Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited tomb of national leader Heydar Aliyev in Alley of Honors

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and family members have visited the tomb of the great son of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, in the Alley of Honors as May 10 marks the 99th anniversary of his birth.

President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the national leader Heydar Aliyev's tomb and paid tribute to him.

The national anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was played.

First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and the family members also put flowers at the tomb of the national leader Heydar Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva then placed flowers at the grave of the national leader's wife, outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva, as well as the tombs of prominent statesman Aziz Aliyev and renowned physician, scientist Tamerlan Aliyev.

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The Azerbaijani people's national leader, Heydar Aliyev, will always remain dear to his homeland and people for his unparalleled services. This genius is a great Azerbaijani who went down in history back when he was still alive. He remains in the annals of Azerbaijan as a unique leader, a powerful head of state and a selfless man. The great leader introduced Azerbaijan to the world. Heydar Aliyev's brilliant genius made him the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people and one of the most prominent around the world. "My life's mission has been to serve the people of Azerbaijan, our statehood, economic, political and cultural development of our country, which I love with all my heart," said Heydar Aliyev, who always aspired to create a strong Azerbaijan. Thanks to the services of the great politician, ideas such as statehood, Azerbaijanism, secularism and modernity have become an integral part of the worldview of our society and laid the groundwork for the existence and development of modern Azerbaijan. Through his activities, Heydar Aliyev created a mechanism for the transition to a democratic society in Azerbaijan and successfully completed the historical mission of forming a patriotic society. His years of leadership in Azerbaijan have been immortalized in our history as a period of national renaissance.

Great Heydar Aliyev became a National Leader because his moral qualities blended with a politician's talent and a great thinker. "It is possible to be in opposition to the government, but it is inadmissible to oppose the people, the Motherland and its high moral qualities," said great leader Heydar Aliyev, repeatedly proving this concept through his activities. Therefore, an entire period in the history of Azerbaijan is associated with the name of Heydar Aliyev. The main ideological philosophy of this period is Azerbaijanism.

This unarmed man created a powerful Azerbaijani Army, achieved a ceasefire on the frontline, revived the economy and laid the foundation of the outstanding oil era in the country. He achieved unprecedented success in the modern history of Azerbaijan. The period of Heydar Aliyev became the golden period of Azerbaijan's history, culture, science and education. This outstanding son of the Turkic world has also created a strong statehood school. Heydar Aliyev was a leader who skillfully overcame the most complex and controversial historical processes, did not lose his countenance even in the most challenging situations and always gave a realistic assessment of the interests of his people and country with a pragmatic mind and experience. The development strategy laid out by the Great Leader is being successfully continued by his worthy political successor, President Ilham Aliyev.

The greatest wish of National Leader Heydar Aliyev was the liberation of Karabakh from the clutches of the enemy and the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. One can't but remember the words of the Great Leader he said with great foresight years ago: "We will resolve the Karabakh issue. It takes time; it just does. Azerbaijan's lands can never be taken away from it, and our occupied lands will definitely be returned – whatever it may take."

This time came 17 years later. The dream and will of the genius were fulfilled by his worthy successor, the President of Azerbaijan and Victorious Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the mighty commander Ilham Aliyev. The Azerbaijani Army, created and developed by the Great Leader, drove the enemy out of the Azerbaijani lands under President and Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev's leadership, and Azerbaijan's tricolor flag now flies proudly in Shusha, the cradle of the Karabakh culture. Because "there is no Karabakh without Shusha, and there is no Azerbaijan without Karabakh!" One of the greatest dreams of the Great Leader has come true, and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has been restored. Azerbaijani people celebrate the 99th birthday anniversary of the great statesman and the founding father of modern and independent Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, with the joy of the glorious victory won in the 44-day Patriotic War.