Shusha´s Legacy
The History and Development of Azerbaijan´s Cultural Capital
1st Edition
Published on 10. August 2023
Book
Hardback
978-3-947057-07-8 (ISBN)
Description
The monumental work on Shusha´s history and culture has just come out. Translated by Dr. Patrick Tidball from the German original ("Schuscha´s Vermächtnis", 2022), it offers a comprehensive overview of the history and cultural significance of Shusha.
Initially known as P?nahabad in honour of its founder, Shusha (Susa) means to the cultural history of Azerbaijan roughly what Weimar is to the Germans. It is not by chance that President Ilham ?liyev proclaimed an official Shusha Year with extensive celebrations on 5 January 2022 to mark the 270th anniversary of the city's founding. The "cultural capital of Azerbaijan", also called its "pearl" and "temple of art", produced many of Azerbaijan's greatest writers, poets, musicians and other artists. By the end of the 19th century, this "cradle of Azerbaijani culture" disposed of 95 poets and writers, 38 singers, 22 musicologists and 19 calligraphers. Shusha was also the capital of the internationally important Azerbaijani Khanate of Karabakh since the 18th century.
"Shusha's Legacy" recapitulates essential stages in the development of this fascinating city and thus of Azerbaijan as a whole. It shows how culture and politics interpenetrated each other.
Shusha's unique cultural and historical position has also repeatedly made the city the focus of political conflicts. It is precisely against this background that the liberation and restoration of the city has such immense factual, symbolic and political importance for Azerbaijan and all Azerbaijanis.
After an introduction to the history of Shusha, the book offers a glance at its Azerbaijani cultural history, much of which are unknown in the West. It opposes attempts to suppress and negate these and thus to fabricate a picture of the history of Shusha and Karabakh that is virtually detached from the Azerbaijani contribution.
Initially known as P?nahabad in honour of its founder, Shusha (Susa) means to the cultural history of Azerbaijan roughly what Weimar is to the Germans. It is not by chance that President Ilham ?liyev proclaimed an official Shusha Year with extensive celebrations on 5 January 2022 to mark the 270th anniversary of the city's founding. The "cultural capital of Azerbaijan", also called its "pearl" and "temple of art", produced many of Azerbaijan's greatest writers, poets, musicians and other artists. By the end of the 19th century, this "cradle of Azerbaijani culture" disposed of 95 poets and writers, 38 singers, 22 musicologists and 19 calligraphers. Shusha was also the capital of the internationally important Azerbaijani Khanate of Karabakh since the 18th century.
"Shusha's Legacy" recapitulates essential stages in the development of this fascinating city and thus of Azerbaijan as a whole. It shows how culture and politics interpenetrated each other.
Shusha's unique cultural and historical position has also repeatedly made the city the focus of political conflicts. It is precisely against this background that the liberation and restoration of the city has such immense factual, symbolic and political importance for Azerbaijan and all Azerbaijanis.
After an introduction to the history of Shusha, the book offers a glance at its Azerbaijani cultural history, much of which are unknown in the West. It opposes attempts to suppress and negate these and thus to fabricate a picture of the history of Shusha and Karabakh that is virtually detached from the Azerbaijani contribution.