Azerbaijan — books & literature

The story of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan's story reaches back to Caucasian Albania, an ancient kingdom that flourished in the region over two millennia ago. Islam arrived with the Arab conquest of the 7th century CE, and from the 9th to 16th centuries the Shirvanshah dynasty ruled the region, later making Baku its capital and leaving behind the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Persian rule -- first under the Safavids, then their successors -- held sway from the 16th century until the Russo-Persian wars of the early 19th century, when the treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828) ceded the territory to the Russian Empire. Baku's oil fields then transformed the region: the world's first mechanically drilled oil well opened at Bibi-Heybat in 1846, and by 1899 Azerbaijan supplied roughly half the world's oil. In 1918 the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declared independence, becoming the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world, only to be absorbed into the Soviet Union by the Red Army in 1920. Azerbaijan regained its independence in 1991 as the USSR dissolved, and has since rebuilt as an energy-driven nation bridging Europe and Asia on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 4th century BCE

   Caucasian Albania emerges as an early state in the region.

2. 7th century CE

   Arab conquest brings Islam to the South Caucasus.

3. 9th-16th century

   The Shirvanshah dynasty rules the region, later from Baku; the Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace are built.

4. 1501-1736

   The Safavid Persian Empire controls the region.

5. 1813 & 1828

   Treaties of Gulistan and Turkmenchay cede Azerbaijani lands to the Russian Empire.

6. 1846

   The world's first mechanically drilled oil well opens at Bibi-Heybat, near Baku.

7. 1918

   The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declares independence on 28 May, the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world.

8. 1920

   The Red Army invades; Azerbaijan is absorbed into the Soviet Union.

9. 1991

   Independence is restored on 18 October as the Soviet Union dissolves.

10. 2020

    The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War; Azerbaijan regains territory lost in the 1990s.

Top 10 things to know about Azerbaijan

1. Azerbaijan is known as the "Land of Fire" for its natural gas seeps and ancient fire-worship history.
2. The 1918 Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world and among the first in the world to grant women the right to vote.
3. Baku's Bibi-Heybat field hosted the world's first mechanically drilled oil well in 1846.
4. By 1899, Azerbaijan produced roughly half of the world's oil output.
5. Nizami Ganjavi, one of the great poets of Persian literature, was born in Ganja, Azerbaijan.
6. Baku's Inner City (Icherisheher), home to the Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
7. Azerbaijan straddles Eastern Europe and Western Asia on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water on Earth.
8. The country has seven distinct regional schools of carpet weaving, recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
9. Baku's Flame Towers, inspired by fire, dominate the modern capital's skyline.
10. Azerbaijani is a Turkic language, written in the Latin alphabet since independence in 1991 after decades of Cyrillic use under Soviet rule.

Famous people from Azerbaijan

Say it in Azerbaijan's language

Did you know?

• ★Azerbaijan's fire symbolism carries through to modern landmarks like Baku's Flame Towers, echoing its history as a centre of fire worship.
• ★The 1918 Azerbaijan Democratic Republic granted women the right to vote before many Western democracies did.
• ★The Caspian Sea, which borders Azerbaijan, is the largest inland body of water on Earth.

Azerbaijan culture

• Novruz Bayram (the Persian/Turkic New Year, around 21 March) is Azerbaijan's most important holiday, marked by bonfires, feasts, and spring rituals.
• Mugham, a traditional modal music genre blending poetry and improvisation, is recognised by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible heritage.
• Tea culture is central to daily life, traditionally served in pear-shaped armudu glasses at nearly every gathering.
• Carpet weaving spans seven regional schools, each with its own distinct patterns, colours, and motifs.

Why read Azerbaijan's books

Azerbaijani literature carries the weight of Nizami Ganjavi's epic poetry and a modern tradition shaped by Soviet-era upheaval and post-independence rediscovery. Its books trace a path from Persian-language classics to a distinct Turkic literary voice.