Institute of Manuscripts, National Academy of Sciences

Nigar Babakhanova. International Relations of the Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad with UNESCO // J. of “Manuscripts Don’t Burn". Special issue, 2019, pp. 109-113.

Nigar Babakhanova Ph.D in History Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli, ANAS 26 Istiglaliyat Street, E-mail: [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF MANUSCRIPTS NAMED AFTER MUHAMMAD FUZULI WITH UNESCO

Key words: manuscripts, UNESCO, international relations, cultural heritage

Scientific-cultural cooperation, including exchange of knowledge, books and informa- tion in intergovernmental international relations is an integral part of international relations, and the successful foreign politics of any government and its position in the international arena have a direct impact on the scientific cooperation that this government’s scientific-cul- tural institutions implement. The role of international organizations at all stages of society’s development is undeniable. The development of cooperation relations between governments historically has led to appearance of international organizations. And at the present time, their role continuously increases. The key goal of these organizations is to develop cooperation bet- ween countries; draft relevant projects for mutually interesting issues; enhance the coopera- tion of nations in education, science and culture, irrespective of race, sex, language and relig- ion; and ensure strengthening of peace and security between these relations. The activity of UNESCO is focused on providing assistance to projects for practical im- provement of education standards globally; knowledge exchange; and international coopera- tion in science, education and culture. The organization tries to enhance scales and improve the quality of Mass Media, as well as ensure better living conditions through scientific re- searches and cooperation all over the world. UNESCO, which is a specialized UN institute, is the largest global intergovernmental forum of cooperation in the spheres of education, science, culture, information and communi- cation in the world. The organization was established on November 16, 1945 and the head- quarter of the organization was situated in France’s capital city Paris. At the present time, UNESCO consists of 195 countries and 10 Associative Members. After restoring its independence, the Republic of Azerbaijan was taken as a member to UNESCO on June 3, 1992. In December 1993, Azerbaijan met with UNESCO’s General Di- rector Federico Mayor within the framework of the official visit of President Heydar Aliyev to the Republic of France. The relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCO, which is the UN organization for science, education and culture, to maintain and promote its rich cultural heritage were very efficient in the previous period. According to Article 7 of the Charter of

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UNESCO, which is the UN Organization for Education, Science and Culture, Member-States shall take relevant measures to coordinate the activity of institutions engaging in education, science and culture with the work of UNESO by establishing firstly a National Commission. Consequently, necessary steps were taken for the establishment of the National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and according to the Executive Order dated Feb- ruary 21, 1994 of Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, the National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Azerbaijan under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan was established. And in 1996, a cooperation memorandum was signed between UNESCO and Azerbaijan. Since that time, our relations with UN are enhanced. On August 13, 2004, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, the President of the Foundation of Heydar Aliyev was rewarded with the title of UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador for her tireless efforts to preserve and develop the verbal folklore and musical heritage of Azerbaijan. And after that, the relations between this organization and Azerbaijan started to further develop. Until now, important documents were signed and actions were taken to develop the co- operation with UNESCO in the spheres of science, education and culture. UNESCO conducts scientific researches, training of personnel, and flow, transfer and exchange of knowledge through trainings in compliance with relevant normative acts. In 1998-1999, this UN organi- zation for education, science and cultural issues (UNESCO) offered a new initiative and de- veloped a specific new program titled the World Memory to preserve rare examples of the documented heritage. The Global Heritage List of UNESCO includes a Magazine, summary of documents, manuscripts, verbal heritages, audio-visual materials, librarian property and invaluable archives. This list consists of the heritage of documents, which is recognized by UN as the property of global importance. There are also samples for presentation of the Member-States themselves and for recording and preserving their national and local heritages within it. The organization invites all the Member-States to create the register of their docu- mented heritages. These registers develop progressively in parallel to the Global List thanks to the continuous work of the National Committee for the World Memory. The official cooperation of the Institute of Manuscripts of Azerbaijan National Acad- emy of Sciences, named after Muhammad Fuzuli with UNESCO has started since 2002. That year Ramiz Aboutalibov, the General Secretary of the Azerbaijan-France Friendship Society sent a letter to Mahmud Karimov, who was the President of ANAS that time, and informed him of the UNESCO Program titled Global Memory, which was available in various places of the world since 1992 and informed him that at that time, the World Memory Register included 68 collections from 33 countries. The General Secretary, by referring to the letter sent to him by Mr. Abdoul Vahid Khan, UNESCO Deputy General Director for Communication and In- formation, recommended him to establish a National Committee for the World Memory and invited him to present the documented heritage examples of global importance. Afterward, a close cooperation was established between the Institute and the UNESCO Committee and three medieval Azerbaijani manuscripts about the history of medicine and pharmacology, be- ing maintained at the Institute, were presented. At the session dated June 13-17, 2005 of the International Commission for UNESCO Program of World Memory, three medieval Azer- baijani manuscripts about the history of medicine and pharmacology, offered from the collec- tion of the Institute of Manuscripts of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, named after Muhammad Fuzuli, were included in the Word Memory Register. One of the manuscripts included in 2005 is Volume 13 of 30-Volume work about medi- cine and surgery of great Arabian scientist Aboulgasim Zahravi who lived in Spain in Cor- dova Kalifate in the 10-11th centuries, titled Al-Magalatus-Salasin (About Surgery and Surgi- cal Tools), which is the most valuable and interesting part of this encyclopedic work. In the book, the pictures of about 200 surgical tools were provided and the use of them was ex- plained. The Manuscript consisting of 156 pages was copied out through the Naskh script

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Institute of Manuscripts, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences style with the black mascara in the 12th century. The surgical tools given in the book were drawn clearly. Another manuscript of the Institute – the manuscript of Volume 2 of the work titled Al- Ganun fit-Tibb (Medicine Rules) of great Eastern scientist Abu Ali Ibn Sina () draws attention with its antiquity and perfectness. The work was copied out 106 years after the death of the author in 537 of the hegira calendar (or 1143 of the current calendar. In this sense, this copy of the manuscript is one of the most reliable copies. The Medical Rules was regarded as the most perfect and unique encyclopedic work written about the medicine in the medieval period both in the West and East. After the translation of this work from into Latin in the 12th century by Jerard of Cremona (1140-1187), it had been regarded as the best textbook on the medicine at European Universities for centuries. The book had gained such a fame that genius painter and sculptor Michelangelo said the followings about it: ‘It is better to go wrong by following Avicenna than achieving success by following others.’ The work titled Zahireyi-Nizamshahi of Roustam Jurjani, a scientist of the 12th century is about the medicine and pharmacology. It is supposed that it was copied out in the 13th cen- tury. The manuscript consists of 487 pages. It was copied out with the blank ink through the fine and elegant Nastalig script style. The 1st page of the manuscript was decorated with the gilt and ornaments. The full text of the manuscript was bordered with gilded frames. The manuscript version of Roustam Jurjani’s work titled Zahireyi-Nizamshahi was not found in another place of the world, except the ANAS Institute of Manuscripts named Muhammad Fuzuli. At the present time, these manuscripts are preserved at the fund of ANAS Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli. Furthermore, at that time, two UNESCO representatives - Ms. Ann Brisse, a professor of Ottawa University and Herr Gerhard Budin, a terminology expert from Vienne visited the Institute of Manuscripts and after getting familiar with the situation at the Institute, talked about some projects within the framework of the future cooperation. The copy of the manuscript of the Divan of great Azerbaijani poet Muhammad Fuzuli in Turkish (Azeri) was included in the World Memory Register. Although before that three me- dieval manuscripts about the history of medicine, being maintained at the Institute of Manu- scripts were included in the UNESCO World Memory Register, the authors of those works, that is, Avicenna, Zahravi and Zeynaddin Jurjani were not Azerbaijani and those manuscripts were not Azerbaijani manuscripts as well. These works were very important to demonstrate the high level of culture, science and education in the medieval period in our country. For the first time, a work of an Azerbaijani author, an Azerbaijani manuscript is included in the UNESCO World Memory Register. It is said in the letter sent to the Institute of Manuscripts of Azerbaijan National Acad- emy of Sciences (ANAS), named after Muhammad Fuzuli by Boyan Radoykov, UNESCO Chief of Section Universal Access and Preservation: ‘I am pleased to inform that inclusion of the copy of the manuscript of the Divan of Muhammad Fuzuli in the World Memory Pro- gram’s Register has been approved by the General Director at the 13th session of the Com- mitte, held from the 24th to 27th October of 2017 in compliance with the recommendation of the International Advisory Committee of the World Memory Program at Paris, where UNESCO’s Headquarter is situated. We are sending the certificate signed by the General Director. The inclusion of this documented heritage into the Register of the Wordl Memory Program reflects its exceptional value and underlines the importance of preservation of it for the world. It also creates a per- fect opportunity in terms of attaching attention to preservation of it to enable the importance of the collective memory and making of it accessible to as much as possible people.’

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The discussed work is the Baku manuscript copied out 16 years after the death of Fuzuli in 1572, which is regarded as the most reliable copy of Fuzuli’s Divan in Turkish (Azeri). This manuscript consisting of 76 pages was copied out by Mahmoud Ibn Davud Ulanyavi, who was familiar with the nickname of Saidi, in 1569-1572. One of the key duties of the ANAS Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli is to promote and represent Azerbaijan’s science and history in the world. Therefore, its relations with the United Nations are further enhanced.

References:

1. Babakhanova N.K. International Information Environment and Scientific-Cultural Integration. – Baku: Zardabi LTD, 2017. 2. Archive Materials of ANAS Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli. 3. Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan http://www.mfa.gov.az/content/556 4. http://www.unesco.az/

Nigar Babaxanova

Əlyazmalar İnstitutunun UNESCO ilə beynəlxalq əlaqələri

XÜLASƏ

Açar sözlər: Əlyazma, UNESCO, beynəlxalq əlaqələr, mədəni irs

Cəmiyyətin inkişafının bütün dövrlərində beynəlxalq təşkilatların rolu inkar olunmazdır. BMT-nin ixtisaslaşmış təşkilatı olan YUNESKO dünyanın təhsil, elm, mədəniyyət, informa- siya və kommunikasiya sahəsindəki əməkdaşlığın ən böyük hökumətlərarası forumudur. Azərbaycan Milli Elmlər Akademiyası Məhəmməd Füzuli adına Əlyazmalar İnstitutunun YUNESKO ilə rəsmi əməkdaşlığı 2002-ci ildən başlayır. 2007-ci ildə Böyük Azərbaycan şairi Məhəmməd Füzulinin türkcə (azərbaycanca) “Divan”ının əlyazmasının surəti “Dünya Yad- daşı” Proqramı Reyestrinə daxil edilib.

Нигяр Бабаханова

Международное сотрудничество Института Рукописей с ЮНЕСКО

РЕЗЮМЕ

Ключевые слова: Pукописи, ЮНЕСКО, международные отношения, культурное наследие Роль международных организаций во всех периодах развития общества неоспори- ма. ЮНЕСКО, специализированное агентство ООН, является крупнейшим межпра-

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Institute of Manuscripts, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

вительственным форумом в области образования, науки, культуры, информации и ком- муникации в мире. Официальное сотрудничество Института рукописей имени Мухам- меда Физули Национальной академии наук Азербайджана с ЮНЕСКО началось с 2002 года. В 2005 году в список «Память мира» вошли три средневековых азербайджанских рукописей по истории медицины и фармакологии из коллекции Института рукописей имени Мухаммеда Физули Национальной Академии Наук Азербайджана. Копия рукописи «Дивана», написанная великим азербайджанским поэтом Мухаммедом Физули на турецком языке (азербайджанский), включена в Реестр программ «Память мира» в 2017 году.

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