contribution to launching new joint scientific projects and initiatives and to ensuring that the rich cultural heritage of the Turkic world is passed on to future generations.