By the decision of the Academic Council of the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), a volume containing the proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium entitled “National and Spiritual Values in the Art of Ashiq” has been published. The publication is dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the distinguished master of the Ashiq art, Mikayil Azafli.

The volume brings together the papers presented at the International Scientific Symposium organized by the Institute of Folklore on 17 March 2025.

Containing a total of 35 scholarly papers, the publication explores various aspects of Azerbaijani and the broader Turkic ashiq tradition from theoretical and academic perspectives. The articles provide comprehensive analyses of the poetic structure of ashiq creativity, genre characteristics, performance traditions, the distinctive features of regional Ashiq schools, as well as the literary, cultural and ideological dimensions of Mikayil Azafli’s legacy.

The studies included in the volume examine both the classical examples of the Ashiq tradition and the challenges associated with preserving and sustaining this cultural heritage in the contemporary period through a comparative approach. Particular attention is also devoted to the representation of national and spiritual values in ashiq poetry, the preservation of socio-cultural memory and contemporary scholarly interpretations of folklore.

The scientific editor of the volume is Associate Professor Hikmat Guliyev, Doctor of Sciences in Philology. The compilers are PhD, Associate Professor Ilhama Gasabova, PhD Shahla Huseynli and PhD Surayya Alizade.

Click the link for access to the publication.