Sara Ashurbeyli

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Sara Ashurbeyli
Born(1906-01-27)January 27, 1906
DiedJuly 17, 2001(2001-07-17) (aged 95)
Baku, Azerbaijan
Alma materAzerbaijan State University
Known forResearcher of Shirvan and Medieval Baku History
AwardsShohrat Order
Order of Friendship of Peoples
Scientific career
FieldsOriental studies, History
InstitutionsInstitute of History of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

Sara Ashurbeyli, sometimes known as Sara Ashurbayli (Azerbaijani: Sara Balabəy qızı Aşurbəyli), (27 January 1906 – 17 July 2001 in Baku) was an eminent Azerbaijani historian, orientalist and scholar. She was an expert in Baku's early and medieval history of Baku and published many papers and books.

Biography[edit]

House in Baku, where Ashurbeyli lived

The daughter of a rich oil magnate, Sara Ashurbeyli had a perfect education and finished Jeanne D’Arc College in Constantinople in 1925 and entered Baku State University in 1930 this time in Soviet Azerbaijan. She graduated as an orientalist, and she also studied European languages at Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute, thus besides her native Azerbaijani language she knew Arabic, Persian, Turkish, French, German, Russian, and English. She was also an artist and joined the Union of Azerbaijan's Artists in 1946. During her lifetime she also taught in various institutions and was a dean for a while. She got her Ph.D. in 1966. A Doctor of History Sciences she was an Azerbaijan State prize laureate.[1]

Her famous works include “History of Baku: Mediaeval period” and “Shirvanshah State”. She has postulated that the origin of name of "Baku" has its origins from Zoroastrianism, taken from the word “baga” which means “the Sun” or “the God” in several ancient middle-eastern languages.[2]

She died in 2001 at age 95.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Scientific session on the 100th anniversary of well-known historian, the Doctor of History Sciences, Honoured science worker, Azerbaijan State prize laureate Sara Ashurbayli". Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  2. ^ "On the Etymology of the Name "Baku"". Window to Baku. Retrieved November 28, 2010.