President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Museum of Nizami Ganjavi built in Ganja with support from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the museum.

For more than eight centuries the works of Nizami Ganjavi have been an integral part of the spiritual life of our people. The entire life and the rich literary activity of the great master are associated with Ganja, a city known at the time not only as the largest city of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus but also as an important cultural center of the Middle East. The poet lived and worked here throughout his life, presenting the world of poetry with pearls of poetic art one better than another. With his works which represent universal human significance and possess a magical poetic force, Nizami Ganjavi enriched the Oriental artistic thinking with scientific and philosophical thoughts, elevating poetry to unseen heights. The famous "Khamsa" of the poet and thinker holds a rightful place among masterpieces of world literature. The immortal works of the great master opened a new bright page in the annals of artistic ideas of mankind and still serve the spiritual and moral development of people. Nizami Ganjavi's works adorn the most renowned libraries of the world, giving an impetus to the development of art, particularly the art of miniatures in the East. Over the years, the legacy of Nizami has been in the focus of the world’s academic and literary community. Our country has carried out tremendous work in the field of studying and promoting the literary heritage of the great poet. This process gained strength on the eve of the 800th birthday anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi. The first decision on celebrating the anniversary of the great poet at state level was passed in 1939. However, due to the outbreak of World War Two, the anniversary was marked only in 1947. Since that time there have been many studies related to the life and works of Nizami, as well as the time in which he lived. A magnificent mausoleum has been built in a place in Ganja where he is buried and a series of events carried out to perpetuate his memory.

In the 1970s, the republic entered a whole new stage in terms of studying its classical literary heritage. This stage was directly linked to the name of nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev. The decision "On measures to further improve the study, publication and promotion of the heritage of great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi", adopted on the initiative of great leader on 6 January 1979, identified the scope of work in this area and opened up broad prospects for systematic research of the heritage of the brilliant poet and the Azerbaijani culture of the Middle Ages as a whole. The decision on celebrating the 840th birthday anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi adopted in August 1981 created a radical change in studying the legacy of Nizami. The latest commemorative events related to Nizami Ganjavi were to be held in 1991 to mark the 850th birthday anniversary of the great master, but the deep political, economic and social crisis in the country prevented it from happening. Taking this into consideration, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order in 2011 to mark the 870th anniversary of the outstanding representative of world literature, great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi. On the order of the President, a museum of the brilliant poet was built in Ganja.

President Ilham Aliyev was informed that the construction of the museum of Nizami Ganjavi started at the end of 2012. It has been built near the mausoleum of Nizami Ganjavi. This enables the tourists coming here not only to visit the mausoleum but also receive a wealth of information about the life and work of the great poet. The bust of Nizami Ganjavi in front of the museum has been renewed.

The President examined the building of the museum. The museum has sections dedicated to great leader Heydar Aliyev and to Nizami Ganjavi. There is a display showing images about the life and works of the poet. The research department is well suited for conducting scientific research. The museum has an electronic kiosk which contains a wealth of information about the life and works of the great thinker. Museum exhibits reflect the rich heritage of Nizami Ganjavi. There are also copies of the orders and decisions of great leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev related to marking the anniversaries of Nizami Ganjavi, the restoration of his mausoleum, translation and research of the poet’s works. The museum demonstrates books and monographs published on the occasion of the 800th and 840th anniversaries of the great poet. On the occasion of the 870th anniversary of the poet there is a section displaying “Khamsa” published by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, monographs, originals and copies of unique manuscripts and miniatures of "Khamsa" stored at the national libraries of Austria, Russia, Germany, Britain, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina of Egypt, the Strasbourg library of France and the Metropolitan Museum of the United States. Considering the fact that the legacy of Nizami is always relevant, the training of young specialists studying the legacy of Nizami, the publication of his works in different languages, as well as the identification of new manuscripts of Nizami in reputable libraries and archives of the world, are of particular importance in studying the Azerbaijani culture. The era of Nizami and the entire literary heritage of the brilliant master of word are awaiting further research in the context of contemporary humanitarian thought and in the light of the ideology of Azerbaijanism. Given all this, the value of the museum built in Ganja is enormous.

The museum operates a conference room for various research activities. Visitors can also enjoy special lounges. The building also displays carpets woven with the portraits of Nizami Ganjavi and Mahsati Ganjavi.