On 15 May Azerbaijan University of Languages hosted an event “Nizamiyya Madrasah and Its Azerbaijani Representatives” in the frames of the project “Our Language and Our Morality” with the joint organizational support of the Chair of Azerbaijani Literature and the Scientific Research Laboratory of Azerbaijani Studies.

Opening the event the Director of the Folklore Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Head of the Chair of Azerbaijani Literature, Academician Mukhtar Imanov greeted the participants and gave extensive information about Nizamiyya Madrasah. He noted that the madaris of Nizamiyya were established in the period of Great Saljugs and were associated with the name of the Wazir Nizam Al-mulk. Mukhtar Imanov underlined that Bagdad Nizamiyya madrasah was considered the first University of the Middle Ages. He also added that the madaris were an educational system which served political purposes and joined the ideological struggle. M.Imanov, who spoke of Khatib Tabrizi, also emphasized that after Nizamiyya madrasah was opened, Tabrizi taught philology there and was the chief of the famous library. Touching upon the educational system of the madaris, he mentioned that madaris taught not only the religious themes, but also classes in literature and history.

The Director of the Institute of Linguistics of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, the leading researcher of the AUL Scientific Research Laboratory of Azerbaijani Studies Mohsun Naghisoylu pointed out the timeliness of this theme associated with Islamic culture. He emphasized the role of the Persians and Turks in the formation of Islamic culture along with the Arabs, “To study Nizamiyya madaris means studying our culture and history”. He said that in the Muslim world madaris functioned within the mosques. M.Naghisoylu also added that Nizamiyya madaris were established at the initiative of Nizam Al-mulk to train decent religious specialists as a form of ideological struggle.

Further the Senior researcher of the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Konul Bunyadzadeh spoke of the eve of the establishment of Nizamiyya madaris and said that Islam incorporates smallest details of science and everyday life too. She also added that there is a call to science in Islam. She stated that along with religious sciences, secular sciences were also taught at Nizamiyya madaris. K.Bunyadzadeh emphasized that these madaris were based on enlightenment.

The event was further continued in discussions.