Azerbaijani scientist’s project wins international competition
International research initiative will create a digital archive preserving the language, culture and theater heritage of the Ahıska Turks
BAKU, Azerbaijan (MNTV) — A project by Azerbaijan University scholars to digitally archive the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Ahıska Turks has won the 2026 Scientific Projects Competition announced by the Turkic Academy.
The project, titled “Research and Digital Archiving of the Culture, Language, and Theatre Heritage of Ahıska Turks,” was developed by staff of the Department of Translation and Philology at Azerbaijan University.
The initiative aims to conduct comprehensive scientific research and create a digital archive preserving the language, culture and theater traditions of the Ahıska Turks. Organizers said the project is intended to safeguard the community’s rich cultural heritage, integrate it into academic discourse and make it accessible to international researchers.
The project is led by Asif Hajili, a professor in the Department of Translation and Philology at Azerbaijan University. Hajili, a doctor of philology, has spent years researching and publishing on the history, mythology, ethnography, folklore and ethnic culture of the Ahıska Turks, authoring numerous books and articles in Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Other participants include Minara Aliyeva Çınar, a scholar of Ahıska origin and professor at Bursa Uludağ University, who specializes in Ahıska Turkish language and folklore and serves as editor of the International Ahıska Studies Journal; Nizami Mammadov, a Turkologist and professor at Baku Slavic University; Safar Mammadov, associate professor and dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Azerbaijan University; and Gulnar Rzayeva, head of the Department of Translation and Philology and doctor of philosophy in philology.
The Turkic Academy operates as an international scientific institution within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. It promotes scientific integration across the Turkic world, supports joint research initiatives and works to preserve cultural heritage.
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