CULTURE
Mir Mohsun Navvab - a prominent Azerbaijani poet, artist, calligrapher and musicologist
Baku, March 12, AZERTAC
Shusha city of Azerbaijan – the pearl of Karabakh, which was liberated from Armenia's decades-long illegal occupation on November 8, 2020, and declared as the “Cultural Capital of Azerbaijan” by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, is also the birthplace of a prominent poet, artist, calligrapher and musicologist Mir Mohsun Navvab.
He was born in Shusha in 1833 in the family of Haji Seyid Ahmad and never left his hometown.
Mir Mohsun Navvab's famous musical treatise “Vuzuhul-Arqam” was first published in Baku in 1913.
Navvab used the term dastgah (vocal-instrumental whole performed by the mugham trio) for the first time, mentioning the six dastgah known in Karabakh at that time: Rast, Mahur, Shahnaz, Rahavi, or Rahab, Chahargah and Nava. In this work, the scientist mentioned 82 songs and mughams performed by Karabakh musicians.
He was also a great artist, who undoubtedly made a great contribution to the art of Karabakh and all of Azerbaijan with his artistic creativity.
He produced a series of watercolor paintings, book miniatures, and patterns on several buildings and mosques. Motives of nature, pictures of flowers, birds occupy important place in his works.
In the 19th century the fine arts of Azerbaijan, paintings and book graphics were frequently combined with a realistic interpretation of character. This was particularly clearly reflected in the painters' works: Abbas Huseyni, portrait painter Mirza Kadim Irevani, poet Mir Movsum Navvab (he accompanied his writings with colourful drawings and portraits) and the talented poetess Natavan, who also decorated her poems with artistic motives.
The house of Mir Mohsun Navvab, located in the historic Mamayi neighborhood of Shusha, was one of the architectural examples of the 19th century. In 1990, the house-museum of Mir Mohsun Navvab opened here.
Exhibits highlighting the life and creativity of Mir Mohsun Navvab were displayed in the museum. Among them were his typewriter, telescope, paintings drawn by him and items proving his printing activity.
As a result of the occupation of Shusha by the Armenian Armed Forces, the museum building and exhibits were destroyed.
When Navvab died in Shusha in 1918, he was already well known in Azerbaijan and abroad.